Data set names without quotes and data set name masks without quotes must pass these data set naming rules:

• A data set name can have one or more qualifiers.
• Each qualifier is one to eight characters. The first character alphabetic (A to Z) or national (# @ $). The remaining seven characters can be either alphabetic, numeric (0 - 9), national, or a hyphen (-).
• Qualifiers are separated by a period.
• DFSMSrmm adds your TSO PROFILE PREFIX value as the high-level qualifier.
• The data set name must not include a member name.

In addition, data set name masks must pass these data set mask naming rules:

• You can use *, %, or ¬ in a data set name mask.

• *

  A single * represents a single qualifier of any number of characters.

  A single * when used within a qualifier represents zero or more characters.

  More than one single * can be used within a qualifier as long as a character precedes or follows the *.

  .** represents zero or more qualifiers. At the end of the mask, ** indicates to ignore any remaining characters.

  ** indicates to select all data sets. You can use this mask to define a vital record specification that sets your installation default retention criteria for data sets that are not covered by other vital record specifications.

  The data set name masks *.** and ** match to all data sets not covered by a more specific vital record specification. You can use these data set name masks to define a system-wide release option.

  % (percent sign)

  A place holder for a single character.

  ¬ (not sign)

  A place holder for a single character in a pseudo-gdg data set name mask. The ¬ has special meaning in a data set name mask and is used to specify a pseudo-GDG data set name. See Pseudo-GDG data set names for information.

  Use % when you do not want to manage all the data sets that match the data set name mask as a pseudo-GDG.

  Period (.)

  A leading or trailing period is not allowed. Consecutive periods are also not allowed.

  Double asterisk (**)

  Cannot be specified within a data set name qualifier.

When defining policies to manage a GDG base entry and a standard data set name, you cannot use the same data set name in two vital record specifications. You also cannot have two vital record specifications that use the same data set name and job name combination when managing GDGs and non-GDGs. If you want to define different retention and movement criteria for a data set name, use the GDG suffix together with ¬ in the data set name for one of the vital record specifications. For example, you can define these vital record specifications for the same data set name:

RMM ADDVRS DSNAME(a.b.c) NOGDG CYCLE COUNT(5) LOCATION(REMOTE)
RMM ADDVRS DSNAME(a.b.c.G¬¬¬¬V¬¬) -
      NOGDG CYCLES COUNT(5)

DFSMSrmm manages both sets of non-GDG data sets separately; because you include the GDG suffix and ¬ in the data set name for the second vital record specification, DFSMSrmm manages those data sets as a cycle of pseudo-GDG data sets, even though they are identified as NOGDG.

You must select a vital record specification type of DSNAME, VOLUME, or NAME.

EXTRADAYS

Specifies the number of days since a name vital record specification started to retain the data set. The number of extra days is specified with the COUNT operand. EXTRADAYS is the number of days since the NAME vital record specification started to retain the data set. The number of days depends on when the previous vital record specification stopped retaining the data set and the time when vital record processing is run. EXTRADAYS can only be used in a NAME vital record specification. EXTRADAYS cannot be used with CYCLES, DAYS, LASTREFERENCEDAYS, BYDAYSCYCLE, WHILECATALOG, UNTILEXPIRED, or ANDVRS.

GDG

Specifies that the data set name is a GDG base name. For GDG data set vital record specifications DFSMSrmm checks for the standard version qualifier GnnnnVnn. GDG is only valid for a data set name vital record specification. If you do not use GDG, the default NOGDG is in effect. (For more information on GDG cycle retention, see the description of the GDG parmlib option in z/OS DFSMSrmm Implementation and Customization Guide.)

JOBNAME(jobname_mask)

Specifies a job name that created a data set. A job name is one-to-eight alphanumeric characters or $, #, or @. You can specify a specific jobname or a jobname mask. Use % to match any one character and * to match any character string in the mask. Specific job names take precedence over job name masks. This operand is optional.

DFSMSrmm applies JOBNAME in vital record processing based on the parmlib OPTION command VRSJOBNAME operand as described in the z/OS DFSMSrmm Implementation and Customization Guide. If JOBNAME is not specified, vital record processing is based on the data set name only.

You can specify the job name mask ABEND to manage all data sets closed as a result of an abnormal end in a task or as a result of an abend in OPEN, CLOSE, or End of Volume processing. Use the DSNAME operand to specify a data set name mask.

You can specify the job name mask DELETED to manage all data sets that have the 'deleted' flag set on. Use the DSNAME operand to specify a data set name mask.

You can specify the job name mask OPEN to manage all data sets open at the time inventory management vital record processing is run. These data sets might have been left open by a system failure or might be in use. Use the DSNAME operand to specify a data set name mask.

If you have data sets with job names that include symbols other than alphanumeric characters, $, #, or @, use a job name mask to cover them.

LASTREFERENCEDAYS

Specifies that DFSMSrmm retains all copies of the data set based on the number of elapsed days since the data set was last read or written to.

LASTREFERENCEDAYS can be used for data set vital record specifications and name vital record specifications. LASTREFERENCEDAYS is mutually exclusive with CYCLES, DAYS, BYDAYSCYCLE, and EXTRADAYS.

LOCATION(location_name)

Specifies a location where the volume should be retained. location_name can be: CURRENT,HOME,library_name, LOCAL,LOCDEF_location_name, DISTANT, or REMOTE.

Use HOME if you want the volume to be returned to its home location. If the volume's home location is defined to DFSMSrmm as SHELF, you can use HOME to return a volume to a location in a non-system-managed tape library. See ADDVOLUME: Adding volume information and CHANGEVOLUME: Changing volume information for information on specifying a volume's home location. Use CURRENT to avoid moving volumes.

Supply a library name if you want the volume to be retained in a system-managed tape library. A library name is one-to-eight alphanumeric characters, starting with a non-numeric character. You can specify a distributed library name only if the library is an IBM® Virtualization Engine.

Specify an installation defined storage location name or LOCAL, DISTANT, or REMOTE if you want DFSMSrmm to retain the volume in a storage location.

The default value is HOME.

NAME(VRS_name)

Specifies the vital record specification type and gives a name for the vital record specification. A vital record specification name is one-to-eight alphanumeric or national characters chosen by your installation. A NAME vital record specification identifies a location and can optionally specify retention type and count.

To link vital record specifications together, use a vital record specification name as the NEXTVRS or ANDVRS value on data set, volume, and other name vital record specifications.

You must specify a vital record specification type of NAME, VOLUME or DSNAME.

NEXTVRS(next_VRS_name)

Specifies the name of the next vital record specification in a chain of vital record specifications.

If you give the name of a vital record specification that does not exist, DFSMSrmm returns the volume or data set to its home location when the retention criteria you specify has been met and issues message EDG2230I and return code 4.

NOGDG

Specifies that the data set name does not identify a GDG base name. For NOGDG data set vital record specifications, you can use a fully qualified generation data set name. NOGDG is only valid for data set name vital record specifications.

NOGDG is the default.

OWNER(owner)

Specifies the owner ID of the vital record specification's owner. An owner ID is one-to-eight alphanumeric characters, $, #, or @. The owner previously defined to DFSMSrmm. The default is the user ID of the command issuer.

PRIORITY(0-9999)

Specifies a priority value 0 - 9999 to override the priority defined in the LOCDEF command for a location. The priority values are purely relative and do not have any further significance. The lower priority numbers take precedence. For example, in the case of a tie, DFSMSrmm requests that a volume move to the location with priority value 100 rather than priority value 200. The default value 0 means that the LOCDEF defined priority should be used.

When PRIORITY is used on a data set name vital record specification or volume vital record specification, the priority applies to the data set or volume no matter which vital record specification in a chain currently retains the data set or volume. The priority specified in the vital record specification is used instead of the priority defined by the LOCDEF parmlib command value. PRIORITY cannot be used on a NAME vital record specification.

RELEASE(EXPIRYDATEIGNORE,SCRATCHIMMEDIATE)

Specifies RELEASE options for data set vital record specifications.

DFSMSrmm's handling of the vital record specification release options enables them to be applied to a volume from data set name vital record specifications even when the data set is not retained by a vital record specification. Release options are applied for any data set that matches to a vital record specification. This means that you can return a data set to scratch on the same day that it is created even when it is never retained by a data set name vital record specification.

When there are multiple data sets on a volume, the results for release option processing are such that:

• If any data set on a volume is or has ever been retained by a vital record specification, the release options for the volume are set only from data sets that are retained by the vital record specification.
• The handling of the release options as data sets are dropped from a vital record specification retention is unchanged.
• If no data sets on a volume are vital record specification retained and none of them have yet been retained by a vital record specification, and the volume is not yet retained by a volume vital record specification, the release options are taken from any data sets that match to a vital record specification. Both primary and secondary vital record specification matches are considered.

Each time vital record processing is performed, DFSMSrmm sets the release options for only those data sets that are still retained by vital record specifications. When a volume is no longer retained by a vital record specification, DFSMSrmm uses the RELEASE options that were set the last time vital record processing was run.

EXPIRYDATEIGNORE

Specifies that DFSMSrmm expiration processing should ignore a volume's expiration date when the volume is no longer retained by a vital record specification.

SCRATCHIMMEDIATE

Specifies that the volume can be marked for return to scratch when the only pending action is return to scratch.

When multiple data sets are created on a volume and retained by vital record specifications, DFSMSrmm sets the volume release options if any matching vital record specifications specify that option. DFSMSrmm updates release options each time vital record processing is run.

To remove the EXPIRYDATEIGNORE or SCRATCHIMMEDIATE release options for a volume, remove the RELEASE operand on all the vital record specifications that retain data sets on the volume. Then rerun vital record processing.

STORENUMBER(days|cycles|volumes)

Specifies how many days to retain a data set, how many data set cycles or versions to retain, how many volumes to retain, or how many days to retain a volume.

DFSMSrmm uses STORENUMBER(days) to retain a data set or a particular volume for a number of days when you add a data set vital record specification with the DAYS or LASTREFERENCEDAYS operand, or when you add a volume vital record specification for a volume.

DFSMSrmm uses STORENUMBER(cycles) to retain a number of data set cycles when you add a data set vital record specification with the CYCLES operand.

DFSMSrmm uses STORENUMBER(volumes) to retain a number of volumes when you add a vital record specification using a generic volume serial number.

The value range is 0-99999, where 99999 indicates that all remaining data sets or volumes are to be retained. The default is STORENUMBER(99999).

STORENUMBER less than or equal to COUNT.

TZ({+|-}HH[:MM[:SS]])

Specifies the time zone offset when date and time values are specified. The format is {+|-}HH[:MM[:SS]] where:

• +|- is the offset direction. Specify + to indicate that the offset is East of the zero median (UT). Specify - to indicate that the offset is West of the zero median (UT). The offset direction is required.
• HH is hours
• MM is minutes
• SS is seconds

An optional colon (:) separates hours from optional minutes and optional seconds.

You can specify a time in the range between 00:00:00 to 15:00:00 for HH:MM:SS. MM and SS value range is 00 to 59.

UNTILEXPIRED

Specifies that DFSMSrmm retains the data set until the volume expiration date is reached or until the data set is no longer retained. When you specify UNTILEXPIRED, DFSMSrmm releases a data set as soon as the volume expiration date is reached, regardless of the overall retention amount specified by the COUNT operand, and regardless of catalog status. When UNTILEXPIRED is specified alone, the expiration date is the only factor controlling vital records specification retention.

If a data set matches a primary vital record specification and secondary vital record specification, DFSMSrmm uses the retention information from the secondary vital record specification to determine if the data set should be retained. If the secondary vital record specification retains the data set, the expiration date is used to retain the data set. If the secondary vital record specification does not retain the data set, then the primary vital record specification retains the data set.

The UNTILEXPIRED retention uses the volume expiration date when used in a management value or management class vital record specification.

VOLUME(full_or_generic_volume_serial)

Specifies the volume serial number for the vital record specification that is being added. You can supply a full volume serial number or a generic volume serial number. A full volume serial number is one-to-six alphanumeric, national, or special characters. Enclose it in single quotation marks if it contains any special characters. A generic volume serial number is one-to-five alphanumeric, national, or special characters followed by an asterisk.

You must use a vital record specification type of VOLUME, DSNAME or NAME.

WHILECATALOG

Specifies that DFSMSrmm retains the data set that matches a vital record specification only as long as it is cataloged. When you use WHILECATALOG, DFSMSrmm does not retain a data set if it is not cataloged at the time of vital record processing. To retain all data sets while they are cataloged, use ADDVRS DSN('**') WHILECATALOG COUNT(99999). If a data set is not cataloged, DFSMSrmm uses the parmlib OPTION CATRETPD operand to define a minimum catalog retention period. This prevents a volume from being released before the data set that resides on it gets cataloged at the completion of a long running job. DFSMSrmm retains the data set for the catalog retention period if the data set has never been cataloged. DFSMSrmm does not retain the data set if DFSMSrmm detected that the data set was cataloged and then uncataloged during the catalog retention period.

As a default, DFSMSrmm does not consider the catalog status of a data set when determining the retention.

Command:

  RMM ADDVRS DSN(‘*PREF.%%%%TAPE.DATASET’) COUNT(99999)-
       LOCATION(LIB1)

Command:

  RMM ADDVRS VOLUME(8E1U02) OWNER(OWNER77) LOCATION(HOME) COUNT(99999)

Command 1:

RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('*DFHSM.%.C%%V¬¬¬¬') COUNT(5) -
    DELAY(1) CYCLES STORENUMBER(1) LOCATION(LOCAL) NEXTVRS(REMOTE)

Command 2:

RMM ADDVRS NAME(REMOTE) STORENUMBER(2) LOCATION(REMOTE)

These commands keep all your ABARS-produced backups, no matter how many copies you ask DFSMShsm to produce, using the same vital record specification. You can replace the *DFHSM with the application aggregate names you are using.

Command:

RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('D99000') WHILECATALOG

Command:

RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('HLQ.**') DAYS LOCATION(DISTANT) -
    STORENUMBER(99999) COUNT(99999) UNTILEXPIRED

Command:

RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('HLQ.**') JOBNAME(S*JOB) DAYS LOCATION(DISTANT) -
    STORENUMBER(99999) COUNT(99999) UNTILEXPIRED

Command:

RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('ABEND') JOBNAME(JOB123) DAYS COUNT(10)
RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('ABEND') JOBNAME(JOB1*)  DAYS COUNT(5)
RMM ADDVRS DSNAME('ABEND')                 DAYS COUNT(2)

If job JOB123 ends abnormally, all data sets closed by abend processing are retained for 10 days. If job JOB111 ends abnormally, all data sets closed by abend processing are retained for 5 days. If job JOB5678 ends abnormally, all data sets closed by abend processing are retained for 2 days.

Command:

RMM ADDVRS VOLUME(8E1U02) LOCATION(STORWBIN)