The POPULATECF function provides a means of rebuilding multiple structures into a coupling facility with a single operator command or IXLREBLD macro invocation. The function's use primarily is to repopulate a coupling facility with the most appropriate structures after the coupling facility has been added to the sysplex configuration or has been removed from the configuration for service and then returned. The advantage of the POPULATECF function is that it rebuilds only structures that are currently allocated into the coupling facility that the structure (in the CFRM active policy) has specified is preferable. If the structure already resides in a coupling facility that is higher in its preference list than the coupling facility being populated, the system will not rebuild the structure.

For example, assume that a coupling facility structure is to be moved from a standalone coupling facility to a machine containing only a coupling facility LPAR. If the machine has the capability of also running z/OS® in another LPAR, the system would not rebuild the structure in that machine. The standalone coupling facility configuration is considered “more suitable” and therefore higher in the preference list than the non-standalone coupling facility configuration.

Sample procedure for coupling facility maintenance outlines the steps an operator would take when having to remove a coupling facility from the configuration for maintenance and then subsequently returning it to service. In the example, coupling facility CF1 is to be removed, leaving coupling facilities CF2 and CF3 in the configuration. The structures in CF1 must be moved to one of the other coupling facilities before CF1 can be removed from the configuration.