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z/OS Tape Copy, Consolidation, Migration & Conversion
With individual cartridge capacity continuing to increase year-on-year, many z/OS
shops are faced with two separate (but related) problems.
- They have to ensure that day-to-day applications that use tape-based
data fully utilize the increased capacity of each tape, avoiding the creation
of inefficient and sparse tapes.
- They need an efficient method for the conversion of historical tape
data from old media (e.g. 3480/3490) onto the higher capacity tapes (e.g.
Magstar TS1120/TS1130 and SUN T10000) and Virtual Tape Systems
(e.g. IBM TS7700, SUN VTS, EMC DLM, Bus-Tech MDL or Fujitsu Centricstor).
Although these tasks can be achieved manually, or through JCL changes, this can
be very labor intensive, time-consuming, and with a high potential for human error.
FATSCOPY is a z/OS tape copy, consolidation, migration
and conversion utility.
It can automate the process of copying and recataloging tape-based
datasets from one tape media to another, including to, from and between
all of the popular Virtual Tape, Vtape and VTS systems.
FATSCOPY automatically recatalogs the tape files that it copies,
and it currently supports the CA-1 and IBM DFSMS RMM tape management
systems. |
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FATSCOPY has two primary uses:
- It can CONVERT tape datasets from one magnetic media type to another.
Use FATSCOPY to automate the migration of tape datasets from one tape
media type to another. For example, you can merge 100 3480 tapes to a single
IBM TS1120 tape or an IBM TS1130 tape cartridge.
- It can automate the STACKING of tape datasets on high-capacity
volumes.
FATSCOPY can ensure the efficient use of high-capacity tapes by periodically
collecting tape datasets from multiple tapes and consolidating them onto fewer
tapes, releasing the inefficient input volumes as scratch tapes for reuse.
The stacked datasets will be re-cataloged, making the stacking process
completely transparent to the application.
FATSCOPY offers two main modes of operation:
- Volume Level – where the copying of tape datasets is
driven by specific or generic tape volsers.
- Dataset Level – where the copying is driven by
specific or generic dataset names, located via the z/OS catalogs.
Additional criteria can also be used to modify the selection/exclusion process:
- Tape device type (DEVTYPE).
- File Sequence numbers (FILESEQ).
- Creation Date, Expiration Date or Size (in MB) of the tape files.
- The name of the job, step or program that created or last used
the tape files.
Once selected, the input datasets are dynamically allocated by FATSCOPY and
then copied to consecutive files on the output tape. Files from multiple tapes,
but with like expiry dates, can be placed onto the same output tape.
Information recorded in the Tape Management System (CA-1 and DFSMSrmm) can
be propagated to the tape management records of the output datasets, effectively
recataloging the files to the output tape. The input tapes can optionally be
returned to scratch status.
See the Technical Detail section for more information.
The FATSCOPY functions described above can be executed either through
standard z/OS JCL, or through a set of ISPF panels.
See the Technical Detail section for more information.
FATSCOPY also includes features for checkpointing, auditing and simulation:
- Checkpoint Restart: A FATSCOPY job can be restarted at any time if the
previous job is cancelled.
- Audit Report: FATSCOPY creates an Audit Report containing information
for each data set copied.
See the Technical Detail
section for an example audit report.
- Simulate: This produces detailed reports showing the data sets that would
be selected for copying and those that would be bypassed, based on the
select/exclude criteria provided. For those data sets that meet the
selection criteria, FATSCOPY produces a report showing how they will
be grouped on the output volumes, the expiration date that will be
assigned, the number of compressed and uncompressed output tapes
that would be required, and a list showing the input tapes that
would be requested during the copy process.
FATSCOPY also includes FATS/FATAR, which provides the following
additional “media” and “data” functions:
Media functions —
- ERASE all data on a old tape before it is discarded,
or partially erase data after the end-of-tape mark on live tapes that are
to be sent offsite for processing.
- CERTIFY tapes to ensure that new and existing
tapes do not have errors that would cause costly reruns.
Data Functions —
- MAP a tape to verify the characteristics and contents
of the tape - the files, the filenames, DCB characteristics, blocksizes,
creation and expiration dates, compression statistics.
- COPY a tape – either an exact “bit-for-bit”
image of the tape, or a “logical” copy, which allows you to rename,
reblock, and selectively copy files.
- ERROR RECOVERY – allowing you to read (and copy to new
media) tapes that have suffered tape errors, thus avoiding significant
rerun time.
See the FATS/FATAR Product Portfolio Sheet for more information on tape media functions.
For more introductory information on FATSCOPY, see the
Product Portfolio Sheet
For more comprehensive information on FATSCOPY, please request a
Concept & Facilities Guide
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