Have you considered an application like Diligent's Virtual Tape Facility for the Mainframe - VTF/M for short. Or you can call us as well since we are a reseller for VTF/M (sorry, I couldn't resist - my apologies to the list in advance)
I use and support this product and there is a lot more to consider than just redirecting the I/O request. Consider how you would do the following: 1) how would you select a job for redirection - jobname, stepname, ddname, dataset name, device type request? 2) how would you identify and create a 'virtual tape drive' to recognize for redirection? 3) how would you handle the allocation of a disk data set to contain your virtual tape file? 4) do you have any automated operations software to interface with and process any messages your code might issue? 5) do you have to interface your virtual tape volumes with an existing tape management system? 6) how would you maintain your library of virtual tapes - add, delete, rename, e-vault support? As you can see - just redirecting the I/O by front ending the STARTIO code may be the easy part. What about all the rest? Save yourself a lot of time and grief - go buy VTF/M that already does everything is the list above. Just my $0.02 - and no, I am not on a commission for VTF/M. :-) HITACHI DATA SYSTEMS Raymond E. Noal Senior Technical Engineer Office: (408) 970 - 7978 -----Original Message----- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Lindy Mayfield Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2008 3:31 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: STARTIO macro doc I want to do like Flex and Hercules do where the tape is really a file on DASD. -----Original Message----- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Hal Merritt Sent: 9. heinäkuuta 2008 1:21 To: [email protected] Subject: Re: STARTIO macro doc Consider device redirection using SMS. That is, when an application calls for tape it is transparently redirected to DASD. AFAIK, 'virtual tape' is still physical tape. It is just a way to put many logical tape volumes on one physical tape volume in a way that is transparent to the application. Or am I not understanding what you want to do? -----Original Message----- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Lindy Mayfield Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2008 5:13 PM To: [email protected] Subject: STARTIO macro doc Does anyone have (or know a link to) any documentation on STARTIO? Google gave up a hint that there was a SHARE presentation on it, but no links that I could find. I'm still thinking how one might create a virtual tape on DASD device on z/OS. Maybe STARTIO is the way to do it. Thanks, Lindy ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message, together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, copying, disclosure or distribution is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
