RETAIN keeps the tape mounted and at the end of the file just written. The REFerback to any prior step gets the VOLSER that you are working with.
Your job is coded correctly and changing it will not affect processing, as long as it remains on one volume. If a step goes to another volume, the subsequent step mounts the first tape and abends when it does not find the end of the prior file. On Thu, Jun 28, 2012 at 12:55 PM, John Dawes <[email protected]> wrote: > G'Day, > > We are evaluating some volume backup jobs which execute about 45 steps in > average and write out to the same output scratch tape. I noticed that some > jobs in particular have each step (from the second to the 45th step) refer to > the first step e.g. // VOL=(,RETAIN,,,REF=*.STEP01.TAPE) > I know prior to OS390 this was necessary, however this is no longer done. I > personally code the REF=* to point to the previous step instead of STEP01. > My question is, if I refer back to STEP01.TAPE, does the tape rewind back to > the position where STEP01 dsn was created and then skips forward to write out > the next dsn? Does coding the previous step for the REF=* save I/O time or > there is no difference at all? I hope I was able to word my question clearly. > > I would appreciate your comments before I embark on changing the jcls. > > Thanks. -- Mike A Schwab, Springfield IL USA Where do Forest Rangers go to get away from it all? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
