Hi Folks,
In answer to Paul Gilmartin's question about whether the COPYMODS
program (CBT File 229) is capable of changing VOLSERs of copied tapes,
and where it can change them on the copied tape, (the VOL1 label or the
HDR1 labels), I have the following detailed answer.
The COPYMODS program, using its CHGVOL option (which changes the
volser of the output tapes to the JCL VOL=SER= designation on the //OUTn
DD cards), or its OUTVOLALL=vvvvvv SYSIN option, which changes ALL
output volsers to the one designated on SYSIN card OUTVOLALL=vvvvvv), at
present, only the VOL1 label is changed, and not the HDR1 labels. (FYI
the volser of the first volume of a multivolume tape is contained in the
HDR1 labels of all SL files on an SL tape, and if there is one volume
only, then this is the same volser as on the VOL1 label.) Recently, I
have created two new options. These are called SHOOVL (show the old
volser, which can be executed together with the READ option (read
only--no tape copy)) and KEEPVOL (keep the output volser), which allow
you to use SL scratch tapes as the target of a copy, and which allow you
to keep the existing volser that had been already there, on the scratch
tape. This option is desirable when you use a tape management system
and you have previously unknown volsers on the output tapes, which
volsers you want to preserve.
For most purposes, the z/OS system doesn't seem to use the volser
that is in the HDR1 label. The most important and essential occurrence
of the tape volser, is in the VOL1 label (as in DASD volsers too).
In the coding of the COPYMODS program, all this is complicated by
the fact that you can make up to 16 output tapes at the same time, so if
you are going to have 16 different output volsers, these have to all be
kept track of. I have done so, for the SHOOVL and KEEPVOL options, and
have created an in-program table for the purpose. Dumping all of the
correct new volsers into HDR1 labels is doable, but I have to figure out
what is practical, and what is not. We have to keep in mind, what the
operating system does with the HDR1 volsers, or what it doesn't do with
them. Also, COPYMODS is not geared to multi-volume tapes. It must deal
with each input volume separately. So there would have to be a
provision (if this is done completely accurately) to be able to put a
completely DIFFERENT volser into the HDR1 label of each output tape,
depending on what the volser was, on the original first volume.
Anyway, this is what I'm up against in COPYMODS coding. If there
is demand, I'll try and see what I can do. Please remember that
COPYMODS already has about 50 options that it can already run with, and
it is a VERY powerful tape copying (and measuring) program. The current
version of COPYMODS is Level 086. Please see File 229 or File 847 on
www.cbttape.org if you want to obtain COPYMODS. COPYMODS is quite
simple to work with, and it is a lot of fun. But you always need
BLP=YES capability, because COPYMODS treats all tape labels as if they
were data. When you run COPYMODS, all tapes have to be designated in
the JCL, as BLP.
So I hope this helps to clarify matters, for those of you who are
interested. If you like tapes, File 229 is a definitely good source of
tools for you to work and play with.
All the best of everything to all of you.
Sincerely, Sam
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