ALLOCATE: Allocate a log

Use the ALLOCATE command to identify the CICS® log or log stream copy that you want CICS® VR to read.

Do not use ALLOCATE for MVS™ log streams. For MVS™ log streams, use the MVSLOG command.

Format

ALLOCATE LOG(dsn1,dsn2,...) [ VOLUME(vol1,vol2,... ) ] [ UNIT(unit1,unit2,... ) ]

Keywords

LOG(dsn1,dsn2,...)

Specifies the logs in ascending time order, with the earliest specified first. The LOG keyword is required.

dsn1,dsn2,...: Specifies the log data set name, which is 1–44 characters. You can specify one or more logs.

VOLUME(vol1,vol2,...)

Specifies the first volume serial number that the log resides on. The VOLUME keyword is required only if at least one of the logs specified is not cataloged. If specifying more than one log, where some are cataloged and some are not, use an asterisk (*) to denote the volume for the cataloged logs.

vol1,vol2,...: Specifies the volume field, which is either 1–6 characters, or an asterisk (*) to denote the volume for the cataloged logs. You can specify one or more volumes that correspond to the number of logs you have specified.

UNIT(unit1,unit2,...)

Specifies the device type that the log resides on. The UNIT keyword is required only if at least one of the logs specified is not cataloged. If specifying several logs, where some are cataloged and some are not, use an asterisk (*) to denote the unit for the cataloged logs.

unit1,unit2,...: Specifies the unit name, which is 1–8 characters, use an asterisk (*) to denote the volume for the uncataloged logs. You can specify one or more unit types, corresponding to the number of logs you have specified.

Usage notes

Consider the following information when you use the ALLOCATE command:

You can specify these types of logs to CICS® VR:
- CICS® VR SAM copies of MVS™ log streams
You can specify the log in a DWWLOG DD instead of specifying the ALLOCATE statement.
You cannot specify MVS™ log streams using the ALLOCATE command. You must use the MVSLOG command, see MVSLOG: Specify an MVS Log Stream.
You cannot use CICS® Transaction Server logs for backout. CICS® Transaction Server provides online backout failure support.
If you use the ALLOCATE command to tell CICS® VR to read a log stream copy, you must also specify the MVSLOG command to tell CICS® VR it is a SAM copy of an MVS™ log stream.
If you build a recovery job manually, you must also know and specify the proper forward recovery start time based on the backup that was restored. If you use the CICS® VR panel interface, CICS® VR automatically uses the proper forward recovery start time based on the selected backup.
Base and path updates must be recorded on the same sequence of logs for a given sphere.
You have the option of allocating your logs through dynamic allocation, with the ALLOCATE command, or through ddnames in the CICS® VR JCL.
If you use the ALLOCATE command to specify your logs, keep each uncataloged archived log on a single volume.
All logs that are needed for CICS® VR recovery must be provided in a single step.
Attention:
Do not split the logs needed for recovery into several CICS® VR steps. This might cause loss of data integrity without warning.
Only one ALLOCATE command is permitted per CICS® VR step.

Examples

There is a positional correspondence between the ALLOCATE keyword values. That is, if three log data set names are supplied, there must be three VOLUME and UNIT keywords, if one or more of the logs are uncataloged.

ALLOCATE LOG(CICSA.ARCH1 CICSA.NARCH1 CICSA.ARCH2)  - 1
         VOLUME(* * 123456)  -                        2
         UNIT(* * TAPE)                               3

Here is an explanation of each of the ALLOCATE commands:

1: The ALLOCATE command describes three logs.
2: The VOLUME command describes the first two logs as being cataloged; the third log is uncataloged and resides on volume serial number 123456.
3: The UNIT command describes the first two logs as being cataloged; the third log is uncataloged and resides on tape.

Synonyms

The ALLOCATE synonyms table provides the ALLOCATE commands or keywords along with acceptable synonyms that can be used in place of the commands or keywords:

Table 1. ALLOCATE synonyms
Command or keyword	Synonyms
ALLOCATE	ALLOC
LOG	JOURNAL, JNL
VOLUME	VOL