What's new in CICS VR 6.1
CICS® VR 6.1 contains these changes.
Operating environment
CICS® VR uses logs to recover your VSAM data.
Introducing CICS VR
With CICS VR, you can recover your VSAM data without specialist knowledge or expertise.
Using the main menu
When you start CICS VR, the CICS VR main menu panel is displayed.
Customizing the JCL skeleton
How to edit the JCL skeleton.
Introducing CICS® VR
CICS® VSAM Recovery Version 6 Release 1 (CICS VR) recovers your lost or damaged VSAM data.
Overview of CICS VR installation
This information describes all the necessary steps to successfully set up CICS VR 6.1. It includes a detailed description of the various CICS VR components and how to set them up. The CICS VR server address space is required for batch logging, backup notification, and backout failure notification.
Migration considerations
Consider these general migration considerations when you migrate to CICS® VR V6.1 from an earlier release.
Activating the CICS® VR server address space
The CICS® VR server address space provides a communication vehicle for CICS VR and other applications. It must be active if you want to use any of these CICS VR functions.
Setting up CICS® VR VSAM batch logging
CICS® VR VSAM batch logging, referred to as batch logging, provides logging of updates made to VSAM data sets by batch jobs. Two types of batch logging are available, forward recovery logging and undo logging.
CICS® VR security
Security has been enhanced to protect the RCDS from being updated by any user. It is possible to specify that the users security profile must be checked before allowing certain information in the RCDS to be added, changed, or deleted.
Setting up CICS® VR for CICS® TS
The tasks you need to do to set up CICS® VR for CICS TS.
Setting up your CICS® TS environment
This section describes the tasks you need to do to set up your CICS® TS environment for CICS VR.
Using the CICS® VR file copy notification service
This section primarily documents intended Programming Interface that allow the customer to write programs to obtain the notify service of CICS® VR.
Using CICS® VR with CICS® TS at your disaster recovery site
This section describes the tasks you need to perform to prepare your primary site and your remote site for disaster recovery using CICS® TS and CICS VR.
Automated Recovery and Reorganization
This section describes the tasks to perform when enabling automated recovery in CICS® VR V4R1.
Using the CICS® VR archive exits
Documentation of intended Programming Interfaces that assist you to write exits for CICS® VR archive and log stream copy utilities.
Implementing exits for forward recovery and backout
Description of intended Programming Interfaces that allow you to write exits for CICS® VR forward recovery and backout.
Running CICS® VR forward recovery
CICS® VR forward recovery consists of a restore and then forward recovery.
Creating and running a forward recovery task
When you create and run a forward recovery task you can select the specific VSAM spheres or data sets that you want to forward recover. You can edit the CICS® VR recovery parameters and product a test report.
Specifying criteria for the VSAM sphere list
How to filter the VSAM spheres that are displayed on the CICS® VR VSAM sphere list by specifying a VSAM sphere and Data set.
Selecting from the VSAM sphere list
After you enter search criteria or the name of a data set on the CICS® VR VSAM sphere list secondary window, the CICS VR VSAM sphere list panel is displayed. The spheres listed either match the search criteria that you entered or are listed in the data set that you specified.
Entering recovery parameters
Before the recovery job is created, you have the option to change the CICS® VR parameters that are used in the recovery job creation. You can define the following CICS VR parameters for your forward recovery job.
Specifying the log stream type
Use the CICS® VR log stream type secondary window to select the type of log stream, MVS™ log stream or QSAM copy of the MVS log stream, that you want CICS VR to use during construction of the recovery job.
Listing recovery job errors
If CICS® VR detects errors while constructing the recovery job, the CICS VR recovery job error list secondary window is displayed. Use the CICS VR recovery job error list secondary window to obtain information about errors found during the construction of the recovery job.
Submitting the job
After the recovery job has been constructed, the CICS® VR job submission secondary window is displayed. Use this secondary window to submit, browse, or edit the job.
Recovery construction from batch
To run full recovery for selected VSAM spheres, you can use the DWWBRC00 sample job in the SDWWCNTL data set. Recovery includes CICS® VR recovery job construction, restoration of VSAM spheres from registered backups, and CICS VR forward recovery.
Running CICS® VR backup
The information in the following topics describe how to take a backup using CICS® VR. The panels and secondary windows are in the sequence that they are displayed during a backup job generation.
Creating and running a backup job using the CICS® VR ISPF dialog interface
Perform™ the following sequence of tasks to create and run a backup job from CICS® VR ISPF dialog interface.
Providing VSAM sphere backup parameters
If you select a backup function for the VSAM spheres, the VSAM sphere backup parameters secondary window is displayed. This secondary window is displayed for each of the VSAM spheres selected for backup.
Running CICS® VR reorganization
You can reorganize a VSAM sphere using CICS® VR. VSAM sphere reorganization can increase the space of a sphere and its alternate indexes. It can also change the control interval sizes for a sphere's components.
Creating and running a reorganization job
Perform™ this sequence of tasks to create and run a CICS® VR reorganization job.
Providing VSAM sphere reorganization parameters
When you select the Reorganization option for VSAM spheres, the CICS® VR VSAM sphere reorganization parameters secondary window opens. Use this window to specify the parameters for the reorganization job.
Working with other VSAM sphere list pull-down menus
The CICS® VR recovery and backup functions are typically accessed using the Utilities pull-down menu after selecting VSAM spheres.
The VSAM sphere list Administrate pull-down menu
Use the Administrate pull-down menu to register VSAM spheres in the CICS® VR RCDS, deregister selected VSAM spheres from the CICS VR RCDS, and exit from the CICS VR VSAM sphere list.
Using the VSAM sphere list tools pull-down menu
Use the VSAM sphere list tools pull-down menu to set RLS options for the VSAM spheres.
Using the VSAM sphere list panel list pull-down menu
You can list logical backups, RLS details and data set names for selected VSAM spheres.
Using the VSAM sphere list View pull-down menu
Use the View pull-down menu to redisplay, sort, or filter the list of VSAM spheres.
Using the VSAM sphere list Help pull-down menu
A description of the pull-down menu choices.
Working with CICS® Backout Failed spheres
The CICS® Backout Failed sphere list shows the CICS spheres registered for manual recovery or reorganization after CICS notification of a backout failure.
Using the Administrate pull-down menu
Use the Administrate pull-down menu to deregister the selected CICS® backout failed sphere, and to view or change the CICS VR automation level.
Using the Utilities pull-down menu
You can use the Utilities pull-down menu for Recovery, Recovery with Backup, or Reorganization tasks on the selected CICS® Backout Failed sphere.
Using the List pull-down menu
You can see more information about the selected sphere included in the CICS® Backout Failed sphere list.
Selecting from the log stream list
On the CICS® VR log stream list panel, a list of all MVS™ log streams and SAM copies of log streams that are registered in the recovery control data set (RCDS) are displayed.
Selecting from the log of logs list
Use the CICS® VR log of logs list panel pull-down menu to re-display the log stream list by specifying search or sort criteria. This panel lists all the log of logs that are registered in the recovery control data set (RCDS).
Setting automatic deregistration criteria
CICS® VR provides automatic deregistration to stop the RCDS from filling up. Periodically automatic deregistration removes outdated information from the RCDS, based on retention criteria you set. CICS VR can delete and uncatalog certain entities when they are deregistered from the RCDS.
Browsing messages
At various locations throughout the CICS® VR panel interface, CICS VR writes messages to the data set allocated to the DWWMSG ddname when the specific error conditions are detected.
CICS® VR settings
Use the CICS® VR main menu to customize all CICS VR settings, such as Undo logs.
Using ISMF data set lists with CICS® VR
CICS® VR is integrated with ISMF so that you can create a CICS VR recovery job for the data sets in an ISMF data set list by entering the VSAMREC line operator or list command. When you enter the VSAMREC line operator or list command, the necessary CICS VR panels are called and you can create a recovery job for the VSAM sphere.
Creating ISMF data set lists
With ISMF, you can create and use data set lists that are groups of data sets that match user-defined selection criteria. Depending on the selection criteria that you enter, these lists can contain hundreds of data set names or only a few.
Saving ISMF data set lists
After an ISMF data set list is created and the results are presented on the ISMF DATA SET LIST panel you can issue any line operators and list commands for these data sets.
Using saved queries to regenerate ISMF data set lists
After you create and save an ISMF data set list, additional new data sets might meet the same selection criteria used to produce a saved data set list. Once you save an ISMF data set list, you can only re-display the original contents of that list.
Understanding VSAMREC
VSAMREC is the name of the list command and line operator that you can enter on the ISMF DATA SET LIST panel to recover the VSAM spheres in the list.
Using VSAMREC as a line operator
You can enter VSAMREC as a line operator for individual data sets within an ISMF data set list.
Using VSAMREC as a list command
You can enter VSAMREC as a list command for all of the data sets within an ISMF data set list.
Creating backups using the ISMF Data Set List panel
You can use ISMF data set lists to group VSAM spheres for recovery. You can also use the same ISMF data set lists to group VSAM spheres to create backups used by CICS® VR.
Running CICS® VR manually
IBM® recommends that you use the CICS® VR panel interface to create recovery jobs for your VSAM spheres. Using the CICS VR panel interface eliminates the need for you to manually keep track of daily update activity, logs, backups, etc. Also, the CICS VR panel interface automatically creates the recovery JCL for you.
Keeping manual records
If you have to use CICS® VR without the automation provided with the recovery control data set and the ISPF dialog interface, you need access to accurate records relating to logs and VSAM spheres.
Starting CICS® VR forward recovery
To start the forward recovery functions, run the required JCL and provide the CICS® VR commands you require as parameters on the DWWIN DD statement.
Running CICS® VR batch backout
The CICS® VR batch backout utility allows you to remove updates that were made to KSDS, ESDS, RRDS, and VRRDS VSAM spheres by steps in a batch job. This section describes how to run the CICS VR batch backout utility.
Understanding the common batch window problem
In many environments, the batch window is a predefined time of day that VSAM spheres can be offline, unavailable for online CICS® processing.
Starting CICS® VR batch backout
CICS® VR batch backout processing is started by running the DWWBACK program.
Executing batch backout when the RCDSs are unavailable
In most scenarios, the RCDSs that were allocated to the CICS® VR server address space when the batch job that made the updates you want to back out was originally run are allocated to the CICS VR batch backout job on the DWWCONx DD statements. However, you might encounter a situation where the RCDSs are no longer available.
Additional ESDS considerations
When a record is added to a VSAM ESDS by a batch job, CICS® VR undo logging writes a before-image log record with the RBA of the record that was added to the undo log stream. Therefore, during batch backout processing, CICS VR locates any records that were added to the ESDS by the batch job step.
Understanding CICS® VR batch backout completion
Upon completion of the CICS® VR batch backout program, messages are written to the data set allocated to the DWWMSG ddname indicating the result of the processing.
Understanding CICS® VR reports
The CICS® VR forward recovery and batch backout utilities produce a set of reports upon successful completion. The reports are written to the data set allocated to the DWWPRINT ddname. However, the set of reports written for the forward recovery backout utilities differ from the set of reports written for the batch backout utilities.
Reports produced by forward recovery
Examples and description of every report produced by CICS® VR forward recovery.
Reports produced by batch backout
Examples and descriptions of every report produced by CICS® VR batch backout.
Reports produced by RCDS REPORT
Examples of every report produced by CICS® VR RCDS REPORT.
Reports produced by PRINT
This topic contains information about the reports produced by CICS® VR PRINT.
Understanding IBM® program support
The IBM® Customer Engineering Program Support structure helps you resolve problems with IBM products, and ensures that you can make the best use of your IBM computing systems.
Dealing with the IBM® Support Center
Before you contact your local IBM® Support Center, ensure that the problem is appropriate for the Support Center.
Supplying information to the IBM® Support Center
Your first contact with the IBM® Support Center is with the call-receipt operator, who takes initial details and routes your call to the appropriate support group. You are then contacted by a Support Center representative who investigates your problem further.
Processing your problem
The way your problem is later processed depends on the type of problem. The representative who deals with your problem provides guidance on what is required from you.
Dealing with the change team
You use APARs to communicate a new CICS® VR problem to the change team.
Problem determination procedures
If you have to contact IBM® personnel about a CICS® VR problem, you must classify and describe the problem.
Classifying a problem
The first step in diagnosis is classifying the type of problem. Symptoms that suggest the presence of a problem can be valuable clues in diagnosing and solving the problem.
Collecting information about any problem
Follow these procedures to collect information about any problem and to collect information about an unidentified problem.
Collecting diagnostic information
You can improve the efficiency of this process by preparing and sending the correct diagnostic information when you initially report the problem. Depending on the type and complexity of a problem, the IBM® Support Center might require you to send certain information to help diagnose and resolve the problem.
Tracing in the CICS® VR server address space
DFSMSdfp™ provides a trace service for use with CICS® VR server. A special trace table is created in CICS VR server address space and in each address space where CICS VR client applications are run and tracing is selected.
Collecting information about specific problems
After you have chosen a problem-type keyword, use the following procedure to collect problem documentation.
Collecting documentation about all problems
Gather certain information for any problem, even when you cannot identify the type of problem. Record the information on a copy of the worksheet.
Problem description worksheet
You can print this worksheet for your use.
Diagnosing the causes of abends
You can determine the cause of a CICS® VR abend in a number of ways.
Classifying the type of ABEND
You can classify abend codes into three categories: system abends, user abend 3999, and user abends 3000 to 3033.
Locating a dump or diagnostic file
You can locate a dump or a diagnostic file using trace tables and diagnosis files. The system dump is the only source of information for system abends and program checks.
Reading a dump
Each abend category involves different methods of locating the BIB (BEX Interface Block), and the name and the compilation date of the failing CSECT.
Reference information
The reference sections of the information contain reference information that you need when you use CICS® VR.
CICS VR command reference
Descriptions of the CICS VR command rules and how to read the syntax diagrams.
CICS® VR commands
A table of descriptions of CICS® VR functions and commands used with CICS TS.
CICS® VR Messages and abend codes
This section includes the messages and abend codes that are used by CICS VR, and also includes instructions to successfully complete the recovery of CICS VSAM data.
CICS® VR ddnames
A table that contains the ddnames for CICS® VR.
UNDO log structure overview
Every undo log block consists of a Block Header (MVSLogBlockHeader type), followed by log records. Every log record includes a standard General Log Header (GenLogRecord type), followed by record data.
DWWBKNT REXX
The REXX procedure DWWBKNT performs multiple calls of the CICS VR NOTIFY utility DWWNT for IDCAMS REPRO backups listed in the input data set. It can be used in TSO and in a batch environment.
Customization parameters
The table lists parameters that you can specify on the DWWCST01 panel to customize members of &HLQ.SDWWCNTL.OUT and &HLQ.SDWWSENU/SJPN.OUT data sets.
User replaceable JCL skeleton
You can replace the CICS® VR supplied JCL skeleton DWWUJOB with one of your own ones that satisfies your requirements.
Glossary
The terms in this glossary are defined as they pertain to the CICS VSAM Recovery documentation.
Edition notice
This is the information for CICS VSAM Recovery for z/OS. It applies to CICS VSAM Recovery for z/OS Version 6.1, and to all subsequent versions, releases, and modifications until otherwise indicated in new editions. Make sure you are using the correct edition for the level of the product.
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Download the PDF format documentation for CICS VSAM Recovery for z/OS 6.1