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Space announcement This space now contains the documentation for all the following components:
  • CHANGE ACCUMULATION PLUS
  • IMAGE COPY PLUS
  • RECOVERY MANAGER for IMS
  • RECOVERY PLUS for IMS
We are no longer updating the individual documentation spaces for these components. For the latest documentation, see BMC AMI Backup and Recovery for IMS 5.2.

IMS Command utility (Overview)

The following sections discuss the IMS Command utility.

Positive response processor

When databases are used for online systems, they are allocated to the IMS control region for online processing.

For batch processing of these databases, such as a batch backup, the databases must first be deallocated from the online region.

Deallocation is usually performed by an operator or by an automated operator interface (AOI) exit that is written for this purpose. If the AOI exit is used, no response is sent back. The program executes the AOI exit, but you do not know whether the process completed successfully. You receive no confirmation on whether the databases were deallocated, closed, or started.

Related topics

IMS-commands-in-batch

You can use the IMS Command utility to get your databases offline and then back online or simply to get your databases online if they are already closed. The positive response lets you know whether the job was completed successfully.

The IMS Command utility assures you that the following actions take place:

  • The commands that are issued are performed.
  • The databases are closed or opened as specified in the command.
  • The job is completed successfully with a zero return code.

You can use the CONTINUE control statement keyword to specify whether the job should stop or continue if an IMS command fails (a nonzero return code is received from IMS). A return code of zero means that all the databases were deallocated, closed, or started.

Data-sharing environment

If you have a data-sharing environment and have specified the SHAREGROUP keyword in the RMGR startup SYSIN DD statements, you can use the GLOBAL or the SHAREGROUP keyword to tell the IMS Command utility to issue the IMS commands to all active IMS systems that belong to the sharegroup.

The RMGR GLOBAL keyword differs from the IBM keyword in that the RMGR command does not turn on the prohibit authorization flag in DBRC.

A lights-out data center approach

The IMS Command utility can help you implement a lights-out data center approach.

It permits the scheduling of batch IMS jobs and ensures that the jobs do not run until the databases are closed. You can use your batch window at night to perform backup tasks without the need for someone to supervise or perform the closing and opening of the databases. You can include the steps in an existing batch job stream, or you can run the IMS Command utility in a separate job.

Requirements for the IMS Command utility

The IMS Command utility has the following requirements.

Warning

Important

The IMS Command utility uses the operating system Cross-System Coupling Facility (XCF) to provide communication between the utility and the RMGR started task or job.

  • RMGR must be active; if it is not, a user 3500 abend is issued.
  • The IMS Database Manager/Transaction Manager (DB/DC) or DBCTL control region must be active, and the BMC product load library must be first in the IMS STEPLIB concatenation.
  • The IMS Command utility must be executed from any system that shares an XCF domain with the image on which any IMS belonging to the RMGR sharegroup is active.
  • System authorization facility (SAF) resources can be used to secure the IMS commands that RMGR can issue through the IMS Command utility. If the commands have been secured, or if your system security facility (such as RACF or ACF2) automatically restricts access to resources unless access is explicitly granted, your security administrator must grant access to IMS Command utility resources. For more information, seeDatabase Products for IMS Customization documentation.

You cannot execute the IMS Command utility independently from RMGR, and you can use it only for the IMS system that you defined to RMGR or for IMS systems that belong to a RMGR sharegroup.

Warning

Important

If you use the Batch Command Interface feature to issue checkpoint or switch OLDS checkpoint commands, you must define an IMS Logger User Exit for IBM IMS version 15. To accomplish this, add the following to the DFSDFxxx member of the IMS PROCLIB:

<SECTION=USER_EXITS>
EXITDEF=(TYPE=LOGWRT,EXITS=(IRMFLGX0))

If multiple Logger User Exits are in use, add the module IRMFLGX0, as follows:

<SECTION=USER_EXITS>
EXITDEF=(TYPE=LOGWRT,EXITS=(IRMFLGX0,exit2,exit3))

Recovery Manager for IMS will issue the following message during IMS control region initialization to notify the user that the IMS Logger User Exit is active:

BMC76013I RECOVERY MANAGER: LOG EXIT INITIALIZED


Error
Warning

Cancelling RMGR or the IMS online system during execution of the IMS Command utility may lead to unpredictable results.


 

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BMC AMI Backup and Recovery for IMS 5.1