Creating an archive log copy job

This procedure generates JCL that you can use to create up to two additional copies of the archive log data sets for use at a recovery site.

Important

If used in a data sharing environment, BMC AMI Recovery Manager generates ARMBARC jobs for each data sharing member.

About archive log copies

Creating one or two copies of the archive log allows you to send those copies (ARCHLOG3 and ARCHLOG4) offsite while keeping both copies of your archive logs onsite for use in the event of an input/output (I/O) error on a recovery.

(Some organizations send the second archive log copy offsite.) If you do not want to create extra copies of the archive log to send offsite, you should still run the ARMBARC program to register the copies of DBD01, SYSDBDXA, SYSCOPY, and SYSUTILX in the history file so BMC AMI Recovery Manager can perform stacked tape analysis to optimize the recovery of the catalog and directory.

Important

This step can also be performed by the PACLOG product.

If you are not creating copies of the archive logs but want to update the history file with the information for the image copies of the catalog and directory spaces, you only need to run the JCL on one of the members. However, it must be the member that made and registered the catalog and directory backups. You may want to schedule ARMBARC to run more frequently so that it does not have to process as many logs during this step. BMC AMI Recovery Manager generates JCL to delete and create the history file whether or not you are creating copies of the archive logs.

Tip

We strongly recommend that you regenerate the JCL for ARMBARC after you migrate to a newer version of BMC AMI Recovery Manager. This ensures that your JCL is able to take advantage of new features.

Before you begin

To perform this procedure, you need the following items:

If you use the ARMBLOG program to issue the -ARCHIVE LOG command, check for a return code of zero (RC=0).
Otherwise, wait for the DSNJ139I message from the -ARCHIVE LOG command, which indicates that the archive is complete. If you are using a data-sharing environment, wait for this message from each member.
EXECUTE authority for BMC AMI Recovery Manager to create the JCL:
The following authorizations to execute the JCL and make copies of the archive logs:
- APF authority for ARMBARC
- READ authority for archive log data sets
- READ authority for BSDS data sets
- ALTER authority for the new archive log data sets to be created, if any
- ALTER authority for the archive history file
Archive log data sets that are cataloged
The following information is specific to archive log creation:
- How many copies of the archive log data sets that you want (if any)
- Whether you will use disk or tape for the copies of the log data sets
- The disk or tape options and other information for the output copies

To create recovery site copies of archive logs

Start this procedure at the BMC AMI Recovery for Db2 Main Menu.

Access the Disaster Recovery - Archive Log Copy Options panel, as follows:
1. Select 3. DB2 Subsystem Toolbox
2. Select 8. Disaster Recovery Prep
3. Select 2. Copy Archive Logs
Enter information about the number and types of copies that you need on the following series of panels. If you chose to create more than one copy, an Offsite Copy Options panel is displayed for each copy. For descriptions of the available options, see Field definitions—archive log copy options.
Generate the JCL to copy the archive logs as follows:
1. To generate the job now, select option 7. Copy the Archive Logs (ARMBARC).
2. To generate a single job for all three disaster recovery steps set all options, then select option 9. Generate ALL Disaster Recovery Jobs, and then press Enter.
When the JCL Specification panel appears, enter a fully qualified output data set name, and either save the JCL data set or submit the job. Be aware of the following information:
- The output data set is used for saving the JCL and must be cataloged. If not enclosed in quotes, the output data set will be prefixed by your TSO prefix.
- The job statement must contain a symbolic variable (&#) for the job number. See Output-data-sets-job-cards-and-symbolic-variables.

Field definitions—archive log copy options

The following table describes fields found on the series of panels for the archive log copy options.

Field	BMC AMI Recovery Manager default	Description
Number of copies	None	Specifies the number of recovery site archive log copies to make as follows: 0 — Update the history file, but make no copies. 1 — One copy 2 — Two copies
Limit logs copied by	None	Specifies the method (LOGS, HOURS, or RBARANGE) to be used to limit the logs that are being copied If you choose LOGS or HOURS, enter a number in the Limit Value field. If you choose RBARANGE, enter a start and end RBA. Important We recommend that you use RBARANGE to ensure that all logs are copied. If you do not use RBARANGE and the ARMBARC job is delayed, it is possible that some logs could be missed.
Limit value	None	Specifies the maximum number of logs or maximum number of hours of log data that you wish to copy (used in conjunction with Limit logs copied by)
Start RBA	None	Specifies the start RBA value that is used to limit the number of logs that are copied (used in conjunction with RBARANGE) Once established, this value never needs to change. The archive history file records the logs that are already processed.
End RBA	FFFFFFFFFFFF	Specifies the end RBA value that is used to limit the number of logs that are copied (used in conjunction with RBARANGE) Tip We recommend that you use FFFFFFFFFFFF to ensure that you always process all logs that have been created since ARMBARC was last executed.
Data set prefix	None	Specifies the data set a prefix for each offsite archive log copy Because the archive log number must be appended to the data set name, the name specified cannot exceed 35 characters. If the timestamp (TSTAMP) option is set to Y in the BMC AMI Recovery Manager option set, the allowable prefix length is further reduced to 17 characters to allow the date and time to be appended to the log data set name. The output prefix value specified on this panel has the following restrictions: If you have a data-sharing system and more than one copy job is being generated, then you must specify either the SSID, MBRNAME, or MBRID symbolic. (These are the only symbolics guaranteed to be unique for each subsystem.) You can optionally specify the VCAT configuration option, but only if you also specify one of the approved symbolics. BMC AMI Recovery Manager supports symbolics for the output data set prefix, as follows: &SSID—subsystem id &MBRNAME—data sharing member name (same as &SSID if non-data-sharing) &MBRID— data sharing member id (0 if non-data-sharing) &VCAT—value of the SSID.VCAT configuration option (may not be unique across Db2 subsystems)
Device type	None	Specifies whether to write the offsite archive log copy to tape or disk
Unit	SYSALLDA (for disk devices)	Specifies the generic or esoteric name for the device type.
Tape option	No limit	Optionally limits the amount of time a tape is kept Use only one of the following values: Retention period —specifies the retention period in days for this copy. Valid numbers are 0 through 999. Expiration date —specifies the expiration date for this copy. The date must be in the format yyddd or yyyy/ddd.
TRTCH Compression	None	Specifies whether the hardware compression in the tape drive unit is to be enabled or disabled If you do not specify TRTCH compression, a tape management system or operating system default may apply.
Stack archives on tape	Yes	Specifies whether to stack the archive log data set copies contiguously on a new tape volume
Disk options	None	Optionally specifies information for disk storage, as follows: SMS data class—specifies a valid SMS data class name for the copies (1-8 characters) SMS management class— a valid SMS management class name for the copies (1-8 characters) SMS storage class— a valid SMS storage class name for the copies (1-8 characters) Unit count—specifies the number of units to be allocated for the output image copy data sets. Provide an integral number from 0 to 59. Zero (0) enables you to control the unit count with SMS if required. The default is no unit count at all.