Getting started

BMC AMI Storage FDR's program - Fast Dump Restore (FDR) provides full-volume backups and restores, as well as full-volume DASD-to-DASD copies.

FDR volume backups

FDRbackups operate on one DASD volume at a time, writing the full-volume backup to a tape or DASD data set; a separate backup data set is required for each DASD volume processed.

Related topics

FDR-and-FDRDSF-overview

FDR-functions-and-features

Components-of-FDR

The FDRexecution JCL specifies the DASD volumes to backup, and the backup data set for each. The backup contains an image of:

  • The label track (Cylinder 0 Track 0), including IPL text for IPLable volumes.
  • The VTOC tracks.
  • The VTOCIX (Indexed VTOC) tracks if present.
  • The VVDS tracks if present (VSAM clusters and SMS-managed data sets.
  • All tracks that are allocated to other data sets and VSAM clusters, determined by analyzing the Data Set Control Blocks (DSCBs) in the VTOC. Tracks that are not currently allocated to any data set are not backed up.
  • An edited version of information from the VTOC and VVDS is also stored at the beginning of the backup, serving as an index of the data actually in the backup, and providing information for allocation of output data sets during data set restores.
  • Some information contained only the catalog entry for the data sets being backed up is also included in the backup. This currently includes PATH definitions for the Alternate Indexes (AIXs) of VSAM clusters and the aliases of VSAM user catalogs.

FDRcan optionally create two backup data sets concurrently, while reading the input DASD volume only once. FDRcan also optionally backup several DASD volumes concurrently, using internal sub-tasking, as long as the backups are directed to separate devices.

Important

A common format is used for all backups in the 

FDR

DASD Management System, including 

FDR

, DSF, ABR, and SAR. This means that 

FDR

and FDRDSF can restore from tapes created by FDRABR, and vice versa. Actually, the 

FDR

format has been modified several times since its initial release as support for new DASD devices was added and performance improvements were made. Although newer formats may not be able to be restored by older releases of 

FDR

, the current 

FDR

can always restore older backups and is capable of producing backups which can be read by older releases.

Warning

FDR

format backups cannot be copied by standard copy utilities, such as IEBGENER. 

FDR

includes a utility, FDRTCOPY, that is used to copy 

FDR

backups. FDRTCOPY is documented in 

FDR

Tape Copy (FDRTCOPY).

FATSCOPY, a cost product from BMC can be used to copy FDRcreated tapes and other tapes. See BMC Support Center for further information on FATSCOPY.

FDR volume restores

FDRrestores a physical image of a DASD volume from an FDRfull-volume backup file. The DASD volume receiving the restore must be the same device type (for example, 3390), but not necessarily the same size (number of cylinders) as the volume that was dumped. All the tracks in the backup data set are restored to their original locations (cylinder and head address). Every restored track looks exactly like it did when dumped; data sets are not reorganized, re-blocked or changed in any other way.

The output DASD volume usually becomes an exact image of the original DASD volume including its volume serial, but you can optionally retain the volume serial of the output DASD volume, and can rename key data sets (such as the VTOCIX and ABR Model DSCB) during the restore.

If the restore results in a volume with a volume serial which duplicates another online volume (namely, when the original volume is still online), FDRplaces the output volume offline. You must relabel one or the other volume before the next IPL, so a reminder message is sent to the operator's console.

Warning

If the volume serial of the output volume is retained, any VSAM clusters on the volume are not usable until the volume is renamed to its original serial. SMS-managed volumes are always renamed to the original volume serial number from the backup when restored.

DASD to DASD copying

FDR allows you to copy one DASD volume to another DASD volume of the same type. Essentially this does a backup and restore all in the same job, so all considerations for restore apply. No backup data set is required, but you can optionally create an FDRbackup during the copy operation.

FDRINSTANT

If you are also licensed for FDRINSTANT, it enhances FDRto provide the ability to take backups which are frozen at a given point-in-time. This works with almost any DASD subsystem. It allows you to capture a point-in-time image of an online DASD to an offline DASD, effectively preserving the image of the online DASD at that point-in-time. FDRINSTANT can then read the offline DASD and create the required backups or copies, without relabeling the DASD or bringing it online. FDRINSTANT for various hardware platforms is described in:

 

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