FDRTSEL Introduction

Function

FDRTSEL automates the function of copying and moving ABR backup files.

For ARCHIVE backups

  • If you ARCHIVE with one copy to DASD, FDRTSEL can move those DASD archive backups to tape when they have reached (or are about to reach) their expiration dates, assigning the new tape copy a longer expiration. This allows you to create “level 1” archives on DASD for quick recall, and later migrate them to “level 2” tape for longer retention. Criteria other than expiration date can be used when selecting backups for migration.
  • FDRTSEL can be used to move archive backups from one media to another, such as DASD to DASD, tape to tape, or DASD to tape.
  • FDRTSEL can be used to recycle or consolidate archive tapes, by eliminating the archive backups of DASD data sets that are no longer required (such as those that are expired, deleted, or recalled). It produces a set of output tapes that are smaller and use fewer volumes than the original, reducing the size of the archive tape library.
  • FDRTSEL can create COPY 2 backups from COPY 1 if they were not created at ARCHIVE time, and can recreate one copy from the other if a copy is damaged or lost.

For Full-volume and incremental backups

  • Incremental and full-volume ABR backups can be copied. You can use this to create COPY 2 backups from COPY 1 if they were not created at backup time. Additionally, FDRTSEL can create extra off-site copies (3-9) and can recreate a copy from another if a copy is damaged or lost.
  • FDRTSEL can be used to organize a generation’s worth of backups for one or more DASD volumes in order to minimize tape handling during disaster recovery restores.

Functional description

FDRTSEL internally invokes FDRTCOPY (see FDR-Tape-Copy-FDRTCOPY) to copy individual backups, but it automates selection and allocation of input files.

If copying or moving ARCHIVE files, FDRTSEL first invokes an ARCHIVE utility to scan the Archive Control File and select the archive backups that meet the user-specified selection criteria. It then allocates the first selected archive backup to the TAPEIN ddname and invokes FDRTCOPY to copy the archive backup to TAPEOUT (and TAPE2OUT), and to update the Archive Control File to reflect the new archive backup volumes. If the input backup is on DASD, a successfully copied backup may optionally be scratched (and uncataloged if appropriate). The above process is repeated for each selected archive backup.

If copying ABR incremental or full volume backups, FDRTSEL first invokes an ABR catalog processor to select the backups that meet the user specified selection criteria. FDRTSEL then allocates the first selected ABR backup file to the TAPEIN ddname and invokes FDRTCOPY to copy the BACKUP file to TAPEOUT (and TAPE2OUT), and to catalog the created copies in the ABR catalog. The above process is repeated for each selected ABR incremental or full volume backup.

FDRTSEL features

These features of FDRTSEL enhance its utility. Some of them were available in earlier releases of FDRTSEL, but may have been enhanced.

ARCEDIT

When copying ARCHIVE backups, allows a partial copy of the Archive backup files by selecting or excluding certain of the original archived DASD data sets (usually excluding expired data sets.

LAST TAPE (LASTAPE)

Allows you to add new files onto a tape created by a previous execution of FDRTSEL.

DASD Output

Allows FDRTSEL to copy backups from DASD to DASD. Can be used to move backups to new volumes or can be used in conjunction with ARCEDIT to reduce the size of the backups.

Checkpoint/Restart

Allows long-running FDRTSEL jobs to be restarted after a failure or interruption.

Console Control

Allows FDRTSEL to be interrupted gracefully (between backups) via a console command.

 

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