Introduction › Vault Management System (VMS)

Vault Management System (VMS)

In an installation that utilizes multiple tape storage locations, the CA 1 Vault Management System (VMS) controls the movement of tape volumes from one location to another. Typically, critical tape volumes are cycled out of the central tape library to progressively more secure and less accessible storage areas (vaults) and finally back to the central library. With VMS, tapes that meet installation-defined vaulting criteria are automatically checked out-of-area with the proper vault code, and reports are generated indicating the current location and destination for tapes that require movement.

Under VMS, a vault is defined as any identifiable location. A vault is typically a fireproof safe or an off-site storage location. Any number of locations can be defined, and a maximum number of slots can be defined for each vault. Warning messages are issued when the number of slots in a vault exceed the value specified. Tapes in a vault can be located by slot numbers, which are automatically assigned by VMS and reused as volumes flow out of the vault and new volumes flow in.

Once you have defined the vaults, the data sets to be vaulted, and the vaulting criteria, the VMS automatically manages tape vaulting. Whenever the VMS batch programs are executed, picking, distribution and inventory reports are generated for each vault using the report writer format. The reports can be sorted by slot number, volume serial number, or data set name.

CA 1 system option CYD can be used to define a cycle as consisting of all tapes with the same data set name created on the same date. An exit is available to allow tailoring of the TMC record selection.

Note: For more information about VMS, see the Administration Guide.