Implementing Activity Logs › Wrap the Hardcopy Log Data Sets

Wrap the Hardcopy Log Data Sets

Wrapping lets you reuse a LOG data set when all of the available LOG data sets have been used.

The LOGWRAP SYSPARM determines whether log data set wrapping is allowed. You set the value of this SYSPARM in the Are Activity Logs to Wrap? field when you customize the LOGFILES parameter group in Customizer (/PARMS).

If you specify NO (the default) in the Are Activity Logs to Wrap? field, then wrapping is not permitted. When all the LOG data sets have been used due to successive LOGSWAP commands, the previous LOG data sets cannot be reused. After the last LOG data set is used, any further LOGSWAP commands are rejected.

If you specify YES in the Are Activity Logs to Wrap? field, log wrapping is allowed according to the following rules:

• If you direct your LOG data sets to SYSOUT, then, as each LOGn DD statement is used, the data set is unallocated because FREE=CLOSE. In this case, you can reissue an ALLOC command to reallocate another SYSOUT file under the same ddname. For example:

  ALLOC DD=LOG3 SYSOUT=A FREE=CLOSE
  

  This ddname is now available for use as another LOG data set. Subsequent LOGSWAP operations can now reuse this LOG data set rather than rejecting the command when the last LOG data set is used.

• If the LOG DD statements point to sequential data sets, log wrapping overwrites the earlier LOG data held in these data sets. Archive the existing data before allowing the wrap to occur.