System Description › Customization Considerations › AUTODEL Option

AUTODEL Option

During CA SMF Director dump processing, if the AUTODEL complex-wide configuration option is enabled, this product will check the SCDS for any index entries to SMF data history files that have expired. If any is found, it will delete the entry from the SCDS, uncatalog the history file data set if it was cataloged in the z/OS System Catalog, and scratch the data set if the data set resides on a DASD device. If an expired history file resided on DASD but has been archived, CA SMF Director issues an HDELETE request to remove the history file from the archive.

This feature can result in lower storage costs, and keeps the size of the SCDS from increasing at a substantial rate. For the AUTODEL feature to work properly, we recommend that retention periods be used for history files instead of expiration dates. For example, if RETPD(1095) is specified in the DUMPOPTIONS control statement, the history files created in the primary pool will expire 1,095 days after the history file was created. In 1,098 days, (1,095 plus a three day grace period), CA SMF Director will remove the index entry from the SCDS. However, if EXPDT(108.365) is specified on the DUMPOPTIONS control statement, the history files created in the primary pool will expire after December 30, 2008. Any history files created after that date will expire the next day, and the index entry from the SCDS will be removed three days later. Using a permanent retention date such as EXPDT(99.366) will cause this product to retain the history file index entry indefinitely, or until it is manually deleted. If all history files use permanent retention dates, enabling the AUTODEL feature will have no effect.

Because zero is the default retention period, CA SMF Director will not automatically delete any SCDS entry that has a zero retention period. Such entries can only be deleted manually, using the DELETEX command. Likewise, any SCDS entry with an expiration date of 099000, which has a special meaning to tape library management products, can only be deleted manually.