System Programmer Reference › Utilities › VMBMCOPY Utility › Set Up and Run the VMBMCOPY Utility

Set Up and Run the VMBMCOPY Utility

To set up and run the VMBMCOPY utility, follow these steps:

1. Create one or more VMBMCOPY user IDs. These IDs perform the VMBMCOPY utility processing. For more information, see Set Up VMBMCOPY User IDs.
2. Provide each VMBMCOPY user ID appropriate access to CA VM:Tape.
3. Ensure that these VMBMCOPY user IDs are able to link the production CA VM:Backup catalog disk read-write. For more information, see Set Up VMBMCOPY User IDs.
4. Set up a VMBMCOPY CONFIG file for each VMBMCOPY user ID.
5. Verify the correctness of the CONFIG file records by using the VMBMCOPY TEST command.
6. Reserve a range of DETAIL filenames for use by each VMBMCOPY user ID when writing new catalog files. Use the VMBMCOPY RESERVE command. For more information, see Reserving DETAIL File Numbers.
7. After determining which CA VM:Backup catalogs must be copied, use the VMBMCOPY LISTCAT command on each catalog. This command lists the catalog data files. To determine A-disk space and new media tape requirements, use the catalog data file information. For more information, see Determine A-Disk Size and Number of Tapes.
8. Ensure that the VMBMCOPY user ID A-disk is large enough to accommodate the new catalog that results from the copy process. Enlarge the A-disk if necessary. For more information, see Determine A-Disk Size and Number of Tapes.
9. To copy the tape media and catalog data files that are associated with a catalog, run the VMBMCOPY DUMPJOB command. For an example, see Copying a DUMPJOB File.
10. To test the new media and catalog that the VMBMCOPY DUMPJOB execution produces, configure a new test CA VM:Backup server. Copy the new catalog data files from the VMBMCOPY user ID A-disk to the test server catalog disk by using the VMBMCOPY COPYCAT command.
11. Validate the copied media and catalogs by running restores
    that use the test CA VM:Backup server.
12. Shut down and log off the production CA VM:Backup server when you are satisfied with testing. Swap the new catalog files residing on the VMBMCOPY user ID A-disk with the old files on the production CA VM:Backup catalog disk. To perform this swap, use the VMBMCOPY SWAPCAT command.
13. When ready to dispose permanently of the old media and catalogs, use the VMBMCOPY SCRATCH command. This command erases the catalog data files from the A-disk and resets the retention period for the old media.

Notes:

• This utility copies only datasets that CA VM:Backup produces. This product adds its own unique user labels to datasets. Therefore, you cannot use the utility to copy a standard label multivolume dataset that CA VM:Backup did not write.
• This utility functions only with tapes that CA VM:Backup creates and CA VM:Tape manages. This utility does not function with tape volumes that CA VM:Backup manages.
• Volsers of old and new media must be unique because CA VM:Tape must manage the tapes.
• The production and test CA VM:Backup catalog disks must be CMS minidisks that are formatted in 4-Kbyte blocks. If either catalog disk is formatted in 1-K or 2-Kbyte blocks, convert to a catalog disk formatted in 4-Kbyte blocks. Contact Technical Support for assistance.
• This utility processes only backups that have no dependent backups. This utility cannot process incremental backups that CA VM:Backup bases on other cataloged backups.
• This utility cannot process encrypted backups.
• This utility does not copy CA VM:Archiver tapes. To copy CA VM:Archiver tapes, use the CA VM:Archiver Merge/Purge/Copy (MPC) process. For more information on MPC, see the CA VM:Archiver System Administrator Guide.
• When mounting input tapes, the VMBMCOPY utility asks for only a single volume at a time to mount. This behavior differs from the special CA VM:Backup interface to CA VM:Tape, which mounts any of a specified set of copy volumes. (Several copy volumes usually exist which can satisfy the mount.) Instead of this special interface, the VMBMCOPY utility issues CA VM:Tape MOUNT commands, which can specify only single volumes.

  However, if the mount is canceled and other copies are known to exist, the VMBMCOPY utility requests one of the copies to be mounted. This procedure continues until one of the input tape copies is mounted successfully.

• Remember the following points when deciding whether to run VMBMCOPY connected to the user ID:
  • If VMBMCOPY cannot mount the required tapes, VMBMCOPY prompts you to decide whether to continue trying to mount the tapes or to cancel copying. If the VMBMCOPY user ID is disconnected, this prompt causes CP to FORCE the user ID in 15 minutes.
  • VMBMCOPY displays one line to the console for every domain that the utility copies. If the number of domains is great, the console can fill up quickly. To prevent the console from filling up, run VMBMCOPY with TERMINAL MORE 0 0 specified.

More information:

DUMPJOB Files

DETAIL Files