Recommendation: Use your database management system's utilities to perform backup and recovery, because most IMS™ and DB2® production database data has specialized backup and recovery requirements. Or, consider using DFSMSdss or DFSMShsm's automatic backup services, supported by concurrent copy and virtual concurrent copy support, to help you do point-in-time backups. IMS and DB2 utilities support and invoke DFSMSdss for point-in-time copy support. DFSMShsm and DFSMSdss can be used for all CICS® VSAM File Control data sets.

You should not use DFSMShsm to manage most production database data. Instead, assign the NOACT management class to these data sets. NOACT inhibits DFSMShsm space and availability management. Specifically, Auto Backup is set to NO so that DFSMShsm does not back up the data set, Admin or User Command Backup is set to NONE to prohibit manual backup commands, and expiration attributes are set to NOLIMIT to prevent data set deletion.

Although production database data does receive automatic backup service, you can use DFSMSdss to run point-in-time for production database data sets. Accessibility is set to CONTINUOUS for all storage classes assigned to production database data sets to ensure that the data set is allocated to a point-in-time capable volume.

Database data that has less critical availability requirements, typically test or end-user databases, benefit from system management using DFSMShsm. Additionally, selected data types for production systems can be effectively managed using SMS facilities.

For CICS/VSAM systems, extrapartition transient data, test and end-user database data can be managed with DFSMShsm. Extrapartition transient data is directed to DFSMShsm's migration level 2 by assigning the DBML2 management class to these data types. The attributes for DBML2 keep data sets on primary storage for two days (Migrate Primary Days Non-usage=2) and, if not used, they are migrated to tape (Level 1 Days Non-usage=0).

End-user and test data sets are assigned the DBSTAN management class. This class is different from the STANDARD management class because backup copies for data sets assigned to it are retained much longer than average data sets (Retain Days Only Backup Version=400).

DFSMShsm uses high-speed management service using concurrent copyfor these data sets, because Backup Copy Technique is set to CONCURRENT REQUIRED.

After doing a data set restore using DFSMSdss (either directly or driven by DFSMShsm), the databases need to be brought to the point of failure or to a point of consistency using forward recovery logs. This can be achieved using CICSVR for CICS VSAM File control data sets. CICS and CICSVR support backup-while-open using either concurrent copy or virtual concurrent copy support.

For IMS systems, DFSMShsm can manage change accumulation logs and image copies. These data sets can stay on primary storage for a short time and then migrate directly to tape. The DBML2 management class is assigned.

DFSMShsm uses high-performance backup service using concurrent copyfor these data sets, because Backup Copy Technique is set to CONCURRENT REQUIRED.

For DB2 systems, you can manage archive logs and image copies with DFSMShsm. These data sets can be retained on primary storage for a short period of time and then migrated directly to tape. DBML2 management class is provided for these data set types. End-user database data can also be managed. These data sets are assigned the DBSTAN management class.

DFSMShsm uses high-performance management service using concurrent copyfor these data sets, because Backup Copy Technique is set to CONCURRENT REQUIRED.

Table 1 shows the attributes for the management classes assigned to database data sets.