The IXCARM macro may be used in several ways. The simplest way is to register a job, task, or abstract resource with the automatic restart manager during program initialization, let automatic restart management know when the job or task is ready to perform its work, and deregister when the program does its cleanup (REGISTER, READY, and DEREGISTER parameters).

A more complex use of the IXCARM macro involves controlling the sequence in which elements become ready during a restart (WAITPRED parameter — see Waiting for Other Work to be Restarted (IXCARM REQUEST=WAITPRED)). Another use of the IXCARM macro involves designating a backup for an element (ASSOCIATE parameter — see Associating One Element with Another (IXCARM REQUEST=ASSOCIATE)).

When automatic restart management restarts an element, it restarts the element from the very beginning of its code. Automatic restart management does not perform any kind of cleanup processing or recovery for elements. The event exit (see Designing an Event Exit), the element restart installation exit, and the workload restart installation exit have been provided to allow the element's environment to be cleaned up, recovered, and prepared for restart processing. The element can also perform some cleanup before or after it re-registers.