When to use INZTAP

[Peterhocsr@xxxxxx]

There are only 2 times that you should use INZTAP.  1.  To add a volume ID to 
a new volume.  2.  To change a vol. ID.  Reason, volumes are made of a 
material that get less reliable the more you use it.  INZTAP make the 
beginning of the volume very very very prone to error.  In the old days with 
reels, one could cut off a length of tape and then put on a silver label to 
indicate the beginning of the volume.  Those days are gone.  If one is going 
to use a volume again, the SEQNBR parm on the commands will control the 
previous data on the volume without INZTAP.  Below is a section from our web 
site dealing with these concerns.  Hope it helps you.

INZTAP
              Many companies use INZTAP every evening when doing saves. The 
general
              rule to follow with INZTAP: Media should only be, initialized 
when media is
              brand NEW; just out of the box. Why? Every time media is used, 
the media
              gets weaker. The weaker the media, the more chances of having a 
media
              error, ugh! Media should ONLY be initialized ONCE! INZTAP can 
blow away a
              valuable media in just seconds and the 400 has NO way of 
getting data back.

 Sequence Number
              INZTAP is frequently used to overcome the "Active File" 
messages so a
              saved library can go to be beginning of the media, when 
starting a save.
              Instead of INZTAP, use SEQNBR(1) for a parm in SAV* command. 
This will put
              the saved library(object) at the beginning of the tape. 
Consider using this
              parm with the CLEAR parm.

SEQNBR(*end)
              Taking the IBM default of SEQNBR(*END) is one of the biggest 
causes of
              problems with media. *END says to put the saved objects at the 
end of the
              media. This should NEVER be used unless the save being 
processed has the
              same expiration date and the save (s) before it. Never, Never 
put multiple
              saves on the same media with a different expiration date. If 
you do, you might
              loose the data.

CLEAR
              Consider when to use the CLEAR parm! If you use CLEAR(*ALL) the 
entire
              contents of the tape starting at that sequence number will be 
written over. If
              there are active files, you will NOT be notified of the active 
files. ****Dangerous
              if NOT used correctly****. Usually, the CLEAR parm is only used 
on the first
              save to a media which is usually to SEQNBR(1). If you want to 
be safe and not
              write of active files, make CLEAR(*NONE). This means that if 
there is an active
              file on the sequence number, you are writing to. QSYSOPR will 
receive and
              active files message in this situation.

Peter 
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