ARCRETN - Managing by DFSMS - SMS Management Class

In a situation related to replication delay, it was necessary to keep the Db2 archive log longer than its current retention period. The subsystem parameter ARCRETN was set as 17 days as in Management Class. The planning was to alter the retention period for 30 days and remove the settings of retention period at data set level, to be controlled by SMS management class only, and not by Db2.

 To try to avoid alter each data set retention period information, we set in management class a retention period as 30 days, but new data sets continued been created as 17 days for expiration date. From Db2 guide we noted the retention period is set to the smaller value that is specified by either Db2 or SMS. Then to alter retention period for each already existing Db2 archive log data set was necessary to execute ALTER / NULLIFY(RETENTION) IDCAMS command for removing this information from data set hard-coded level. It is a hard job if you talk about +500 data set.

 We also tested others Db2 subsystem parameter ARCRETN values to try setting NO retention period for new Db2 Archive log data sets. The values as "9999" or "0", kept forcing hard-coded retention period into data set icf catalog, just adding this value to current date.

 We would like to request a Db2 for z/OS enhancement to be possible set a subsystem parameter ARCRETN value that pass the retention period control under to SMS management class only instead of be hard coded at data set level. For example, the value -1. This improvement will help clients to better handle these data set expiration date specially in data replication environment.

Tks .

Renato Lino