IBM Mainframe Forum

[hadi salmabadi]

hi Dear friends,
how to create Bootable Tape for z/os???

[Robert Sample]

It is not clear what you are asking -- could you elaborate on what you want?

[jaggz]

Hello,

Do you mean Z/OS install tapes ? If thats the case, after the Install you will not need the tape anymore. Just you have to bring or boot your system from the contents present on DASD,,,,

[steve-myers]

hi Dear friends,
how to create Bootable Tape for z/os???

1. Are you attempting to write a program that will run completely standalone? This is quite difficult. OR
2. You have a program from a vendor that claims it can run completely standalone, but you need to prepare a tape to run the program. If this is the case the vendor will provide instructions. Most sites have security arrangements that will make this feat moderately difficult, but it most likely will involve a DD statement like this -
   
   //ddname DD DISP=(NEW,KEEP),UNIT=tape,VOL=SER=vvvvvv,LABEL=(1,BLP)
   
   
   • The use of the BLP (Bypass Label Processing) parameter is tightly controlled in most installations. At a minimum its use is controlled by job class definitions in JES2 or JES3. The tape management system may also impose other controls, and the security product (RACF/CA-ACF2/CA-Top Secret) may impose additional controls. Since we have no knowledge about these variables we, you will have to research them on your own.
   • There is no requirement to specify a data set name. The system will provide a default temporary data set name for you, but this name will not be placed on the output tape.
   • The program that prepares the tape most likely will provide a workable DCB in the program; you may have to provide a minimal DCB=DEN=xx, the value for xx depends on the tape drive.
3. The term "boot" or "bootable" is not used in mainframes. You use IPL or IPLable.
4. Around 1970 or 1971 I examined a program like this in detail. The method used to load the program into storage is still useful, but this forum is not a suitable place for this discussion. No other detail is still valuable.

[dick scherrer]

Hello,

If you had such a "bootable" tape, how would you use it?