Quiesce Spool input/output file activity for a full backup.

Products

• Spool

Issue/Introduction

Quiesce all the Spool input/output file activity in preparation of a full backup.

Resolution

1.- To quiesce all the printing activities (output side) visit the menu interface and issue the command /PNET. Next wait for the following 3 messages to happen in the main Address Space under the DD ESFLOGxx SYSOUT dataset:
                                                                           
ESF304  VIRTUAL PRINTER INTERFACE STOPPED
ESF7002 LPD interface stopped
ESF491  NETWORK INTERFACE STOPPED

This command will allow Spool to gracefully end any ongoing printing activity happening at the time the command is issued. If you are currently receiving output from Virtual Printers then an active VTAM LU to LU session will be there and it will wait until it ends before shutting down the Virtual Printer interface. Incoming or Outgoing LPD/LPR or TCP/IP Print Sessions will also be allowed to end gracefully. During all this time no new incoming or outgoing sessions will be allowed. Imagine this command as you have ordered a quiesce on any new file activity in Spool while allowing ongoing print sessions to finish.

2.- If there is a need for a immediate shutdown then proceed to reset the network interface using the /TNET command. This command will force end all the incoming/outgoing active printing sessions. All files found open will be forced closed. It is not recommended to reset the network interface unless there is a good reason for it. Confirm the 3 messages above occur before moving forward.

3.- To prevent more files from coming in via the XFER interface (input sidel) use the command /HX command from the menu interface. Wait for the following message to happen in the Spool's started task ESFLOGxx DD:

ESF835  FILE TRANSFER INTERFACE HALTED

All output routed to JES2 under the selection criteria specified in your XFER parms will remain in JES2 until the /SX command is issued again or the task is recycled.

4.- If you are using the SUBSYS interface then use the /HS command and wait for the following message:

ESF583  SUBSYS INTERFACE HALTED

Once all above is completed then prepare a JOB like this one to take a full backup of all the files sitting in Spool:

//BACKUP   EXEC PGM=ESFSPTP,PARM='BFALL,SUBSYS=ESF'  <modify             
//STEPLIB  DD DSN=ESF.CAILIB,DISP=SHR                <modify             
//SYSPRINT DD SYSOUT=*                                                   
//SYSOUT   DD SYSOUT=*                                                   
//INDEX    DD SYSOUT=*                                                   
//BACKUP   DD DSN=ESF.BACKUP,DISP=(NEW,CATLG),       <modify             
//         UNIT=SYSDA,SPACE=(CYL,(300,25),RLSE)                            

Tailor and provide a valid JOB card as well dataset names for the load library and backup file.
Shutdown the task and perform your maintenance. To restore the backup use the following JOB once the main task is back up then:

//RESTORE  EXEC PGM=ESFSPTP,PARM='LFALL,SUBSYS=ESF'  <modify             
//STEPLIB  DD DSN=ESF.CAILIB,DISP=SHR                <modify             
//SYSPRINT DD SYSOUT=*                                                   
//SYSOUT   DD SYSOUT=*                                                   
//INDEX    DD SYSOUT=*                                                   
//LOAD     DD DSN=ESF.BACKUP,DISP=SHR                <modify