Save System Information (SAVSYSINF)

The Save System Information (SAVSYSINF) command saves a subset of system data and objects saved by the Save System (SAVSYS) command.

SAVSYSINF is not to be considered a replacement for the SAVSYS command and is not to be used for system upgrades or migrations.

Objects saved from QSYS include:

*JOBD
*JOBQ
*EDTD
*JRN
*SBSD
*CLS
*MSGQ
*TBL
*IGCTBL
*DTAARA
*CMD objects changed since the last SAVSYS
*MSGF objects changed since the last SAVSYS

Additional items saved include:

System reply list
Service attributes
Environment variables
Certain system values
Network attributes
PTFs applied since the last SAVSYS

Some items NOT saved as part of SAVSYSINF command:

Licensed Internal Code
QSYS library
Security objects (use the SAVSECDTA command)
Configuration objects (use the SAVCFG command)
User profiles (use the SAVSECDTA command)
System values related to date/time
System values which cannot be changed. For system values which can be changed, refer to the iSeries Information Center at http://www.ibm.com/eserver/iseries/infocenter
QPWDLVL (Password level) system value

Note: The SAVSYSINF command issues several save commands for saving objects. Parameters may or may not be used for all save commands.

Parameters

Keyword	Description	Choices	Notes
DEV	Device	Single values: SAVF Other values (up to 4 repetitions): Name*	Required, Positional 1
VOL	Volume identifier	Single values: MOUNTED Other values (up to 75 repetitions): Character value*	Optional
SEQNBR	Sequence number	1-16777215, *END	Optional
EXPDATE	File expiration date	Date, *PERM	Optional
ENDOPT	End of media option	REWIND, LEAVE, *UNLOAD	Optional
SAVF	Save file	Qualified object name	Optional
	Qualifier 1: Save file	Name
	Qualifier 2: Library	Name, LIBL, CURLIB
OPTFILE	Optical file	Path name, *	Optional
USEOPTBLK	Use optimum block	YES, NO	Optional
CLEAR	Clear	NONE, ALL, AFTER, REPLACE	Optional
DTACPR	Data compression	DEV, NO, YES, LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH	Optional
COMPACT	Data compaction	DEV, NO	Optional
OUTPUT	Output	NONE, PRINT, *OUTFILE	Optional
OUTFILE	File to receive output	Qualified object name	Optional
	Qualifier 1: File to receive output	Name
	Qualifier 2: Library	Name, LIBL, CURLIB
OUTMBR	Output member options	Element list	Optional
	Element 1: Member to receive output	Name, *FIRST
	Element 2: Replace or add records	REPLACE, ADD

Top

Device (DEV)

Specifies the name of the device used for the save operation. The device name must already be known on the system by a device description.

This is a required parameter.

Single values

*SAVF: The save operation is done using the save file specified for the Save file (SAVF) parameter.

Other values

optical-device-name: Specify the name of the optical device used for the save operation.

tape-media-library-device-name: Specify the name of the tape media library device used for the save operation.

tape-device-name: Specify the names of one or more tape devices used for the save operation. If a virtual tape device is used, it must be the only device specified. If multiple tape devices are used, they must have compatible media formats and their names must be specified in the order in which they are used. Using more than one tape device permits one tape volume to be rewound and unloaded while another tape device processes the next tape volume.

Volume identifier (VOL)

Specifies the volume identifiers of the volumes, or the cartridge identifiers of tapes in a tape media library device, on which the data is saved. The volumes must be placed in the device in the same order as specified for this parameter.

Single values

*MOUNTED: The data is saved on the volumes placed in the device. For a media library device, the volume to be used is the next cartridge in the category mounted by the Set Tape Category (SETTAPCGY) command.
Note: This value cannot be specified when using an optical media library device.

Other values (up to 75 repetitions)

character-value: Specify the identifiers of one or more volumes in the order in which they are placed in a device and used to save the data.

File expiration date (EXPDATE)

Specifies the expiration date of the file created by the save operation. If a date is specified, the file is protected and cannot be overwritten until the specified expiration date.

Notes:

This parameter is valid for tape and optical files.
Specifying this parameter does not protect against a later save operation specifying CLEAR(*ALL).

*PERM: The file is protected permanently.
date: Specify the date when protection for the file ends.

End of media option (ENDOPT)

Specifies the operation that is automatically done on the tape or optical volume after the save operation ends. If more than one volume is used, this parameter applies only to the last volume used; all other volumes are unloaded when the end of the volume is reached.

Note: This parameter is valid only if a tape or optical device name is specified for the DEV parameter. For optical devices, *UNLOAD is the only special value supported, *REWIND and *LEAVE will be ignored.

*REWIND: The tape is automatically rewound, but not unloaded, after the operation has ended.

*LEAVE: The tape does not rewind or unload after the operation ends. It remains at the current position on the tape drive.

*UNLOAD: The tape is automatically rewound and unloaded after the operation ends. Some optical devices will eject the volume after the operation ends.

Save file (SAVF)

Specifies the save file that is used to contain the saved data. The save file must be empty, unless *ALL is specified for the Clear (CLEAR) parameter.

Note: A value must be specified for this parameter if *SAVF is specified for the Device (DEV) parameter.

Qualifier 1: Save file

name: Specify the name of save file to be used.

Qualifier 2: Library

*LIBL: All libraries in the library list for the current thread are searched until the first match is found.

*CURLIB: The current library for the thread is used to locate the save file. If no current library entry exists in the library list, the QGPL library is used.
name: Specify the name of the library where the save file is located.

Optical file (OPTFILE)

Specifies the path name of the optical file that is used for the save operation, beginning with the root directory of the volume.

For more information on specifying path names, refer to "Object naming rules" in the CL concepts and reference topic in the iSeries Information Center at http://www.ibm.com/eserver/iseries/infocenter.

*: The system generates an optical file name in the root directory of the optical volume.
'optical-directory-path-name/*': The system generates an optical file name in the specified directory of the optical volume.

Use optimum block (USEOPTBLK)

Specifies whether or not the optimum block size is used for the save operation.

Note: Specifying USEOPTBLK(*YES) may result in a tape that can be duplicated only to a device that supports the same block size.

*YES

The optimum block size supported by the device is used for Save commands. If the block size that is used is larger than a block size that is supported by all device types, then:

Performance may improve.
The tape file that is created is only compatible with a device that supports the block size used. Commands such as Duplicate Tape (DUPTAP) do not duplicate files unless the files are being duplicated to a device which supports the same block size that was used.
The value for the DTACPR parameter is ignored.

*NO

The optimum block size supported by the device is not used. Save commands use the default block size supported by all device types. The tape volume can be duplicated to any media format using the Duplicate Tape (DUPTAP) command.

Clear (CLEAR)

Specifies whether active data on the media is automatically cleared or replaced. Active data is any file on the media that has not expired. For saves to tape, clearing active data will make any files on the tape volume beyond the last file written by the save operation no longer accessible. For saves to optical, the files written by the save operation can be automatically replaced while other files on the volume remain active, or all active files can be automatically cleared. Clearing does not erase the data, it just makes the files no longer accessible.

Notes:

Clearing a tape does not initialize it. You should initialize tapes to a standard label format before the save command is issued by using the Initialize Tape (INZTAP) command and specifying a value for the NEWVOL parameter.
Clearing an optical volume does initialize it.
If a volume that is not initialized is encountered during the save operation, an inquiry message is sent and an operator can initialize the volume.

*NONE: None of the media is automatically cleared. If the save operation encounters active data on a tape volume or in a save file, an inquiry message is sent, allowing the operator to either end the save operation or clear the media. If the save operation encounters the specified optical file, an inquiry message is sent, allowing the operator to either end the save operation or replace the file.

*ALL: All of the media is automatically cleared.

If tapes are used and a sequence number is specified for the SEQNBR parameter, the first tape is cleared beginning at that sequence number. All tapes following that first tape are completely cleared. To clear the entire first tape, SEQNBR(1) must be specified.

*AFTER: All media after the first volume is automatically cleared. If the save operation encounters active data on the first tape volume, an inquiry message is sent, allowing the operator to either end the save operation or clear the media. If the save operation encounters the specified optical file on the first volume, an inquiry message is sent, allowing the operator to either end the save operation or replace the file.

: Note: The *AFTER value is not valid for save files.

*REPLACE: Active data on the media is automatically replaced. Optical volumes are not initialized. Other media is automatically cleared in the same way as the *ALL value.

Data compression (DTACPR)

Specifies whether data compression is used. If the save is running while other jobs on the system are active and software compression is used, the overall system performance may be affected.

Note: If *DEV is specified for both this parameter and the Data compaction (COMPACT) parameter, only device data compaction is performed if device data compaction is supported on the device. Otherwise, data compression is performed.

If *YES is specified for this parameter and *DEV is specified for the COMPACT parameter, both device data compaction and device data compression are performed if supported on the device.

*DEV: If the save is to tape and the target device supports compression, hardware compression is performed. Otherwise, no data compression is performed.

*NO: No data compression is performed.
*YES: If the save is to tape and the target device supports compression, hardware compression is performed. If compression is not supported, or if the save data is written to optical media or to a save file, software compression is performed. Low software compression is used for all devices except optical DVD, which uses medium software compression.
*LOW: If the save operation is to a save file or optical, software data compression is performed with the SNA algorithm. Low compression is usually faster and the compressed data is usually larger than if medium or high compression is used.
Note: This value is not valid for tape.
*MEDIUM: If the save operation is to a save file or optical, software data compression is performed with the TERSE algorithm. Medium compression is usually slower than low compression but faster than high compression. The compressed data is usually smaller than if low compression is used and larger than if high compression is used.
Note: This value is not valid for tape.
*HIGH: If the save operation is to a save file or optical, software data compression is performed with the LZ1 algorithm. High compression is usually slower and the compressed data is usually smaller than if low or medium compression is used.
Note: This value is not valid for tape.

Data compaction (COMPACT)

Specifies whether device data compaction is performed.

*DEV

Device data compaction is performed if the data is saved to tape and all tape devices specified for the Device (DEV) parameter support the compaction feature.

Note: If *DEV is specified for both the Data compression (DTACPR) parameter and this parameter, only device data compaction is performed if device data compaction is supported on the device. Otherwise, data compression is performed if supported on the device.

If *YES is specified for the DTACPR parameter and *DEV is specified for this parameter, both device data compaction and device data compression are performed if supported on the device.

*NO

Device data compaction is not performed.

Output (OUTPUT)

Specifies whether a list with information about the saved objects is created. The information can be printed with the job's spooled output or directed to a database file.

*NONE: No output listing is created.

*PRINT: The output is printed with the job's spooled output.

*OUTFILE: The output is directed to the database file specified for the File to receive output (OUTFILE) parameter.

: Note: You must specify a database file name for the File to receive output (OUTFILE) parameter when OUTPUT(*OUTFILE) is specified.

File to receive output (OUTFILE)

Specifies the database file to which the information is directed when *OUTFILE is specified for the Output (OUTPUT) parameter. If the file does not exist, this command creates a database file in the specified library. If a new file is created, the system uses QASAVOBJ in QSYS with the format name QSRSAV as a model.

Qualifier 1: File to receive output

name: Specify the name of the database file to which output from the command is directed. If this file does not exist, it is created in the specified library.

Qualifier 2: Library

*LIBL: All libraries in the library list for the current thread are searched until the first match is found.

*CURLIB: The current library for the thread is used to locate the file. If no library is specified as the current library for the job, the QGPL library is used.

name: Specify the name of the library to be searched.

Output member options (OUTMBR)

Specifies the name of the database file member to which the output is directed when *OUTFILE is specified for the Output (OUTPUT) parameter.

Element 1: Member to receive output

*FIRST: The first member in the file receives the output. If OUTMBR(*FIRST) is specified and the member does not exist, the system creates a member with the name of the file specified for the File to receive output (OUTFILE) parameter.
name: Specify the name of the file member that receives the output. If OUTMBR(member-name) is specified and the member does not exist, the system creates it.
If the member exists, you can add records to the end of the existing member or clear the existing member and add the records.

Element 2: Replace or add records

*REPLACE: The existing records in the specified database file member are replaced by the new records.
*ADD: The new records are added to the existing information in the specified database file member.

Examples

Example 1: Tapes Cleared Automatically

SAVSYSINF DEV(TAP01)  CLEAR(*ALL)

This command saves the system information on the tape put on the TAP01 tape drive. Each uncleared tape is automatically cleared when it is encountered, and the save operation continues without operator intervention.

Example 2: Save File Cleared Automatically and Output Generated to a File

SAVSYSINF DEV(*SAVF) SAVF(QGPL/SAVF) CLEAR(*ALL)
          OUTPUT(*OUTFILE) OUTFILE(QGPL/OUTPUT)

This command saves the system information to the save file named SAVF in library QGPL. The save file will be cleared automatically. Information about what was saved will be written to the first member of the file named OUTPUT in library QGPL; the file and member will be created if they do not exist.