This series of documents provide the instructions for installing the mainframe equipment and restoring the VM and MVS systems using the off-site backups. Since all of the DASD for each VM and MVS system is backed up at the same time, it is relatively easy to restore each system to a known state, which is typically the weekend prior to the disaster.

Individual applications may have built-in disaster recovery provisions in which backups of various subsystems or application data components are made throughout the week. In order for each application to be restored to the point of the disaster, it is extremely important that each application have a set of specialized procedures for rectifying and restoring any data changes that occured after the last full system backups. The mainframe platform recovery team is typically not in a position to make the decision on how to best recover these data. This should more appropriately be done by the application recovery team for that application and may require support from a system analyst familiar with the application.

In general, the mainframe recovery process consists of the following steps:

Equipment Installation

The correct equipment and connecting cables must be ordered and installed.

Initial (Minimal) I/O Configuration

The initial I/O configuration for the system is loaded.

Full I/O Configuration

Through the use of a VM Starter System, two I/O configurations containing definitions for all devices in the system are loaded, one for operating the CPU in native mode, and the other for LPAR mode.

DASD Initialization

Using the same VM Starter System, all DASD volumes are initialized.

VM DASD Restores

The VM Starter System is used to run DDR restores for all VM volumes.

MVS DASD Restores

A snapshot of the MVS maintenance system is used to run FDR restores for all MVS volumes.

Production System IPLs

Each of the respective VM and MVS systems are IPLed in their respective LPARs.

Configuration Adjustments

Adjustments in system configurations may be necessary to accommodate I/O configuration changes, new IP addresses, and software products having CPU serial number passcodes

Final IPLs

After all changes are finished, the systems are IPLed again and turned over to the application recovery teams for restoration of data systems.

Mainframe Restoration Detail Documents

The following documents describe the process for rebuilding the system hardware, setting the system I/O configuration, restoring the operating systems, and restoring all DASD from backup tapes.

DRPMS006: Mainframe Equipment Installation

DRPMS003: Mainframe System Recovery

DRPMS004: MVS DASD Volumes

DRPMS005: VM DASD Volumes

The following document describe the process of restoring individual high-profile system applications. In certain cases, CPU serial number dependencies must be dealt with, which may involve contacting a software vendor before a particular product will operate on the restored system.

DRPMA001: ADABAS Recovery

DRPMA002: New Dimension (CONTROL/x) Products Recovery

DRPMA003: Computer Associates Products Recovery

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