VOL=SER=(serial¹,serial²,serialⁿ)

Absence of the VOL or VOLUME parameter on a DD statement will trigger the system to search the appropriate catalogue.

The question may well be; Why is a VOL parameter being considered? The volume information should be provided by:

• SMS - for new disk data sets.
• Tape Management - for new cartridge data sets.
• The catalogue - for all existing permanent data sets

The bottom line is that use of the VOL parameter to provide specific information should be very rare these days. So why might the VOL parameter be used?

Possible Use		Parameter Specification
Keep a volume on a unit for later reuse.		VOL=(,RETAIN)
Inhibit allocation of non-specific data sets.		VOL=PRIVATE
Use the same volume as that used by another data set in this step.		VOL=REF=*.ddname
Use the same volume as that used by another data set in this step.		VOL=REF=*.stepname.ddname
A combination of the above.		VOL=(,RETAIN,REF=*.ddname)

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