Excluding Items from the IFS backup in BRMS

I have been asked by customers using BRMS, if there is an easy way to exclude objects in the IFS, that are unable to be saved, when using *LINK, to prevent getting the softer error: “Save of list *LINK completed with errors” (BRM10A1 is issued)”.

There are several methods:

• Create and use a BRMS backup list in your backup control group, type *LNK, specifying the IFS directories or files you want to include and omit, and use that as a backup item *LNK in your BRMS backup control group for saving IFS information.
• When using *LINK, list type *LNK, as a backup item in your backup control group, for saving the IFS, use the BRMS backup list, type *LNK, QLNKOMT, to specify any directories or links to be excluded from a *LNK backup, by adding them to the OQLNKOMT user-modifiable list.  This is the method I will discuss in further detail in this article.

QLNKOMT is a user-modifiable BRMS backup link list that can be used to omit IFS directories and files from a *LINK save.  Here is what it looks like unmodified below:

To add omit directories or files from the *LINK save, use an option 2 next to QLNKOMT link list to add them.  An example of using an omit from a *LINK save is below:

Some applications may lock objects that are not required during a recovery, such as the one above.  These objects can be omitted from saves to prevent errors during the saves.

Notes:

• Recommend that only objects that are not needed for recovery should be omitted.
• Only *OMITS can be added to the QLNKOMT link list. If any *INCLUDES are specified, the *LINK save will fail.
• Add only the additional directories or files you want to omit.  Do not use ‘/QSYS.LIB or ‘/QDLS’
• QLNKOMT link list should never be used in a control group.
• To access this link list, use the WRKLBRM command and select Option 2 on QLNKOMT.  Add the directories or files that you want to omit, after the *INCLUDE *ALL portion, by putting in a ‘+’ sign in the ‘+ for more values’ field (circled in RED below).