DATASHEET

BMC APPLICATION RESTART

CONTROL
Control checkpoints and restart batch jobs with no application changes.

Key Benefits

Business Challenge

Improves data availability and

data integrity by reducing errors

Many organizations run a significant amount of work in batch mode, but shrinking windows shorten the time

Maximizes availability by
reducing or eliminating batch rerun time

beginning of the job (after recovery of affected databases and files). It is not practical to back out everything

Ensures data integrity by

keeping all data repositories in
sync

only way to restart at the point of failure is to ensure that the application takes periodic checkpoints of the

Allows you to quickly quiesce

jobs just before a scheduled
outage by ending them at a
checkpoint

available to run batch jobs. When a batch job fails, it must be restarted at the point of failure or at the
and start from the beginning because backing out updates from can take twice as long as running the
application. Nor is it practical to restart from the wrong point, then back out errors and start over again. The
contents of application working storage areas. Taking too many checkpoints wastes CPU resources, but
taking too few lengthens the time required to recover the failed job.

The BMC Solution

BMC APPLICATION RESTART CONTROL (AR/CTL) enables you to resume failed or interrupted batch
applications from the most recent checkpoint rather than from the beginning of the job step. Faster restarts

Minimizes implementation
requirements by ensuring easy
retrofit into existing applications

minimize contention between batch jobs and online processing. You can often implement checkpoint/restart

Supports application programs

written in COBOL, PL/1, and
Assembler

outside the application.

functionality with no changes to application code or jobs. AR/CTL helps you determine the best balance
between performance, restart time, and checkpoint overhead by controlling the checkpoint frequency

Ensuring data integrity is the primary reason for automating restarts. Manually searching for the last

Products

checkpoint is time-consuming and error prone. Restarting from the wrong checkpoint can result in errors,

BMC APPLICATION RESTART

CONTROL for DB2 (AR/CTL for
DB2)

duplicate entries, omitted updates, or other problems. Recovering from an inaccurate restart can be even

BMC APPLICATION RESTART

CONTROL for IMS (AR/CTL for
IMS)
BMC APPLICATION RESTART
CONTROL for VSAM (AR/CTL
for VSAM)

more complex and confusing than the original problem. AR/CTL products select the right checkpoint every
time, eliminating errors and the need to restart your restart. AR/CTL products provide the following features:

Automatic restart checkpoint selection ensures integrity and shorten restart time
Application working storage can capture and restore an application programs working storage areas
in main memory, which allows the program to resume processing at the last checkpoint. It can capture
and restore saved areas of virtual storage for subprograms executing under the main program.

Application reattach improves the operational stability of many application environments by providing
automation to react to certain types of abend conditions. Abends often result from lock contention.
Many times, this makes it possible to schedule update processes to run in parallel rather than serially.

Checkpoint and restart coordination for DB2, IMS, and CICS/VSAM restarts

Automatic checkpoint simplifies and speeds the process of implementing checkpoint/restart logic into
application programs

Program exception handling automatically redirects bad input data that causes S0C7 abends into a
reject file and lets the application continue. Redirected records can be cleaned up the later.

Flat files automatically manages flat files and ensures that the contents of the files are synchronized
with database activity when checkpoints are issued. During restart processing, the files are
automatically repositioned to their state as of the latest checkpoint.

Suspend and resume processing for the following products to obtain a point of consistency required for
reorganization or recovery:
-

BMC Backup and Recovery Solution for IMS

BMC MAXM Reorg/Online for IMS

BMC IMAGE COPY PLUS

BMC RECOVERY MANAGER for IMS

BMC REORG PLUS for DB2 Online Feature

BMC Fast Path Online Restructure/EP

AR/CTL for DB2

AR/CTL provides DB2-oriented features:

SQL return code handling can intercept a defined SQL return code received during application
program processing and issue a user-defined user abend code and reason code. This can be used to
standardize 911 processing throughout an entire application environment.

Cursor repositioning any checkpoint restart solution can effectively save working storage, but only
AR/CTL for DB2 can return the application to the proper position within the cursor. You no longer need
to add logic to your DB2 applications to track and store the cursor position for use in checkpoint restart.

Batch Attachment facility performs the attachment to DB2 on behalf of the application; can run in an
Attach Only mode to provide the DB2 attach for programs not using Checkpoint/Restart services

AR/CTL for IMS

AR/CTL provides IMS-oriented features:

Restart with no code changes fully supports and enhances the IMS Extended Restart Facility,
Requires no application code or JCL changes; eliminates the need to change application code to call a
third-party restart program

Flat file management supports and manages IMS GSAM files and native file techniques; there is no
need to convert flat files to GSAM

Checkpoint management externally filters excessive checkpoint activity to provide significant savings
in elapsed time and CPU consumption. Many legacy applications were developed to run on slower
processors and the checkpoint intervals were never recalibrated for hardware upgrades.

BUSINESS RUNS ON I.T.

I.T. RUNS ON BMC SOFTWARE.

DBRC conversion aid can automatically provide a logging environment to avoid having to retrofit DL/I
JCL when converting an application to run under DBRC

Business thrives when IT runs smarter,

faster, and stronger. Thats why the most

AR/CTL for VSAM

demanding IT organizations in the world

AR/CTL provides VSAM-oriented features:

rely on BMC Software across both

distributed and mainframe environments.

Recognized as the leader in Business

Local VSAM access services for VSAM data sets that are accessed exclusively by a batch VSAM
application program provides checkpoint support and automatic backout support for VSAM files

Service Management, BMC provides a

comprehensive and unified platform that

helps IT organizations cut cost, reduce

DBMS synchronization automatically synchronizes VSAM Checkpoint/Restart activity with DB2 or

IMS checkpoint processing

risk, and drive business profit. For the

four fiscal quarters ended September 30,

VSAM file sharing supports remote VSAM file sharing between batch applications and CICS regions

2009, BMC revenue was approximately

executing on the same or different z/OS images. This allows batch application programs to update

$1.88 billion.

VSAM files while they are online to CICS and in full update mode and makes it possible to avoid
converting a VSAM file to DB2 or IMS to provide 24x7 type access to the file.

For More Information

To learn more, please visit www.bmc.com.

BMC, BMC Software, and the BMC Software logo are the exclusive properties of BMC Software, Inc., are registered with the U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office, and may be registered or pending registration in other countries. All other BMC trademarks, service marks, and logos may be
registered or pending registration in the U.S. or in other countries. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their
respective owners. 2004, 2009 BMC Software, Inc. All rights reserved. Origin date: 12/09

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