> This does beg the question, is there any significant performance > difference when writing to the filemode vs. writing to an unaccessed > directory?
No, when the destination for the control data backup is an SFS directory, the same routines are used, regardless of whether the directory is accessed or not. While poking around in the CMS File Pool, Planning & Admin book (it's been a while since I worked on SFS!), Chapter 7, Recovery Procedures - I came across/remembered the DEFBACKUP command that is germane to this thread. The DEFBACKUP command allows one to temporarily re-direct the backup destination. Quoting from the book you may want to do this if: - Your default backup destination is tape and an operator is not availabl e to mount the tape. - Your default backup destination is another file pool, but the file pool is not available for some reason. Speaking of Chapter 7, this is a must read for all responsible for maintaining SFS file pools. The control data backup that we have been talking about is only HALF of the story. You also need to back up the "user data". You might do that with FILEPOOL UNLOAD or FILEPOOL BACKUP or use an external product. You need to consider what restore capability you require (incremental, file level, file space level, etc) when choosing the backup method. And some may choose to use brute force DDR, but remember the file pool must be shutdown when using this method and all minidisks must be backed up as a unit.
