Catalog recovery through system management facilities reverse transversal

A computer program product encoded in a computer readable medium and useable with a programmable computer processor to generate a recovery catalog for a data storage system comprising a plurality of data sets encoded in a plurality of volumes, the computer program product comprising:

• computer readable program code which causes said programmable processor to generate a recovery catalog;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable processor to examine system management facilities (“SMF”) records to identify datasets recited therein;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable processor to add one or more datasets identified in said SMF records to said recovery catalog;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable processor to review seriatim each of said plurality of volumes;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable processor to identify additional datasets encoded in said plurality of volumes, wherein said additional datasets were not recited in said SMF records;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable processor to add said additional datasets to said recovery catalog.

An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code disposed therein to generate a recovery catalog for a data storage system comprising a plurality of data sets encoded in a plurality of volumes, the computer readable program code comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

• examining system management facilities (“SMF”) records to identify datasets recited therein;
• adding one or more datasets identified in said SMF records to a recovery catalog;
• reviewing seriatim each of said plurality of volumes;
• identifying additional datasets encoded in said plurality of volumes, wherein said additional datasets were not recited in said SMF records;
• adding said additional datasets to said recovery catalog.