Rocket Zara

The architecture of Rocket Zara is centered around several key components that work together to provide comprehensive tape management capabilities within a z/OS environment. The core of the system is the control program, which manages the overall operation and interacts with other components. The reporting module generates various reports, including listings of tapes to be taken offsite or brought back onsite, and scratch tape reports.

The dataset retention manager enforces retention policies, preventing accidental overwrites and ensuring data integrity. The tape allocation module handles the allocation of tapes for datasets. These components communicate through z/OS system services and interfaces.

The system relies on standard z/OS facilities for data storage and retrieval. The primary administrative interface is the z/OS console and batch jobs, with configuration managed through JCL and system commands. Security is handled through integration with the z/OS security infrastructure, supporting authentication methods like user IDs and passwords managed through RACF or similar security products.

The system integrates with z/OS system logging and auditing facilities, providing detailed logs of tape management activities. Compared to manual tape management, Rocket Zara reduces the risk of data loss and improves overall operational efficiency.