Creating a library with a *test vs. *prod parameters

The easiest way to get this information is to prompt the CRTLIB command, place your cursor on the "TYPE" parameter, and then hit the F1 key. This will display the IBM HELP Text for this parameter:

Specifies the type of library being created.

*PROD
This is a production library. Database files in production libraries cannot be opened for updating if a user is in debug mode and he requested that production libraries be protected. A user can protect all database files in production libraries by specifying UPDPROD(*NO) on the Start Debug (STRDBG) command to begin testing. However, this protection does not prevent the program from deleting database files or from changing other objects (such as data areas) in the library.

*TEST
This is a test library. All objects in a test library can be updated during testing, even if special protection is requested for production libraries.

So that is the main reason IBM allows two types of libraries. I have discovered another handy use for this parameter, though.

I use BRMS/400 software for our backup and recovery processes. One of the special values BRMS will look at when processing libraries for backup is the library *TYPE. What I've done is set all my "development" libraries as *TEST libraries and my production libraries as *PROD. I've also instructed our developers to create all their development libraries as type *TEST. This allows me to create a very simple BRMS control group for backing up ALL the development libraries on the system!

It doesn't get much simpler than this. The following statement instructs BRMS to backup my entire development environment:

  
                        Auxiliary   Weekly    Retain  Save      SWA    
      Backup      List  Storage     Activity  Object  While     Message
Seq   Items       Type  Pool Device SMTWTFS   Detail  Active    Queue 

  10  *ALLTEST          *SYSBAS     *DFTACT   *YES    *NO               
 

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