US Patent 7146453 Reducing ABENDS through the use of second-tier storage groups

A method and computer that reduces ABENDs due to end of volume encounters of a job. The method provides an extend-to-new volume processing in response to such encounters. The method permits the definition of primary storage groups and extend storage groups and allows the linking of an extend storage group to a primary storage group. When the job encounters an end-of-volume condition on the current storage volume and is further unable to extend to a new volume in the primary storage group, the method then tries to find a new volume in one or more extend storage groups that are linked to that primary storage group. If no new volume can be found in an extend storage group, an ABEND process is performed.