Save Files Explained

Learning Objective

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to explain what a save file is and create one with CRTSAVF.

Simple Explanation

Every SAVOBJ, RSTOBJ, SAVLIB, and RSTLIB example covered earlier in this batch used DEV(*SAVF) along with a SAVF parameter, pointing at a save file: a regular IBM i object that holds saved data, in place of physical media like tape.

CRTSAVF FILE(MYLIB/CUSTBKUP)

DSPSAVF FILE(MYLIB/CUSTBKUP)

CRTSAVF creates an empty save file, ready to receive saved data from a subsequent SAVOBJ or SAVLIB command. DSPSAVF displays information about what a save file currently contains.

Why It Matters

A save file is just another IBM i object, subject to the same library, authority, and storage considerations already covered throughout this course, which makes it a practical, everyday target for saves, without needing physical tape or other removable media. Understanding that save files need to be created first, and can be inspected afterward with DSPSAVF, is the missing piece behind every save/restore command shown earlier in this batch.

Practical Example

Recall the CUSTBKUP save file used in the SAVOBJ/RSTOBJ example earlier in this batch. Before that SAVOBJ command could succeed, CRTSAVF needed to create CUSTBKUP as an empty save file first. Afterward, running DSPSAVF against it would show that it now contains the saved CUSTINQR program, confirming the save actually captured what was intended before relying on it for a later restore.

This is a simplified, illustrative example rather than a specific real workflow, but it reflects exactly how save files fit into everyday save and restore work.

Common Confusions

"Does SAVOBJ create the save file automatically if it doesn't exist?" No. The save file needs to already exist, created with CRTSAVF, before a SAVOBJ or SAVLIB command can write saved data into it.

"Is a save file the same thing as a database file covered earlier in this course?" No, though both are files in the general IBM i sense. A save file has a specific purpose: holding saved object or library data for later restore, rather than holding application business data the way a physical file or table does.

"Does DSPSAVF let me see the actual data inside the saved objects?" No, not at that level of detail. DSPSAVF shows information about what a save file contains, such as which objects were saved, rather than letting a user browse the actual data inside those saved objects directly.

Quick Recap

• A save file is a regular IBM i object that holds saved data, used as a target for SAVOBJ, RSTOBJ, SAVLIB, and RSTLIB instead of physical media.
• CRTSAVF creates an empty save file before it can receive saved data.
• DSPSAVF displays information about what a save file currently contains.
• A save file needs to already exist before a save command can target it; it is not created automatically.

Try Asking the AI Tutor

Use the AI Tutor to ask follow-up questions about this lesson. For example, try asking:

• "What would DSPSAVF show me if I ran it against a save file that had never actually been used in a SAVOBJ or SAVLIB command yet?"
• "Why might a shop prefer saving to a save file over saving directly to tape?"