Eliminate IEBCOPY Restriction: Allow Multiple Input PDSs to be Sequentially Unloaded in a Single COPY/COPYGROUP Operation

Requirement: IEBCOPY should allow multiple input partitioned data sets to be unloaded when the objective is to produce a single output file in sequential format. This restriction is undocumented in the utility manual and can only be found in the messages manual (IEB180I, RC=8). IEBCOPY currently restricts the COPY UNLOAD operation/function to a single input partitioned data set as documented in utility message IEB180I.

If the user attempts to unload 2 or more unique partitioned data sets with a single COPY or COPYGROUP operation to a single output file, the job step will terminate with RC=8 and fail as follows:

IEB180I MORE THAN ONE INPUT DATA SET SPECIFIED FOR UNLOAD OPERATION
IEB151I JOB HAS TERMINATED WITH ERROR(S)
IEB147I END OF JOB - 8 WAS HIGHEST SEVERITY CODE

IBM DFSMS development should eliminate the restriction. In addition, if the restriction is not lifted by IBM, the error condition should be raised before unloading the first input data set failing the job
immediately. It is a waste of machine time to unload the first input data set successfully and subsequently fail the job due to a construction error caused by a utility design restriction in the presence of additional input data sets Notice in the attachment to this RFE how a partially completed unload for 1 data succeeds but fails on the second input data set when the unload initiates. The resulting sequential data set is an incorrectly aggregated unload of data from two valid input source files.