Save your al users to save files if you have space aviable. And than dump the save file to tape. This will save you at list 1/2 of the time.

If this is a newer server you really don't need to IPL weekly. We have a dozen systems, a couple of old 170s, a few larger 270s and a couple of 520s. They usually only get IPLed once a quarter max.

You may be able to change the backup to Save-While-Active. We have done this on all of our systems and hundreds of our customers with great results. Our software keeps all of the data files in one library so we change all the save command defaults to Save-While-Active using these scripts:

CHGCMDDFT CMD(SAVLIB) NEWDFT('savact(*lib) SAVACTWAIT(0)')
CHGCMDDFT CMD(SAVOBJ) NEWDFT('savact(*lib) SAVACTWAIT(0)')
CHGCMDDFT CMD(SAVDLO) NEWDFT('savact(*yes) savactwait(0)')
CHGCMDDFT CMD(SAV) NEWDFT('savact(*yes)')

If you are V4R5 or greater you can default them to save spool files too:

CHGCMDDFT CMD(SAVLIB) NEWDFT('SPLFDTA(*ALL)')
CHGCMDDFT CMD(SAVOBJ) NEWDFT('SPLFDTA(*ALL)')

Now backups run using the regular GO BACKUP menu will default to Save-While-Active.

There are a couple of problems to watch for though. One is easy to fix the other is just something to be aware of.
1. You can have problems if there are too many objects in a library although this has happened only a couple of times that I'm aware of. Deleting all the junk files out of the library fixed the problem.
2. The second issue is when Management Central is running. Management Central will have a lock on a certain file and this will end the backup job before its finished. We simple end Management Central in an exit program for the backup. You could also use a scheduled job to end it. I don't find that Management Central is used very often but if it is it will simply start again when someone goes to use it. Here is what we add to the exit program:

/* END MANAGEMENT CENTRAL SERVER (FOR QUSRSYS BACKUP) */
ENDTCPSVR SERVER(*MGTC)
MONMSG MSGID(CPF0000)

If you want to test this before making these changes try it something like this:

SBMJOB CMD(SAVLIB LIB(MRPDAT) DEV(*SAVF) SAVF(VINCE/MRPDAT) SAVACT(*LIB)
SAVACTWAIT(0) DTACPR(*YES) OUTPUT(*PRINT)) JOB(SAVMRPDAT)

This is saving the library to a save file but you could also save it to tape.
Check the spool file when it's done. The only objects that don't get saved are active data queues and in our case they do not need to be backed up.

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