General Information

The specified string is detected only if it appears in either a regular message, or the major (first) line of a multi-line message.

ROUTE Subparameter

z/OS assign routing codes to each console. When a message is sent to a specific routing code, consoles with that routing code display the message. Usually, routing codes correspond to logical groups of messages that are assigned by the system. The ROUTE subparameter uses the routing code as a message or event selection criteria. Only messages with the specified routing codes are selected.

For example, your tape-related messages use a routing code of 3 and 5. Control-O can intercept all messages with a routing code of 3 or 5 and redirect them to a specific console, or handle them in another manner.

For additional information regarding routing and descriptor codes, refer to the IBM publication Routing and Descriptor Codes, GC38-1102.

DESC Subparameter

Descriptor codes determine message display characteristics such as deletion, scrolling, highlighting, and color. The DESC subparameter uses the descriptor code as a message selection criteria – only messages having the specified descriptor codes will be selected. For example, Control-O can intercept all messages that have a descriptor code of 1, 2 or 11, which indicates the need for critical action, and send these messages to a specific console.

Descriptor codes also control the indicator character. Any message sent by the operating system or an authorized program begins with a blank or asterisk (*) indicator. Messages sent by application programs begin with plus signs (+) or at signs (@). The asterisk, or at sign, marks the message as critical (descriptor code 1, 2, or 11). Control-O ignores these indicator characters during message ID comparison.

For additional information regarding routing and descriptor codes, refer to the IBM publication Routing and Descriptor Codes, GC38-1102.

CONSOLEID Subparameter

During system initialization, each console on the system is assigned a console identifier by z/OS. This identifier (xx) is a 2-digit number from 00 through 99 that corresponds to the position of the CONSOLE statement in the CONSOLxx member in the SYS1.PARMLIB library.

Only messages issued to the specified console IDs will be selected. For example, Control-O can intercept all messages that have a specific console ID, and redirect them or handle them in another manner.

CONSOLE Subparameter

This is the name that is assigned to the console. A valid name contains 2 to 8 alphanumeric characters.

Only the message issued to the specified console NAME will be selected. For example, Control-O can intercept any message that has a specific console NAME, and redirect the message or handle it in another manner.

SYSTEM Subparameter

The name specified by the SYSTEM subparameter is the unique system name of the z/OS image in the Sysplex environment.

When a system name is specified by the SYSTEM subparameter, messages issued by the specified system can trigger rules. However, if no system is specified, only messages originally issued on the current system will be used.

SMFID Subparameter

Each computer in a complex installation is assigned an SMF identifier of from 1 through 4 characters.

If SMFID is specified, only messages or commands issued from the specified SMF IDs will trigger the rule.

Column Range

As mentioned above, the first column (column 1) that can be searched for the specified string is the column where the first character of the message ID appears. Sometimes, z/OS adds a special character (+, *, or @) before the message. This character is not part of the message and is not counted as column 1 of the message.

You can check what Control-O is detecting by activating a rule containing the following statements:

When this rule is processed, it produces messages in the Automation Log that contain the value of the %%$MSG variable, the detected string.

Note: The ON STRING statement cannot be used to detect:

• fields shown to the left of the message ID in the SYSLOG (such as jobid, or time)
• reply IDs
• special characters in a WTO or WTOR message, for example, *, +, or @

Special handling of upper case input from the master console

When the operator types a command on the master console in upper case Control-O is triggered twice with the same message.

To avoid this double triggering, add a check to the rule so that if the message has a special MCSFLAG, with the value of X'601C', all resulting actions are prevented and the rule is terminated. The code for the rule is shown in the following sample: