BIM-FAQS/ASO
is the automated systems operations product for VSE. BIM-FAQS/ASO
enables you to automate your system in many ways.
You can:
• Manage messages automatically by filling in blank panels
• Create
your own commands
• Create your own PF keys
• Increase system throughput
BIM-FAQS/ASO's Automated Operations features bring together the
following to give you the power of automated systems operations:
• REXX language, compiler, and editor (99% REXX compatible)
• BIM-FAQS/ASO
• BIM-FAQS/PCS
• Menus and data panels
 What's
Possible with BIM-FAQS/ASO?
With BIM-FAQS/ASO, you can:
• Automate console messages
• Create operator commands
• Modify system commands
• Create REXX IMODs (Intelligent Modules)
to control your system
• Create REXX IMODs and REXX EXECs to communicate
between VSE and VM
• Define BIM-FAQS/ASO PF keys
• Create Console Summary reports at
EOJ and/or archive to the SYSOUT PDS
• Post global events for BIM-FAQS/PCS
or BIM-FAQS/ASO
• Spool POWER members to CICS attached Printers
• Verify product
levels and product maintenance levels installed by MSHP
• Use BIM-FAQS/CALL
to monitor your mainframe and initiate maintenance calls depending
on mainframe conditions
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BIM-FAQS/ASO
Console Spooling Facility
BIM-FAQS/ASO offers VSE users many console enhancements over the
basic console support available with the VSE supervisor. The BIM-FAQS/ASO
Console Spooling facility provides the following:
• Automated system console support
• Full message management
• Last command recall
• PF-key support (pre-ESA 2.1 only)
• Message time stamping (pre-ESA
2.1 only)
• AR (Attention Routine) command support
• CMS user message routing
• EOJ console reporting (much more detailed
than LISTLOG), which can be directed to SYSLST and/or to the SYS$ARC
archive file
• Hardcopy file printing and backup
• Enhanced System Console Support
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Messages
The Console Spooling facility enhances the basic VSE DOC (Display
Operator Console) support for the system console by supporting:
Selected messages or partitions can be routed to
individual BIM-FAQS/ASO online transactions using
similar console selection criteria.
Message
Deletion
Message
deletion enables you to manage console activity by preventing meaningless
or nuisance messages from cluttering the Hardcopy file and the
current console display. For example, you can delete POWER
1R88I OK, an unnecessary message that displays even when POWER
does not accept the command.
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Message
Highlighting
Message highlighting causes any messages that match a designated
message type or partition to be highlighted on the VSE system console
for easy viewing. All JOB statements, EOJ statements, cancel messages,
or any other type of exceptional console activity can be highlighted
on the system console.
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Message
Masking
Message masking can be invaluable to security. With message masking,
portions of a message can be permanently masked when sensitive
data appears on the console and Hardcopy file.
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Message
Reply
Message reply issues replies, AR commands, or POWER commands based
on specified selection criteria. Message reply allows better throughput
on production and test systems by replying to a job as soon as
a reply is needed. The job no longer waits for an operator to reply
manually.
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Message
Retention
Message retention causes console messages that match a specified
message ID, jobname, phase name, time range, or partition ID to
be held on the current console display until deleted by the operator.
This is desirable for retaining critical messages that would normally
be lost during console update.
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Message
Routing
Message routing allows specified messages to be routed to a CMS
user via VM MSGNOH support, MSG support, SMSG support, or RSCS.
Through this feature, specific CMS users can be notified when critical
conditions occur.
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Message
Suppression
Message suppression allows the user to specify any message or
class of console activity to be suppressed from the current console
display. You can prevent unnecessary or nuisance messages from
cluttering the current console. These messages are printed on the
Hardcopy file.
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Message
Unhold
Message unhold enables you to unhold messages from the current
console display--that is, to let these messages scroll off the
console as it is updated. In this way, the console is kept from
being burdened with less critical partitions or messages.
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BIM-FAQS/ASO
Reports
EOJ
Console Summary Report
The EOJ console reporting includes an EOJ Console
Summary report. The report is similar to LISTLOG but with several
advantages. All console activity is time stamped for a chronological
history of console reads and writes. If AR logging is specified
at console spooling initialization time, AR (Attention Routine)
messages that occur during the execution of a job are also included
in the EOJ Console Summary report along with the normal partition
console activity.
The Console Spooling facility of BIM-FAQS/ASO is more flexible
than LISTLOG, because it allows the user to select when the report
should be printed. At console spooling initialization, you specify
which partitions are eligible for console spooling and under what
conditions the report is printed. A partition can be defined so
that the Console Spooling report is printed for all jobs executed
in the partition regardless of job completion status. Likewise,
you can specify that the report be printed only if the job terminates
abnormally (ABEND-ONLY logging). The OPTION LOG feature causes
the Console Spooling report to be printed whenever an // OPTION
LOG statement is specified in the job stream or if the job terminates
abnormally. This provides the ability to control console spooling
with a standard VSE JCL statement.
In addition to the EOJ Console Summary report, BIM-FAQS/ASO produces
the following reports at the beginning of the next job:
• Job Statistics by Step Report
• Phase Load List Summary Report
• Library Search Sequence Report
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Job
Statistics by Step Report
The
Job Statistics by Step Report displays job accounting information
about the last 8 steps executed in the job. The information includes
the name of each phase executed in the job, step duration, cumulative
CPU seconds, and SIO information for each step. This report also
displays critical GETVIS information such as the amount of GETVIS
used by each step, the total amount of GETVIS remaining, and the
maximum contiguous block of unused GETVIS available at end-of-step.
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Phase
Load List Summary Report
The Phase Load List Summary Report lists the
name of each phase, the time the phase was loaded, and the library
it was fetched from. Not only does this eliminate questions about
from which library a phase was loaded, but it can also serve as
a tuning tool by identifying the number of library directories
searched before finding each phase.
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Library
Search Sequence Report
The Library Search Sequence Report lists the library and sublibrary
names in the temporary and permanent core-image library search
chain as the names exist at end-of-job. To find the number of library
directories that were actually searched before each phase was found,
match the library name to the directory search chain. This report
is only printed when the Phase Load List Summary report is generated.
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BIM-FAQS/ASO
Console Spooling Advantages
For VSE users, the Console Spooling facility of BIM-FAQS/ASO offers
the following advantages over LISTLOG:
• At end-of-job time, console messages are automatically available,
allowing quick analysis of any JCL errors or console messages
and replies. Since each message is time stamped, an audit trail
for each job is available to provide the exact time that each
event occurred.
• At end-of-job time, job statistics are displayed for each step
executed in the job. This includes the name of each phase executed,
the duration of each step, the number of SIOs and CPU seconds
used by each step, and critical GETVIS information for each step.
• At end-of-job time, all phases loaded by the job and the library
each phase was loaded from are displayed.
• At end-of-job time, VSAM file statistics and GETVIS information
are displayed. Information can include, for example, when a file
was deleted, inserted, updated, or retrieved. The library search
chain as it existed at end-of-job time is displayed. The Console
Spooling facility can be tailored in several different ways offering
much more flexibility in defining when the report should be printed.
• BIM-FAQS/ASO enables you to archive all console activity to
a cumulative backup file. It also provides a way to selectively
retrieve past console information, using various search arguments
and parameters.
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BIM-FAQS/ASO
Online
VSE/ESA and z/VSE offer more functions and
facilities with each new version. The major new features and enhancements
that have been incorporated into VSE have made it a much more viable
and strategic operating system for the future. As VSE matures,
the number of new control blocks, internal tables, and system components
continues to grow in size and complexity, making it more difficult
to effectively manage and control your VSE system.
The BIM-FAQS/ASO Online transaction provides a powerful and extremely
valuable online tool that gives you better control of your VSE
system. Remote console services, online debugging and fix-it facilities,
job and system monitoring capabilities, and several other online
system tools are available to increase the effectiveness and productivity
of application programmers, system programmers, and computer operators.
The BIM-FAQS/ASO Online transaction is available as an interactive
application under:
* BTAM
* CICS
* ICCF
* VTAM
* VM/CMS
* Browser
(CGI)
To aid in use and flexibility, BIM-FAQS/ASO Online can be used
as a command-driven system, a menu-driven system, or a combination
of both. Menu-driven systems are invaluable to new users or end
users, but the more familiar you become with a product, the more
restrictive a menu system can become.
The menu-driven system can be entered at initial sign-on or by
entering MENU from the console command line. While in the menu
system, any BIM-FAQS/ASO command can be entered on the command
line. BIM-FAQS/ASO issues the command and exits the menu system.
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BIM-FAQS/ASO
Online Benefits
Programmer
Aids
Several programmer productivity aids are supported to assist and
improve overall program development. Various online reports provide
programmers with instant, real-time reports that were previously
available only through batch utilities and operator action on the
system console. The following can be displayed on a BIM-FAQS/ASO
terminal:
• Sorted
VTOC display (LVTOC)
• Label information report (LSERV)
• Current logical unit assignments
(LISTIO)
• Current library definition chain (LIBLIST)
• VSE Libraries and members (LIBR)
• VSAM Catalog information, Files, and Records (VSAM)
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Display/Alter
Storage and Disk Records
The storage display/alter and disk record display/alter facilities
allow system programmers to identify problems as they occur and
immediately correct them. The disk record display facility (DUMP)
is also a helpful programmer tool as an online alternative to the
VSE DITTO utility.
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ASO
J (Job Monitor Report)
The Job Monitor Report (ASO J) enables programmers to monitor
the current execution status of their jobs. It also serves as a
valuable system monitor and problem determination tool, displaying
the overall job activity in the system so that users can quickly
identify inactive or hung tasks. (This report can be accessed through
the PRTY J command for VSE systems prior to VSE/ESA 2.0)
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Online
Reports
In addition to the ASO J report, BIM-FAQS/ASO provides several
other system activity reports so that system programmers can monitor
potential system problems and performance bottlenecks before they
occur. These online reports include:
• Phase Fetch/Load Activity
Report (FTL)
• Current GETVIS Allocation and USAGE Report (MAP GETVIS)
• DEBUG
Report. This report lists the tasks currently being executed in the
system and the address of the major VSE control blocks for each.
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POWER
Queue Display Facility
A powerful and efficient POWER Queue Display
Facility is available to allow users to list the POWER RDR, LST,
PUN, and XMT queues online.
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View
Actual Contents of POWER Queue Members
You can view the actual contents of POWER RDR, PUN, XMT, and LST
queue members. Members can be updated and resubmitted into the
RDR queue using the full-screen editor facility. Members can also
be transferred to a CMS file for editing.
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Active
Member Display
Active member display is provided to allow viewing of a LST member
while the job is still running. For example, it is often necessary
to know what has been printed to SYSLST for CICS while it is running.
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Console
Support Function
The console support function allows programmers and operators
to view the current system console and redisplay previous console
activity directly from any BIM-FAQS/ASO terminal. Programmers can
monitor all job-related console messages from a BIM-FAQS/ASO session,
alleviating needless operator interruptions. The console redisplay
command can be used to eliminate the slow and costly console redisplay
from the main system console. The split panel console display (D
S,S) divides the terminal into two separate panels, displaying
a condensed job activity report in the top window and the current
console image in the second window.
The command D S,W displays a window showing the statistics at
the upper right corner of the screen, with the normal console display
continuing on the rest of the screen.
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Message
Routing Facility
The message routing facility restricts which console messages
are displayed on a terminal. Console messages can be directed to
a specific terminal based on the partition from which they originate,
a specific message identifier, or a generic class of console messages.
To perform message routing, VSE/ESA 2.1 users should use the BIM-FAQS/ASO
console filtering feature.
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Enter
Operator Commands
In addition to displaying console activity at any terminal, you
can enter operator commands or respond to outstanding console replies
directly from BIM-FAQS/ASO. This permits programmers to control
the execution of their jobs from their own terminal without requiring
operator intervention. The entire system can be controlled from
any local or remote attached 3270 terminal that has access to the
VSE system. System programmers with remote terminals at home can
now correct problems and control the system using BIM-FAQS/ASO
rather than instructing an operator what to do over the phone.
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Online
Password Security Feature
An online password security feature enables installations to tailor
the online capabilities of BIM-FAQS/ASO to the individual needs
of each user at any time. An optional logging facility is also
available to log the CICS, CMS, VTAM, or ICCF user ID on the system
console of the terminal operator entering operator commands or
console replies directly from BIM-FAQS/ASO.
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Extensive
Online Message and Help Facility
BIM-FAQS/ASO also provides an extensive online message and help
facility. Messages and help panels are displayed by accessing the
FAQSMSGS VSAM message file, which is provided on the installation
tape. Messages and help panels can be added to this file through
the batch program FAQSERRM. IBM messages may also be viewed online.
With VSE/ESA 2.1, FAQSMSG is no longer used for online message
explanation retrieval. BIM-FAQS/ASO uses the IBM EXPLAIN facility
for online message explanation viewing.
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Multiple
Console Support
The BIM-FAQS/ASO Online transaction provides
multiple operator console support by enabling terminal operators
to enter VSE operator commands and respond to outstanding partition
replies directly from BIM-FAQS/ASO under control of CICS, ICCF,
VTAM, BTAM, CMS, or a browser. A sign-on password security facility
is supported to restrict the operator reply facility to privileged
users. The level of security that can be defined ranges from full-console
support to restricting an operator to viewing specific partitions
or replying to limited console replies.
The BIM-FAQS/ASO Online transaction performs an automatic redisplay
of the current console at a predefined timer interval so that the
BIM-FAQS/ASO terminal appears as an alternate system console to
the user. From BIM-FAQS/ASO, you can:
• Cancel jobs
• Issue POWER requests
• Respond to outstanding messages
• Enter operator commands
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Terminal
Support
BIM-FAQS/ASO supports 3270-type architecture terminals. Extended
color and extended attribute terminals are supported and can be
tailored for each user. The Reverse, Blink, and Underscore attributes
are supported.
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Browser
(CGI) Support
BIM-FAQS/ASO supports an interface from the browser on your PC,
provided you
have access to your VSE systems via a TCP/IP stack.
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Conversion Info:
BIM-FAQS/ASO Replaces:
CA-FAQS Automated Systems Operation for VSE
Macro4 MULTILOG
ASG-Zack
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