Control how SDSF handles extended consoles

Description: As of z/OS V2R1, the behavior for obtaining an extended console (used for issuing system commands) has changed. Before z/OS V2R1, when SDSF attempted to obtain an extended console and the default extended console name was already in use, SDSF shared that console. For example, if you used ISPF split screen and accessed SDSF in multiple logical screens, SDSF shared the console activated in the first logical screen with subsequent logical screens. As a result, the user log in the first logical screen contained system messages for all of the logical screens.

With V2R1, when SDSF attempts to activate an extended console and the default console name is in use, SDSF activates a new console with a different name. The new name is derived by appending a single-character suffix to the default name. SDSF tries up to 32 different characters to create a unique console name.

Note: This new behavior also applies to the extended console name that is assigned by the SET CONSOLE command. However, the extended console name that has the maximum length of 8 characters is not modified.

If you want SDSF to share the extended console, rather than obtaining a new console with a name derived by modifying the default console name, you can disable console name modification. You can also define which characters should be used for the suffix that modifies the default console name.

Element or feature: SDSF.

When change was introduced: z/OS V2R1.

Applies to migration from: z/OS V1R13 and z/OS V1R12.

Timing: After the first IPL of z/OS V2R1.

Is the migration action required? Yes, if you want SDSF to share the extended console, as in previous releases.

Target system hardware requirements: None.

Target system software requirements: None.

Other system (coexistence or fallback) requirements:

The new custom properties will be ignored in the down-level systems when the toleration APAR PM78102 is applied. Message ISF862I is issued for each non-supported property:

KEYWORD keyword VALUE 
value IGNORED, NOT SUPPORTED 
 IN THIS RELEASE.

Restrictions: None.

System impacts: None.

Related IBM Health Checker for z/OS check: None.

Steps to take: To disable console name modification, so that, as in previous releases, SDSF shares the extended console when the default name is already in use, you can use:

The SET CONMOD (OFF) command
The custom property Console.EMCS.NoConMod in ISFPARMS with VALUE(TRUE)
In a REXX exec, the ISFCONMOD special variable
In a Java program, ISFRequestSettings.

Note: When the SDSF Server is started with the PROPERTY NAME(Console.EMCS.NoConMod),VALUE(TRUE) statement in the ISFPRMxx parmlib member, the SET CONMOD ON command will fail with message OPTION LOCALLY DISABLED.

To specify which characters can be used as a suffix to modify the default extended console name, use custom property Console.EMCS.ConModChars in ISFPRMxx parmlib member. By default, the characters are $#@12345.

Reference information: For details about setting custom properties in ISFPARMS, see the discussion of the PROPLIST nad PROPERTY statements in z/OS SDSF Operation and Customization.