In CONSOLxx, you can establish the use of an MCS display console. The USE attribute for the console controls whether an operator can send commands as well as receive messages and status. To accept commands and receive messages, your console must be a full-capability console. On the other hand, an output-only console is useful for an operator who only needs to monitor messages or status displays.
How operators delete unwanted messages from the console screen has a direct effect on the work they do. Message traffic, especially large numbers of unsolicited messages or certain kinds of informational messages, can be controlled through MPF message suppression. Important action messages that require a specific operator response can be retained for later viewing by operators if AMRF is active. However, operators need to be able to respond quickly to action messages and remove unnecessary messages from the screen. Setting up screen functions to help operators handle messages efficiently is an important part of console planning.
In CONSOLxx, you can establish whether messages roll or wrap on the console screen, whether action messages are to be isolated from other types of messages, or how operators can manually delete messages by letting them verify deletion requests. You can also specify a hold-mode function for consoles in roll, roll-deletable, or wrap mode so that the operator can “freeze” the screen to view an important message.
You can define out-of-line display areas for an MCS, HMCS or SMCS console. An out-of-line display area is a specified part of the screen that can receive status displays separate from the other messages that appear. Output from certain commands like CONFIG, DISPLAY, or DEVSERV can be directed to these specific console areas on the screen for operators to view.
You can control the message format so that certain information can appear or be suppressed. Examples: you can control whether the jobname or system name should accompany a message, and whether status displays contain or suppress information about certain events like job starts or stops, when a data set is freed, or information about TSO/E users.
Finally, you can define PFKs or control the multiple entry of commands for MCS, HMCS or SMCS consoles. Establishing PFKs for your MCS, HMCS or SMCS consoles allows you to control command functions for operators so that they can enter frequent commands quickly and easily from their consoles. You can also define a command delimiter for MCS, HMCS or SMCS consoles so that operators can enter multiple commands on the command line.