AOI functions

The IMS AOI consists of an exit routine and application program DL/I calls. The exit routine is called the Automated Operator (AO) exit routine. An application program that issues the DL/I calls is called an AO application program. The term AOI refers to the overall function, rather than to either of its two parts.

IMS calls the AO exit routine continually for system messages, commands, and command responses. The AO exit routine can:

• Examine IMS messages, commands, and command responses
• Manipulate IMS messages
• Send messages to an AO application program

By using an AO application program, you can:

• Retrieve messages sent from an AO exit routine
• Issue various IMS operator commands
• Retrieve responses to those commands

You can use the AO exit routine and application program together or independently of each other. For example:

• You could use just an AO exit routine to monitor IMS messages and delete unwanted messages from the master terminal (z/OS® system console in the DBCTL environment).
• You could use just an AO application program to issue a set of IMS commands, perhaps to start programs or databases. When used alone, you start the AO application program just like any other IMS application program.
• You could use both the AO exit routine and AO application program together. The exit routine could, for example, direct a message to the application program. The application program could then do specific processing based on the message it receives from the exit routine. In this case, the AO exit routine starts the application program.

AOI can be used in any IMS environment (DB/DC, DBCTL, or DCCTL). But, depending on the environment, there are some differences in what AOI can do and what you must do to use it.