Selecting output off of the spool with selector rules

Output Manager uses the following types of rules to select and archive the SYSOUT data sets for reports:

  • Selector rules specify criteria for selecting output off the spool, controlling archive processing, defining what to do with the output on the spool when archive processing ends, and how archive names are generated.
  • Subselector rules supplement selector rules. You can use subselector rules to create subsets of the SYSOUT that is selected based on a selector rule. Each subset can have a different set of attributes, as defined by a subselector rule. Note that any values defined in the selector rule are inherited by the associated subselector rule.

The creation of selector rules is required. However, the creation of subselector rules is optional.

Additionally, you have the option to issue a WTO (Write To Operator) message or highlight text when a Text Processing Language (TPL) rule matches a string in a SYSOUT record captured by a selector rule or subselector rule. To do so, create a new TPL rule and assign it to a selector or subselector rule for a captured SYSOUT. For more information, see Issuing a WTO message or highlighting text when a specified text string is found in a SYSOUT record.

Activating selector rules

The Output Manager policy is the set of selector rules, subselector rules, and report selection rules that are currently defined and saved on your system. After making changes to rules, you must activate the policy in one of the following ways:
  • Type ACTIVATE on the command line of the Selector Rules panel and press Enter to activate the current policy from within the Output Manager interface.
  • Issue the console command F itomstc,POL ACT
  • Ensure that BJT#IN03 has the POLICY ACTIVATE command, and then recycle the Output Manager started task.
  • From the Policy Administration panel (A.PA), type ACT on the command line and * in the Subsystem and Type fields, then press Enter.

Considerations when defining SYSOUT selection rules

Before you begin defining SYSOUT selection rules, consider the following points:

  • You should not use more than 20 selector rules concurrently to select SYSOUT. Instead, use subselector rules to refine the selection process. For more information about subselector rules, see Notes on subselector rules.
  • The order in which subselector rules are listed is important. Each time a SYSOUT is produced by a job, JES first scans the list of selector rules to determine if any match the SYSOUT. If subselector rules are defined for the matching selector rule, Output Manager then scans the list of subselector rules from top to bottom, in the order defined by the administrator. If a matching subselector rule is found, Output Manager uses that subselector rule instead of the selector rule. If multiple subselector rules would match, Output Manager uses the first matching subselector rule. In this manner, a SYSOUT can be associated with only a single selector rule or subselector rule. If no selector or subselector rules match a SYSOUT, the SYSOUT is not captured. For more information on defining subselector rules, see Notes on subselector rules.
  • In each selector rule and subselector rule, you specify an archive name rule for generating archive names for the SYSOUTs that are captured based on that rule. By default, an archive name is the name of the job that produces the SYSOUT. Alternatively, Output Manager can use a writer name that you specify in the JCL for the job, a concatenation of the writer name and the job name, a name generated by TPL rules, or a user-defined value that is returned from the optional user exit BJT@UX01. To define the archive name rule, set the Archive Name Rule Source and Escape Char fields. Based on your settings, Output Manager generates the archive names and displays them in the Archive Name column of the Archived Reports panel. These names are intended to help users identify their archived reports.
    Note: Archive names are different from archive data set names. Output Manager generates archive data set names based on an archive mask that you specify in the set of archive attributes that is linked to a selector rule. The archive data set names must be unique, whereas the archive names may or may not be unique.