SET OBSERVER

Read syntax diagramSkip visual syntax diagram Set OBServer Privilege Class A or CPrivilege Class G
Privilege Class A or C
Read syntax diagramSkip visual syntax diagram 1 targetid OFFRESETuserid*2
Privilege Class G
Read syntax diagramSkip visual syntax diagramtargetidOFFRESETuserid
Notes:
  • 1 If SET OBSERVER is executed with the AT command, the targetid operand is required.
  • 2 If SET OBSERVER is executed with the AT command, the * operand is not allowed.

Authorization

Privilege Class: A, C, G

Purpose

Use SET OBSERVER to change the observer setting for a virtual machine. The observer is a virtual machine that receives the line-mode output produced on another virtual machine's console. If you are a class G user, you can change the observer setting for your own virtual machine. If you are a class A or C user, you can change the observer setting for any virtual machine.

Operands

targetid
is the user ID of the virtual machine whose observer status is to be set or reset. If you are a class A or C user and you do not specify targetid, CP sets or resets the secondary user for your user ID. If you are a class G user, you can stop being the observer for targetid by specifying targetid OFF.
userid
is the user ID of the observer virtual machine.
RESET
sets the observer for targetid or the command issuer to the user ID specified on the CONSOLE statement in the user's directory entry.
OFF
removes the user from observation.
*
sets the observer to the virtual machine that issues the command.

Usage Notes

  1. If observer support is used with large console messages that are close to the free storage limit of X'1FD' doublewords, it is possible that the message could be truncated at the end in order to add the header at the beginning which indicates the user ID from which the message originated.
  2. A virtual machine cannot have both an observer and a secondary user defined by any combination of the SET OBSERVER and SET SECUSER commands and the CONSOLE directory statement.
  3. If the designated observer is currently unable to function in that capacity (for example, not logged on, or disconnected with no connection to *MSG or *MSGALL), the setting is nevertheless accepted by CP, and the relationship is established when the specified user ID meets the necessary criteria.
  4. In an SSI cluster, the observer and the target (observed) user can be logged on to different member systems.

    If either user is a multiconfiguration virtual machine, the observer will function in that capacity only when it is local (logged on to the same member as the observed user). If the observed user is a multiconfiguration virtual machine, the observer must be logged on to the member where the SET OBSERVER command was issued.

Examples

Example 1:

USERA (a general user) designates USERB (another general user) as its observer by issuing the following command:
set observer userb
USERB can stop observing USERA by issuing the following command:
set observer usera off
If USERC is the observer for USERD, USERD can remove its observer by issuing the following command:
set observer off

Example 2:

USERC (a class A or class C user) issues the following command to assign USERD as the observer for USERB:
set observer userb userd
USERD receives the following message:
HCP6768I Observation of USERB initiated for you by USERC
At the same time, USERB receives one of the following messages:
HCP6768I Your observation by USERD set by USERC
-or-
HCP6769I Your observation terminated by USERC

Example 3:

USERC can remove the observer for USERB by issuing the following command:
set observer userb off
This causes the user ID that was the secondary user (USERD) to receive the message:
HCP6769I Observation of USERB terminated for you by USERC

Example 4:

If the command issuer becomes the observer, the message issued at initiation is:
HCP6768I Observation of target initiated
When the secondary user option is terminated, the message issued is:
HCP6769I Observation of target terminated

Messages

  • HCP002E Invalid operand - operand
  • HCP003E Invalid option - command contains extra option(s) beginning with option
  • HCP007E Invalid userid - userid
  • HCP017E User userid has a SECUSER and cannot be observed
  • HCP026E Operand missing or invalid
  • HCP045E userid not logged on
  • HCP053E userid not in CP directory
  • HCP1149E Error communicating with another SSI member. It cannot be determined if command executed remotely.
  • HCP6768I Observation of target by observer is not functional
  • HCP6768I Observation of target initiated
  • HCP6768I Observation of target initiated for you by userid
  • HCP6768I Your observation by observer set by userid
  • HCP6769I Observation of target terminated
  • HCP6769I Observation of target terminated for you by userid
  • HCP6769I Your observation terminated by userid