OBEYFILE Command

Purpose

Use the OBEYFILE command to redefine your TCP/IP configuration without interrupting it. These changes are temporary and may be altered if another OBEYFILE command is issued or when TCP/IP is restarted.

The OBEYFILE command is issued from CMS. It instructs TCP/IP to read a new configuration information file (the obey file) while it is running. In order to issue this command, your user ID must be included in the OBEY list in the configuration file. When an unauthorized user issues an OBEYFILE command, audit messages are written to the TCPIP virtual machine console.

Some statements are ignored during OBEYFILE processing and others have limitations. These restrictions are summarized in the Usage Notes section below.

Operands

filename
filetype
filemode: The name of a CMS file that contains TCP/IP configuration statements. The file type defaults to TCPIP and the file mode defaults to A.
password: The CP minidisk read password. If the password is ALL or if the minidisk is protected by an external security manager such as RACF®, then omit the password.
TCP server: The user identifier of the TCP/IP virtual machine whose configuration you want to change. If this option is not used, OBEYFILE addresses the TCP/IP machine identified in the TCPIP DATA file.

Examples

In this example, file TRACE TCPIP A contains configuration statements to activate ping tracing and direct trace output to file TCPIP LOGFILE L. The user minidisk containing file TRACE TCPIP is accessed as file mode A and is protected by RACF. The TCPIP virtual machine has been given READ access to this minidisk.
```
FILE TCPIP LOGFILE L
TRACE  PING
```
The trace is enabled by the command:
```
obeyfile trace
```
Enable the trace for the TCPTEST virtual machine using the command:
```
obeyfile trace (tcp tcptest
```
In this example, NOTRACE TCPIP B contains statements to turn off all tracing, close the current trace file, and route any future trace output to the console. The CP read password for the minidisk accessed as B is readpw.
```
NOTRACE
SCREEN
```
The trace is disabled by the command:
```
obeyfile notrace tcpip b (readpw
```

Usage Notes

The obey file must reside on a minidisk. The OBEYFILE command does not support the CMS Shared File System (SFS).
All files on the minidisk where the designated obey file resides are closed when that file is processed by the OBEYFILE command.
TCP/IP ignores the CONNECTEXIT, PORT, TN3270EEXIT, and TRANSFORM parameters on any INTERNALCLIENTPARMS statement included in the obey file.
TCP/IP ignores any MONITORRECORDS statements included in the obey file.
You cannot add new DEVICE and LINK statements for Offload devices using OBEYFILE, nor can you modify or delete any existing DEVICE or LINK statement.
When you add or change a configuration statement using OBEYFILE, be aware that the existing statement is replaced. Therefore, the obey file must include the entire statement, not just the new or changed portions.
For example, when you add new LINK statements, all the entries are deleted from the GATEWAY, HOME, and TRANSLATE statements. Be sure to include the complete entries for the GATEWAY, HOME, and TRANSLATE statements when adding new LINK statements in the obey file.

The following statements cause an error and should not be included in an obey file:

ACBPOOLSIZE
ADDRESSTRANSLATIONPOOLSIZE
CCBPOOLSIZE
DATABUFFERPOOLSIZE
ENVELOPEPOOLSIZE
FIXEDPAGESTORAGEPOOL
FOREIGNIPPOOLSIZE
IPROUTEPOOLSIZE
LARGEENVELOPEPOOLSIZE

NCBPOOLSIZE
RCBPOOLSIZE
SCBPOOLSIZE
SKCBPOOLSIZE
SMALLDATABUFFERPOOLSIZE
TCBPOOLSIZE
TINYDATBUFFERPOOLSIZE
UCBPOOLSIZE

A successful OBEYFILE command is confirmed by the message:
```
StackID has read and obeyed file filename filetype
```
When there is a problem with OBEYFILE, file StackID TCPERROR is returned containing a description of the error and an error message is displayed:
```
StackID says: Configuration error. Details are in StackID TCPERROR.
```
Some functions of OBEYFILE may be accomplished using the OBEY function of the NETSTAT command. Refer to the z/VM: TCP/IP User's Guide for information about this command.
If you add new DEVICE and LINK statements using OBEYFILE, the SMTP server must be recycled in order to recognize them.

Return Codes

Return Code: Description
0: The command completed successfully.
4: The OBEYFILE command was successful; however, the stack found problems with the input file. Details are the file StackID TCPERROR.
8: The stack could not read the input file.
12: The command contains a syntax error in the input file.
16: The TCP/IP stack is not available for use.
20: A fatal error has occurred while processing the OBEYFILE command.
24: The user is not authorized to issue the command.