CONSOLE statement

You use the CONSOLE statement to define a device as a console. You define each console device with one CONSOLE statement. CONSOLE also lets you specify console attributes that control the following for an MCS, HMCS or SMCS console:

Console security by assigning command authority levels
Certain console screen functions (console mode, methods for deleting messages from the screen, ways to control display areas on the screen, and how to set up the PFKs for the console)
Message routing and message formatting
Console operation in a sysplex

Table 1 summarizes the console functions that you control using the CONSOLE statement. It includes the CONSOLE keyword and the MVS™ command to change the keyword value. If an MVS command cannot be used, the table indicates that you must re-IPL to change the value. The table also includes a topic reference for a description of each keyword.

Table 1. Summary of CONSOLE statement functions
Task	CONSOLE statement keyword	MVS command to change value	See topic
Defining a device as a console:
Device number or SYSCONS, SUBSYSTEM, or SMCS	DEVNUM	Must re-IPL	Defining devices as MCS, HMCS or SMCS consoles
Console name	NAME	Must re-IPL	Defining devices as MCS, HMCS or SMCS consoles
Kind of device	UNIT	Must re-IPL	Defining devices as MCS, HMCS or SMCS consoles
The VTAM® logical unit (LU) name (SMCS console only)	LU	VARY CN,LU	Defining SMCS consoles
Planning console security:
Command authority level for the console	AUTH	VARY CN,AUTH	Planning console security
Override LOGON value on default statement	LOGON	VARY CN,LOGON	Using RACF to control command authority and operator logon
Controlling the console screen function:
Input/output capability or console mode	USE	CONTROL V,USE	Defining the USE attribute
Message deletion mode of the console	DEL	CONTROL S,DEL	Specifying automatic message deletion for MCS, HMCS or SMCS consoles
Number of message lines that roll on the console screen	RNUM	CONTROL S,RNUM	Controlling the rolling rate
Number of seconds between message rolls or wraps	RTME	CONTROL S,RTME	Controlling the rolling rate
Conversational/ nonconversational message deletion	CON	CONTROL S,CON	Manual deletion of messages
Number of lines to be deleted from the console screen using CONTROL E,SEG	SEG	CONTROL S,SEG	Using SEG to delete groups of messages from the screen
Defining status display areas of the console screen	AREA	CONTROL A	Setting up out-of-line display areas on a console
Monitoring selected events	MONITOR	MONITOR	Displaying jobname, data set status, and TSO/E information
Defining a PFK table for the console	PFKTAB	CONTROL N,PFK	Defining PFKs and other command controls for consoles
Controlling message routing and message formatting:
Routing codes for the console	ROUTCODE	VARY CN,ROUT VARY CN,AROUT VARY CN,DROUT	Defining routing codes
Message levels for the console	LEVEL	CONTROL V,LEVEL	Defining message levels for a console
Message formats for console display	MFORM	CONTROL S,MFORM	Controlling the format of messages and status information on console screens
Receive messages directed to console id zero.	INTIDS	VARY CN,INTIDS	Receiving messages that are directed to console ID zero
Receive messages directed to unknown console ids.	UNKNIDS	VARY CN,UNKNIDS	Receiving messages that are directed to unknown console IDs
Controlling console operation in a sysplex:
System scope for messages that the console receives	MSCOPE	VARY CN,MSCOPE VARY CN,AMSCOPE VARY CN,DMSCOPE	Directing messages from other systems to a console in a sysplex
System association for commands entered	CMDSYS	CONTROL V,CMDSYS	Using CMDSYS on the CONSOLE statement
Specifying the system where you want the console to be active	SYSTEM	VARY CN,SYSTEM	Attaching consoles to particular systems in a sysplex
Note: The VARY command only changes the attributes of active consoles. Attempts to change attributes for inactive consoles are rejected. Two exceptions are the LU and LOGON attributes for SMCS consoles (not MCS). These can be changed for inactive consoles. When a console is deactivated and system is in console services distributed mode, and then the console is reactivated, the console attributes used are what was specified in CONSOLxx when the system was IPLed, not the attributes that the console had when it was deactivated.