Suppressing messages

For a multisystem environment like a JES3 complex or a sysplex, the large volume of messages produced by various systems makes message suppression an important part of your operations planning. But even for a single system, IBM® recommends that you suppress informational messages that the operator does not need to see to manage the system.

Suppressed messages do not appear on any console; however, they do appear on the hardcopy log. If you use MPF to suppress messages, the hardcopy log must be active.

Message suppression is also important when you plan automation for an installation. The goal of automated operations is to streamline message flow and simplify operator actions at a console. Suppressing messages operators do not need to see is a good way to start your MVS™ automation planning. In a sysplex environment, NetView® can make use of extended MCS consoles to help manage message automation for any system in the sysplex. For more information about automated operations, see NetView Automation: Planning.

Note that if you specify a message for automation and suppression using MPF, you can still deliver the message to an extended MCS console for processing. When you activate the extended MCS console with the automation attribute, you allow the console to receive automated messages whether MPF indicates that the message is suppressed or not.

Through the MPFLSTxx parmlib member, you can specify which messages the system is to suppress. Using the msgid parameter with the SUP option, you can select certain messages for suppression, or specify suppression for all messages. For further information about MPFLSTxx and examples of the kinds of messages your installation might decide to suppress, see z/OS MVS Initialization and Tuning Reference.

Using MPFLSTxx, you can select messages to suppress from display. To select messages for suppression using MPFLSTxx, you can use the following MPFLST parameter and its option:

msgid: Specifies the ID or list of IDs for messages that you want to suppress

The option you can specify for the msgid is as follows:

SUP: Specifies whether you want to suppress the message(s) identified by msgid for display; SUP(YES) is the default. SUP(YES) will not suppress the message if it is a command response. SUP(NO) indicates that you do not want to suppress the message(s) for display. You can use SUP(ALL) to suppress messages that are command responses.

z/OS MVS Initialization and Tuning Reference gives examples of the kinds of messages your installation might decide to suppress.