Individual systems in a sysplex sometimes fail while the remaining systems continue to function normally. When planning recovery for a sysplex, consider the systems to which consoles are attached. To ensure that your operators receive needed messages during system failures, IBM® recommends that you configure your consoles such that critical console function is available on more than one system.

Such coverage is especially important for controlling applications that run on multiple systems, or that manage a sysplex-wide resource (such as a JES2 checkpoint data set). These applications are more likely to direct important messages to consoles on other systems in the sysplex.