MVSVAR


>>-MVSVAR(arg_name)--------------------------------------------><

MVSVAR returns information about MVS™, TSO/E, and the current session, such as the symbolic name of the MVS system, or the security label of the TSO/E session.

The MVSVAR function is available in any MVS address space.

The information returned depends on the arg_name value specified on the function call. The following items of information are available for retrieval:

SYSAPPCLU: the APPC/MVS logical unit (LU) name
SYSDFP: the level of DFSMSdfp, a basic element of the operating system
SYSMVS: the level of the base control program (BCP) component of z/OS
SYSNAME: the name of the system your REXX exec is running on, as specified in the SYSNAME statement in SYS1.PARMLIB member IEASYSxx
SYSOPSYS: the z/OS name, version, release, modification level, and FMID
SYSSECLAB: the security label (SECLABEL) name of the TSO/E session
SYSSMFID: identification of the system on which System Management Facilities (SMF) is active
SYSSMS: indicator whether SMS (storage management subsystem) is running on the system
SYSCLONE: MVS system symbol representing its system name
SYSPLEX: the MVS sysplex name as found in the COUPLExx or LOADxx member of SYS1.PARMLIB
SYMDEF: symbolic variables of your MVS system

Note: For information about other system variables see SYSVAR.

These items of information will now be described one by one.

SYSAPPCLU

the APPC/MVS logical unit (LU) name. The LU name identifies the TSO/E address space, where your REXX exec is running, as the SNA addressable unit for Advanced Program-to-Program Communications (APPC). The LU name is obtained by using the APPC/MVS Advanced TP Callable Services (ATBEXAI - Information Extract Service).

The LU name is returned as a character string. Trailing blanks are truncated. A null string is returned if:

There is no APPC activity in the address space where the REXX exec is running
No LU name is provided by the APPC/MVS Advanced TP Callable Services

SYSDFP

the level of DFSMSdfp installed on your system.The value returned is in the format cc.vv.rr.mm, where cc is a code, vv the version, rr the release number, and mm the modification level. All values are two-digit decimal numbers.

The cc code has one of these meanings:

00: MVS/XA DFP Version 2 or MVS/DFP Version 3 running with MVS/SP on MVS/XA or MVS/ESA.
01: DFSMSdfp in DFSMS/MVS running with MVS/SP on MVS/ESA or OS/390®.
02: DFSMSdfp in OS/390 Version 2 Release 10, or in z/OS® Version 1 Release 1 or z/OS Version 1 Release 2. All three releases returned "02.02.10.00".
03: DFSMSdfp in z/OS Version 1 Release 3 or later.

Larger values for the cc code represent later products.

SYSMVS

the level of the base control program (BCP) component of z/OS.

The value returned is that of the CVTPRODN field in the communications vector table (CVT), for example SP7.0.1. Trailing blanks are removed.

The format of the value returned by SYSMVS may change in future, but will remain the content of the CVTPRODN field.

OS/390 Users: To provide customers with the least disruptive change when changing from MVS/ESA SP 5.x to OS/390, the format of the CVTPRODN field is maintained and contains SP5.3.0 for OS/390 Release 1. This is because some products test byte 3 to see if it is "5", which indicates that certain functions are available.

SYSNAME

the name of the system your REXX exec is running on, as specified in the SYSNAME statement in SYS1.PARMLIB member IEASYSxx.

The system name can be used in various ways:

In a multi-system global resource serialization complex, the name identifies each system in the complex.
The system also uses this value to uniquely identify the originating system in messages in the multiple console support (MCS) hardcopy log and in the display created by the DISPLAY R command.
The value of SYSNAME is used as the name of the system log (SYSLOG).

SYSOPSYS

the z/OS name, version, release, modification level, and FMID. For example,

/* REXX */
mvsstring = MVSVAR('SYSOPSYS')
say mvsstring
exit 0

may return a string of z/OS 01.01.00 JBB7713, where z/OS represents the product name, followed by a blank character, followed by an eight-character string representing version, release, modification number, followed by a blank character, followed by the FMID.

SYSOPSYS was introduced after TSO/E Version 2 Release 5 with APAR OW17844. If you use this variable in a environment earlier than TSO/E 2.5, or without the PTF associated with APAR OW17844, the system returns a null string.

SYSOSSEQ

This variable returns the value from the ECVTPSEQ field of the ECVT, which has the format nn vv rr mm (where nn = x'00' for OS/390, x'01' for z/OS). This value is referred to as the product sequence number. It can be used to determine if the operating system is at a suitable level for a desired function. Its value always increases from one release level to the next regardless of the character release identifier assigned to that release.

In the returned value, each 2 digit part of the ECVTPSEQ value is separated from the next by a period. For example, '01.01.13.00' is returned for z/OS V1R13.

SYSSECLAB

the security label (SECLABEL) name of the TSO/E session where the REXX exec was started. Trailing blanks are removed.

Note: The use of this argument requires that RACF® is installed, and that security label checking has been activated. If no security information is found, the function returns a null string.

SYSSMFID

identification of the system on which System Management Facilities (SMF) is active. The value returned is as specified in SYS1.PARMLIB member SMFPRMxx on the SID statement. Trailing blanks are removed.

Note that the value returned by arguments SYSSMFID and SYSNAME can be the same in your installation. See z/OS MVS Initialization and Tuning Reference for more details on the SYSNAME and SID statement in member SMFPRMxx.

SYSSMS

indicator whether SMS (storage management subsystem) is running on the system. The function returns one of the following character strings:

UNAVAILABLE: Obsolete and should no longer occur. System logic error. Contact your IBM® service representative.
INACTIVE: SMS is available on your system but not active.
ACTIVE: SMS is available and active, so your REXX exec can depend on it.

The following three arguments are in support of a SYSPLEX configuration. They return information about the SYSPLEX as stored in various members of SYS1.PARMLIB. The returned values can be used, for example, to uniquely identify or build datasets or other resources belonging to a specific system within the SYSPLEX.

SYSCLONE

MVS system symbol representing its system name. It is a 1- to 2-byte shorthand notation for the system name. The value is obtained from SYS1.PARMLIB member IEASYMxx¹. For example, if SYSCLONE(A1) is specified in IEASYMxx, then

MVSVAR('SYSCLONE')

returns a value of A1. A null string is returned if no MVS SYSCLONE ID is specified in IEASYMxx.

SYSPLEX

the MVS sysplex name as found in the COUPLExx or LOADxx member of SYS1.PARMLIB. The returned value has a maximum of eight characters. Trailing blanks are removed. If no sysplex name is specified in SYS1.PARMLIB, the function returns a null string.

SYMDEF,symbolic-name

returns the value associated with the symbolic-name defined in an IEASYSxx member of SYS1.PARMLIB on a SYSDEF ... SYMDEF statement.

Or, symbolic-name can also be one of the system static or dynamic symbols as defined in z/OS MVS Initialization and Tuning Reference. For example, if SYMDEF(&SYSTEMA = 'SA') is specified in IEASYMxx, then

     X = MVSVAR('SYMDEF','SYSTEMA')

returns a value of SA. A null string is returned if the symbolic-name is not specified in IEASYMxx and is not one of the standard static or dynamic symbols defined by MVS.

You can also retrieve the value for one of the MVS defined static or dynamic systems symbols. For example:

     X = MVSVAR('SYMDEF','JOBNAME')  /*Returns JOBNAME
                                     BOB perhaps */

Refer to z/OS MVS Initialization and Tuning Reference for a discussion and list of the currently defined MVS static and dynamic symbols.

For example, you can retrieve the IPL Volume Serial Name of your system using

     SAY MVSVAR('SYMDEF','SYMR1')   /*may return 640S06
                                      as IPL Vol. Ser. Name */

The MVSVAR('SYMDEF',string) function goes through REXX substitution for string first, the result of which must be a 1-8 character symbolic-name specifying the symbol that has been defined in the SYMDEF statement. Any other values including REXX delimiters may cause unpredictable results.

Examples:

This example shows how to retrieve the current operating system level.
```
opersys = MVSVAR('SYSOPSYS')
```

This example shows how to retrieve information about a SYSPLEX configuration.

Assume your installation has defined, in member SYS1.PARMLIB(IEASYM11), certain variables that are applicable on a system wide basis. Assume further that one of them starts with the string BOOK and is concatenated by the sysclone ID, for example

SYMDEF(&BOOKA1='DIXI')

You can obtain the value of this variable as follows.

tempvar = 'BOOK'||MVSVAR('SYSCLONE') /* the result could be BOOKA1    */
                                     /* where A1 is obtained as the   */
                                     /* result of MVSVAR('SYSCLONE')  */

instvar = MVSVAR('SYMDEF',tempvar)   /* the result could be DIXI if   */
                               /*    in IEASYM11 the statement        */
                               /*    SYMDEF(&DATASA1='DIXI') had been */
                               /*included by the system administrator */

Checking for Prerequisite Program Level

Several of the MVSVAR arguments require a minimum prerequisite program level.

Running on a downlevel release causes a syntax error accompanied by an error message. If you do not have SYNTAX trap enabled, the REXX exec ends. You may avoid termination of the REXX exec by testing for the proper program level as shown in the following examples.

Example 1: Testing for Proper MVS Level:

/*REXX*/
IF MVSVAR('SYSMVS') >= 'SP5.2.0' THEN
SAY MVSVAR('SYSCLONE')       /* yes, we can use the SYSCLONE argument */
EXIT 0

Example 2: Testing for Proper DFP Level:

/*REXX*/
IF MVSVAR('SYSDFP') >= '00.03.03.00' THEN
SAY MVSVAR('SYSSMS')         /* yes, we can use the SYSSMS argument   */
EXIT 0