QINACTITV System Value and Telnet Explained

Resolving The Problem

The QINACTITV system value can be used as an inactivity timer for Telnet interactive jobs starting at R410. What follows is an explanation by release of how this works.

R310, R320, R360

At these releases, the QINACTITV system value does not affect inactive Telnet interactive jobs. A user with an OS/400 system at one of these releases should use the Telnet attributes Inactivity time-out (INACTTIMO) to control when inactive Telnet interactive job should be ended.

R370

QINACTIV can now be used at R370. See APAR SA76658. To link to SA76658 immediately, click here .

R410

At release R410 with the latest PTF to APAR SA72058 applied (currently PTF SF47388), the QINACTITV system value could affect when an inactive Telnet interactive job is ended. If the QINACTITV system value is set to a smaller value than the Inactivity Time-out value of the Telnet attribute, the QINACTITV system value is used to end an inactive Telnet interactive job regardless of the value of the QINACTMSGQ system value.

An R410 Example:

QINACTITV system value = 5 minutes
QINACTMSGQ system value=*DSCJOB
Telnet attribute's Inactivity Time-out = 1800 seconds (30 minutes)
If a Telnet interactive job is inactive for more than 5 minutes, the QINACTITV system value is used to end the job. The job will not be disconnected when the QINACTITV system value timer pops.

R420 and R430

At R420 with the latest PTF to APAR SA69839 applied (currently PTF SF49416), the QINACTITV system value could affect an inactive Telnet interactive job just as it can at R410 with one exception -- if the Telnet interactive job is using a virtual device of a specific name (for example, Telnet device naming) and the QINACTITV system value timer pops before the Telnet attribute's Inactivity Time-out timer and the QINACTMSGQ system value is set to *DSCJOB, the Telnet interactive job will be disconnected. See Information APAR II10918 for more information on Telnet Enhancements including device naming. To link to II10918 immediately, click here .

If the Telnet interactive job is not using the Telnet device naming (for example, the virtual device is named QPADEVxxxx) and the QINACTITV system value timer pops before the Telnet attribute's Inactivity Time-out timer, the Telnet job ends regardless of what QINACTMSGQ system value is set to.

R440 and Higher

At R440, the inactivity timer parameter has been removed from the Telnet attributes. The system value QINACTITV fully controls inactivity timers with QINACTMSGQ determining what action to perform.

Recommendation

Users should be encouraged to use the QINACTITV system value to determine when inactive Telnet jobs are ended. This method is preferred over using the Telnet attribute's Inactivity Time-out because the Telnet attribute's Inactivity Time-out was removed in R440.