SA z/OS : How to utilize SA PDB Timer definitions for CHRON Notifications

Answer

CHRON timers indeed do not result in standard messages like DSI208I when the timers execute. Instead one must define them using the CHRON NOTIFY parameter. If maintaining this under the SA PDB (policy database), the timers are defined as outlined below.

Select or define a timer in the SA policy. Scroll down in the timer and 'CHRON parameters' will be visible at the bottom of the SA panel for the timer:

Entry Type : Timers PolicyDB Name :
Entry Name : TIMER_A Enterprise Name :
Timer Id : A_TIMER
Specify one timer definition and optional CHRON parameters.
Time, elapsed time and interval time may be hh:mm:ss, hh:mm or mm.

Day of Week . . . . On (Mon-Sun) at (time).
Every (Mon-Sun) at (time).
Every Weekday at (time).
Every Weekend at (time).
Every Day at (time).
Date. . . . . . . . On (mm/dd/yy) at (time).
Time Only . . . . . At (time).
After (elapsed time).
Every 00:05:00 (interval time)
from to
CHRON parameters. .

If you look up "HELP CHRON" from NetView online help or publications, you will see that the NOTIFY option can be used for CHRON timers to enable notifications for timer changes, deletions, or execution.
Hence, to use the NOTIFY parameter in a SA defined timer, one codes it on the CHRON line, such as:
CHRON parameters. . NOTIFY=(IGNORE=(x),PURGE=(x),RUN=(x),REMOVE=(x))

The 'x' here can be one or more operator names, or one or more operator Groups that you may have been defined.

After the change is saved in the PDB, perform a SA PDB BUILD and INGAMS REFRESH, then there will be appropriate BNH549I messages whenever any actions take place relating to those timers. Note that all 4 options for NOTIFY are shown, but of course one can use any number of them, and the user does not have to use all of them if not desired locally. "RUN" of course is the NOTIFY option that will result in a message logged when timer expiration/execution takes place.

For instance, this is what you would see when the timer 'pops', the BNH549I is the evidence that the command executed via the timer:

BNH549I CHRON NOTIFY= RUN BY= AUTnnnn ID= timer_id ROUTE=AUTnnnn,COMMAND=...

Using this model, customers can have a success awareness and audit trail of timers defined in the SA z/OS PDB policy database.