Aggregating messages returned to the ROUTE command

If an operator routes a command to more than one system, the command responses returned to the originating console can be very confusing if they are simply presented at the console in the order they are received. To help avoid the confusion, MVS™ collects the messages so they can be presented in a more readable format on the console. This is called an “aggregated response”. The messages that are aggregated are sorted in alphabetical order by system name.

If some messages arrive too late to be aggregated, MVS first displays the name(s) of the system(s) from which messages have not arrived in time, then displays the aggregated messages. Any messages that are not aggregated are displayed singly on the console, as they arrive.

By default, MVS waits as long as 30 seconds before displaying aggregated messages. However, MVS doesn't always make the operator wait the maximum time. MVS displays the aggregated messages a short time after receiving at least one response from each system to which the command was routed.

By default, the maximum amount of time that MVS waits for messages before aggregating them is 30 seconds. You can change this maximum wait time as follows:

Specify the ROUTTIME parameter on the INIT statement in CONSOLxx. This affects the entire sysplex.
Change the current ROUTTIME value by entering the CONTROL M command. This affects the entire sysplex.
Request a one-time routing time interval by entering the T= operand on the ROUTE command itself. This affects only the ROUTE command on which it is specified.

See z/OS MVS Initialization and Tuning Reference for more details about CONSOLxx, and z/OS MVS System Commands about the CONTROL and ROUTE command.

Command responses are aggregated if:

The command responses are received within the timeout period.
The command responses are identified with console IDs.
Note: If, when issuing a command response, a command processor does not use the console ID of the command issuer, MVS cannot return an aggregated command response to the ROUTE command issuer.

Command responses received after the timeout period are not aggregated. MVS attempts to send them back to the originator.

Note: If the current ROUTTIME value is 0, or if T=0 is specified on the ROUTE command, no messages are aggregated; they are presented at the originating console as they are received.