Customizing the CONSOLE and CONSPROF commands

The CONSOLE command allows authorized users to establish an extended MCS console session with MVS™ console services. When the session is active, users can enter MVS system and subsystem commands and obtain responses to those commands (solicited messages), as well as unsolicited messages.

The CONSPROF command allows authorized users to establish a profile to be used to tailor system message processing during an extended MCS console session. The console profile contains settings for controlling:

The display of solicited messages (command responses) at the terminal
The display of unsolicited messages at the terminal
The size of the tables used to store messages that users do not want displayed

Note: Extended MCS console support is provided in line-mode only.

Before users at your installation can use the CONSPROF command, you must add CONSPROF to the table of authorized commands. Specifying authorized commands/programs, and commands not supported in the background describes how to maintain and update the table.

Individual users must be granted CONSOLE command authority to use the CONSOLE and CONSPROF commands. You can control access to these commands using one of the following methods:

Use the RACF® RDEFINE command to define CONSOLE as a RACF resource belonging to the TSOAUTH RACF class. You can then give selected users access to the CONSOLE resource using the RACF PERMIT command. Users must be defined in a TSO/E segment of the RACF data base.
Use the logon pre-prompt exit routine, IKJEFLD or IKJEFLD1, to grant or deny CONSOLE command authority. For more information on IKJEFLD and IKJEFLD1, see Customizing the logon and logoff process.
Use the CONSOLE exit routine IKJCNXAC and CONSPROF exit routine IKJCNXCI.
Note: These exits only change CONSOLE command authority on a temporary basis. If you use this method, it is suggested that you use both IKJCNXAC and IKJCNXCI to grant or deny CONSOLE command authority.

In addition to controlling access to the CONSOLE and CONSPROF commands, you can customize the use and processing of these commands by:

Defining installation defaults for the message tables used to store messages that users do not want displayed at the terminal.
Setting up the console profile for a user with the logon pre-prompt exit IKJEFLD1. You can also use the CONSPROF exits to add information to or change a user's console profile. For information about using IKJEFLD1, see Customizing the logon and logoff process. The CONSOLE profile can be found in SYS1.MACLIB, member IKJCNCCB, at label CONSOLE_PROFILE.
Specifying console attributes for each user with CONSOLE command authority. The console attributes control various functions including the types of MVS commands a user can issue during an extended MCS console session, the routing of MVS messages and commands, and the display of MVS message formats. You can use the MVS VARY command to specify the console attributes for a user.
If you have RACF installed, you can optionally define an OPERPARM segment with the console attributes in the user's RACF profile. If an OPERPARM segment has been defined for a user, the user's console attributes are saved from session to session. You can use the RACF ADDUSER and ALTUSER commands to define OPERPARM segments for users.
Note: OPERPARM is ignored when OPERCMDS class is not activated.

If you do not specify console attributes for a user, the system defaults are used. For information about each of the console attributes and their defaults, see .

You may provide console attribute information for a user via the console activation exit (IKJCNXAC) in place of using the OPERPARM segment in the user's RACF profile. See Writing exits for the CONSOLE command for more information.
Writing CONSOLE and CONSPROF exit routines. You can use these exits to:
- Grant or deny a user CONSOLE command authority
- Supply console attributes for a user
- Control the size of the message tables
- Take action if a message table reaches 80% or 100% capacity
- Change the operands a user specifies on the CONSOLE or CONSPROF command
- Customize the console profile message displayed to the user
- Add information to or change a user's console profile
- Release the migration ID

This chapter describes how you can customize the CONSOLE and CONSPROF commands by:

Defining installation defaults in SYS1.PARMLIB member IKJTSOxx
Writing CONSOLE and CONSPROF exits