Planning your exception messages

Your check will issue exception messages when a check detects a deviation from a suggested setting. See Understanding exception messages for how an exception message looks to users.

• The message text of an exception message is a WTO and should be designed to alert an installation to a condition that requires the attention of a system programmer. The audience for this exception WTO is the operator, so it should simply include enough information to identify the system resource that requires attention. For example, the following exception message text explains just enough to let operators know what kind of a problem the check has uncovered and who they might need to contact:

  IRRH204E The RACF_SENSITIVE_RESOURCES check has found one or            
  more potential errors in the security controls on this system.  

  Both for quick identification and to facilitate automation, IBM® Health Checker for z/OS® precedes the message text WTO with a HZS000xx message that displays the check name and exception severity.
• The message details for an exception message, with its multiple categories such as explanation, operator response, and system programmer response, is issued to the message buffer. The explanation should provide details about what the check was looking for, the exception condition it found, and the impact that the condition might have on the system. The audience for the explanation is the system programmer, who will appreciate very specific input on how to correct the problem in the system programmer response. For example, your exception system programmer response might include correct command syntax. You might also include a pointer to documentation about a suggested solution, although ideally you can outline a complete solution right in the system programmer response in the check's message buffer.

  See Message Table for the categories you'll need to include in your exception message details.

See Exception message example.