CONSOLE statement

The CONSOLE statement lets you define each console by device number on the CONSOLE statement.

Within a sysplex, different MCS consoles on different systems might have the same device number. Each console must be defined by a unique name that identifies it to the sysplex. The console name you define on the CONSOLE statement is used to identify a given console in system commands (MGCRE), write-to-operator (WTO), write-to-operator-with-reply (WTOR), and installation exits.

All consoles, except for the system console, require a console name to be specified. If no name is specified, the console definition is rejected. For the system console, if a name is not specified, a name is generated by the system.

A console that is defined to more than one system can be active on only one system in the sysplex at a time. If different attributes for the same console are defined in separate CONSOLxx members on different systems:

In shared mode, the console attributes defined in the first active system in the sysplex take effect.
In distributed mode, the same console can have different attributes on different systems.

Besides defining the console by device number, you can also specify initial values for the console's attributes with the CONSOLE statement.

You must have a CONSOLE statement for each device that you want to use as a console. Use the Add Device panel in hardware configuration definition (HCD) to specify the device number and the unit type for MCS consoles only. SMCS consoles require the terminals to be defined for use via z/OS® Communications Server. For more information about defining devices for use by z/OS Communications Server, see z/OS Communications Server: SNA Resource Definition Reference. The entries on the panel must match the CONSOLE statement. A CONSOLxx member can include multiple CONSOLE statements; one for each console in the configuration. For more information about the Add Device Panel for HCD, see z/OS HCD User's Guide.

A system command (SETCON DELETE,CN=) and a sample service (IEARELCN) allow you to remove the definition of an MCS, SMCS, HMCS, or subsystem console from a system or sysplex. Before you can delete the definition, the console needs to be inactive.

The IEARELCN service is available as a sample job in the samplib member. For information about the console service, see z/OS MVS Planning: Operations.