IMS commands

These topics provide reference information for each IMS command. The commands are organized alphabetically and include information about the command syntax, command usage, and examples.

/ACTIVATE command
The /ACTIVATE command is used to activate VTAM® nodes or MSC links with a VTAM "VARY NET, ACTIVE" command.
/ALLOCATE command
Use the /ALLOCATE command for delivering asynchronous output when the LU 6.2 device is available. The command can be originated by the remote LU 6.2 device for this purpose.
/ASSIGN command
The /ASSIGN command alters the relationships between various IMS resources and resets certain values specified during IMS system definition.
/BROADCAST command
The /BROADCAST command is a multisegment command used to send a message to terminals in one or more IMS systems.
/CANCEL command
The /CANCEL command cancels all segments of a multisegment input message.
/CHANGE commands
The /CHANGE commands are multisegment commands used to change or delete internal resources within IMS.
/CHECKPOINT command
The /CHECKPOINT command records control and status information about the system log.
/CLSDST command
The /CLSDST command causes IMS to disconnect an ISC TCP/IP or a VTAM terminal.
/COMPT command
The /COMPT command sets a particular terminal component to a ready or not-ready state.
/CQCHKPT command
The /CQCHKPT command initiates a CQS checkpoint for a specific coupling facility list structure or all the coupling facility list structures to which the IMS subsystem is connected.
/CQQUERY command
The /CQQUERY command displays information regarding a specific coupling facility list structure or all the coupling facility list structures holding IMS messages.
/CQSET command
Use a /CQSET SHUTDOWN SHAREDQ ON|OFF command to tell CQS whether to take a structure checkpoint during normal shutdown.
CREATE commands
Use the IMS CREATE commands to create resources and resource descriptors.
/DBDUMP command
Use the /DBDUMP command to prevent transactions or programs from updating DL/I databases. It also can be used to dump all MSDBs to the MSDB dump data set. /DBDUMP does not apply to DEDBs.
/DBRECOVERY command
Use the /DBRECOVERY command to prevent transactions or programs from accessing DL/I databases, DEDBs, or DEDB areas.
/DELETE command
Use the /DELETE command to delete LU 6.2 descriptors.
DELETE commands
Use the IMS DELETE commands to delete Language Environment® (LE) runtime options, resources, and resource descriptors.
/DEQUEUE command
The /DEQUEUE command with any of the following keywords is used to cancel a message that is being processed: LINE, LTERM, LUNAME, MSNAME, NODE, TRAN, or USER.
/DFSTCF LOAD command
You can process a new time-controlled operation (TCO) script without stopping (and restarting) IMS or TCO by sending a message switch to the TCO LTERM, DFSTCF. An operator, a program, or an exit routine can issue the command to load a new script.
/DIAGNOSE commands
Use the /DIAGNOSE SNAP command to retrieve diagnostic information for system resources such as IMS control blocks, user-defined nodes, or user-defined transactions at any time without creating a console dump. Use the /DIAGNOSE SET command to enable or disable diagnostic features such as the logging facility that captures events related to APPC and OTMA synchronous transactions in a shared-queues environment.
/DISPLAY commands
Use the IMS /DISPLAY commands to display the processing status of IMS message queues and processing resources.
/END command
The /END command terminates all special operating modes established through the prior entry of an /EXCLUSIVE, /TEST, or /LOOPTEST command.
/ERESTART command
Use the /ERESTART command, which is a multisegment command, to perform a manual restart of an IMS XRF alternate system and to restart IMS any time the system was not terminated with an orderly /CHECKPOINT shutdown.
/EXCLUSIVE command
Use the /EXCLUSIVE command to put a terminal into exclusive mode. This command, without keywords, is valid from a terminal with a signed on user.
/EXIT command
Use the /EXIT command to end conversations between users and application programs.
EXPORT command
Use the EXPORT command to export runtime resource and descriptor definitions from the online IMS system to a resource definition data set (RDDS) or the IMSRSC repository as stored resource definitions.
/FORMAT command
Use the /FORMAT command to cause a specific format to be displayed on a physical terminal using the IMS Message Format Service (MFS).
/HOLD command
Use the /HOLD command to suspend and save a currently active conversation.
/IDLE command
The /IDLE command is used to immediately terminate input from, or output to, physical terminals assigned to the lines, logical links, or nodes specified in the command.
IMPORT commands
Use the IMS IMPORT commands to import resources and resource descriptors.
INITIATE commands
Use the INITIATE commands to initiate the online change process or online reorganization of the specified HALDB partitions.
/LOCK command
The /LOCK command stops the sending and receiving of messages to and from a terminal, stops the scheduling of messages containing a specific transaction code, stops the scheduling of a specific program, and stops the use of a database.
/LOG command
The /LOG command writes a single-segment message to the IMS system log. Any text can be logged, including transaction codes or command streams.
/LOOPTEST command
The /LOOPTEST command is a multisegment command that creates an output write loop that tests for output errors.
/MODIFY command
The /MODIFY command controls the modification of IMS resources online.
/MONITOR command
The /MONITOR command stops output from being sent to programmable remote stations (System/3). Input and output message queuing are allowed to continue.
/MSASSIGN command
The /MSASSIGN command alters the assignments of the following multisystem resources: LINK, MSPLINK, MSNAME, and SYSID. These assignments include logical link to physical link, remote system identification (SYSID) to logical link, logical link path (MSNAME) to logical link, and transaction to a local or remote system.
/MSVERIFY command
The /MSVERIFY command verifies local transactions and local LTERMs for corresponding remote transactions and remote LTERMs.
/NRESTART command
The /NRESTART command is used to cold start IMS or warm start IMS following an orderly termination accomplished with a /CHECKPOINT shutdown command.
/OPNDST command
The /OPNDST command is a multisegment command that causes IMS to initiate a session with either an ISC TCP/IP or a VTAM terminal.
/PSTOP command
Use the /PSTOP command to stop the sending and receiving of messages to a particular communication line, terminal, or logical link.
/PURGE command
The /PURGE command stops input for a particular communication line, terminal, or logical link path, or stops input messages destined for a particular transaction code.
QUERY commands
Use the IMS QUERY commands to display information about IMS resources.
QUEUE commands
Use the IMS QUEUE commands to queue or dequeue LTERMs and transactions.
/QUIESCE command
The /QUIESCE command initiates the shutdown and deallocates the user for the specified ISC node.
/RCLSDST command
The /RCLSDST (remote close destination) command causes IMS to disconnect the VTAM terminal from which the command is entered.
/RCOMPT command
The /RCOMPT command sets a particular VTAM terminal component to a ready/not ready state.
/RDISPLAY command
The /RDISPLAY command refers to the terminal assigned as the master terminal and displays either the logical terminal name and the line and physical terminal numbers, or the logical terminal name and the VTAM NODE name.
/RECOVER commands
The /RECOVER commands are used with the recovery list of database data sets and areas.
REFRESH USEREXIT command
Use the type-2 REFRESH USEREXIT command to refresh the user exit modules that are defined in the USER_EXITS section of the DFSDFxxx member. When the command is processed, IMS rereads the DFSDFxxx member and processes the USER_EXITS section.
/RELEASE command
The /RELEASE command resumes a conversation that was previously saved by means of the /HOLD command.
/RESET command
The /RESET command eliminates the preset mode established by the /SET command.
/RMxxxxxx commands
The /RMxxxxxx commands are multisegment commands that call functions of IMS Database Recovery Control (DBRC). Each /RMxxxxxx command is an online version of the corresponding batch DBRC command.
/RSTART command
The /RSTART command starts lines, lines and physical terminals, logical links, nodes, and users when you do not want to reset all associated conditions such as a conversation or special operating mode.
/SECURE command
The /SECURE command is used to control the RACF® security level. It is used for administrative control of the IMS environment and as an emergency operations control command to throttle RACF activity without requiring an IMS shutdown.
/SET command
The /SET command establishes the destination of all messages entered into this terminal to another terminal or to a particular transaction code.
/SIGN command
The /SIGN command is used to sign on and sign off at terminals attached to IMS.
/SMCOPY command
The /SMCOPY command is used by the master terminal operator to control the printing of certain output to the secondary master terminal.
/SSR command
The /SSR command is a multisegment command that allows the IMS operator to enter an external subsystem command as part of the command input. (The external system is not a CCTL subsystem.)
/START commands
The /START commands make IMS resources available for reference and use.
/STOP commands
The /STOP commands stop the sending, receiving, or queuing of output messages to a particular communication line, terminal, user, or logical path.
/SWITCH command
Use the /SWITCH command to switch active data sets or to change between the active and alternate systems. Certain combinations of keywords are valid only in the active or alternate systems, as shown in the format in the syntax diagram.
TERMINATE commands
Use the TERMINATE commands to terminate a global online change or to stop one or more HALDB OLRs that are in progress.
/TEST command
Use the /TEST command to place a terminal or a user into either test mode or MFSTEST mode.
/TRACE commands
Use the /TRACE commands to direct and to control the IMS capabilities for tracing internal IMS events. They also start, stop, and define the activity to be monitored by the IMS Monitor.
/UNLOCK commands
/UNLOCK commands release resources that, in most cases, have been previously locked by the /LOCK command.
UPDATE commands
Use the IMS UPDATE commands to update IMS resources or resource descriptors.
/VUNLOAD command
The /VUNLOAD AREA command removes the specified areas from the z/OS® data space or coupling facility.

Parent topic: IMS commands