Using SYS1.MSGENU to Find Message Text Changes

IBM supplies a data set containing the text of system messages that are translated. This data set, called SYS1.MSGENU, contains the text of system messages in the form of message skeletons. (For more information, see z/OS MVS Planning: Operations.)

Note that this method will not show changes to:

MVS system messages that are not translated, such as IPL and NIP messages (which are issued before the MVS message service is available)
Other product messages that are not translated, such as DFSMS/MVS messages, and JES3 messages.
For JES2 messages, use the appropriate SYS1.SHASMENU data set.

Also, this method works better if the "old" copy of SYS1.SHASMENU has the same level of service as the system from which you are migrating.

You can compare the new data set with the data set on the system from which you are migrating. Depending on how you do the comparison, you can get output like the following.

For new messages, the output might show an I (for Insert) on the left:

I - IEA403I     VALUE OF RMAX HAS BEEN CHANGED TO 99

For messages whose text has changed, the output might show both an I and a D, indicating that a record in the message file has been replaced:

 I - IEE162I 46  &NNN. ROLL &A. MESSAGES (DEL=R OR RD)
 D - IEE162I 46  &NNN. ROLL &A. MESSAGES (DEL=R, RD)

This means that, in message IEE162I, (DEL=R, RD) was replaced by (DEL=R OR RD).

Using this information, you can decide if your automation routines need to be changed.