Knowledge Base > Automation Engine and Target Systems > z/OS > Event Monitor

Event Monitor

AE handles events in the form of objects which include several tabs. z/OS agent events of type "Console" facilitate the monitoring of Console outputs. The event is immediately triggered if all conditions specified in the Console tab are met.

This requires the Event Monitor UCXEM25 to be installed and started. Type "FileSystem" checks via SMF whether the condition is met and, if so, the event is immediately triggered.

Event Monitor as Independent Task (Started Task)

The Event Monitor can also be operated in the form of a started task. In this case, an extra INI file is required and the parameter start= in the agent's INI file must be commented. Start the Event Monitor as a started task and it tries to establish a TCP/IP connection to the agent. The Event Monitor only connects to the Console of its own LPAR. It loads the SMF Exit to use the SMF-based functions. If it is not possible to establish a connection to the agent, or if the connection is lost during operation, an attempt to reestablish the connection is made in the specified interval (parameter connect= in the section TCP/IP in the INI file).

The Console command "MODIFY ..., EX=<addr>,:<port> facilitates that a reconnection can quickly be established. In this case, the attempt to reconnect to the specified agent is made immediately. A connection is also established if the Event Monitor has an existing connection to another agent. A new connection is established in this case. The old connection is ended if the new connection is successfully established.

The Event Monitor supports logging and trace functions. If the trace buttons are dynamically modified at runtime, these modifications are sent to the Event Monitor. The Event Monitor's logging is not written to the AE databaseA database is an organized collection of data including relevant data structures..

Each Event Monitor requires two files:

VSAM file

This file serves as event memory; the filtered events are stored. Only after the Server has acknowledged that the event has been processed does the Event Monitor delete it from this file. This ensures that the Event Monitor does not lose events and that they are kept even if the Event Monitor had been ended and restarted.

Sequential file

This file contains filter definitions - the Event Monitor memorizes the filter which it has received from the Server. The whole file is rewritten if something is changed in the filter definitions. If the Event Monitor is restarted, it uses these filters (even without the agent). The Event Monitor can obtain additional filters or existing ones can be deactivated as soon as the connection to the agent has been established.

The Event Monitor can be ended via the Console command "STOP" or "MODIFY END". "MODIFY SHUTDOWN" is available in the agent. In this case, the agent ends all Event Monitors that are connected to the agent via TCP/IP and then the agent ends itself.

Ending the Event Monitor 

Use the following commands to end the Event Monitor and/or the SMF Exit manually:

Command

Description

MODIFY Name of the Event Monitor,END

Ends the Event Monitor, the SMF Exit remains active

STOP Name of the Event Monitor
MODIFY Name of the Event Monitor,SHUTDOWN

Ends the Event Monitor and the SMF Exit

MODIFY Name of the agent,SHUTDOWN

Ends all Event Monitors including SMF Exits which are connected to the agent. The agent then ends itself.

The SMF Exit always remains active when an Event Monitor is canceled.

SMF Exit

An Event Monitor forwards events to the Automation Engine only when it is active. The SMF Exit stores them if the Event Monitor ends or aborts in order to ensure that no event is lost. 

 

See file:

GET_CONSOLE, GET_EVENT_INFO

Reads message data of an occurred Console or File System event

Event
INI File of the z/OS Agent (Event Monitor as Sub-Task)

INI File for the Independent Event Monitor

Agent - Combining AE and z/OS
Installing the Agent for z/OS