Defining CONS Event Objects

You define CONS (Console) Events to monitor the content of the messages, message queues, etc. returned by the console (the target system). For example, they check with a specific frequency and, optionally, at certain dates or times, whether a particular string of characters is present in the messages. If the conditions you define on the Event Process page are met, the CONS Event triggers the actions that you define on its Event Process page. These actions are usually the execution of further objects. CONS Events are in Sleeping status as long as the frequency and time conditions are not met and change to Checking when they are.

You can use the following functions of the Automic scripting language to retrieve relevant data for the Event object:

Monitored Agents

Console event objects monitor the input of the following Agents:

The script statements and functions that are specified in the Event Process page are executed if conditions such as the Event ID or message filter apply.

Message filter specifications must always start with a wildcard character.

You define them on two pages:

To Define the Console Event Settings

  1. Define the Console Event. Depending on your choice in the Agent dropdown list, the rest of the fields in this section vary.

    ClosedTo Define Console Events for BS2000 Agents

    1. In Agent do one of the following
      • Select BS2000. The Agent Type dropdown list below is then disabled and displays BS2000.
      • Enter the name of an agent and select BS2000 in Agent Type below.

      You can also specify an Agent Groups (HOSTG).

    2. In the Events table specify the filter for the console output that should be searched for.

      You can use the wildcard characters "*" and "?". "*" stands for any number of characters, "?" for one specific character.

      For a description of how to work with the table see, Working with Tables.

    To be able to monitor BS2000 console outputs you must install the UCXEB2xU utility for the console, which should run parallel to the BS2000 agent.

    ClosedTo Define Console Events for OS/390 Agents

    1. In Agent do one of the following
      • Select OS/390. The Agent Type dropdown list below is then disabled and displays MVS.
      • Enter the name of an agent and select MVS in Agent Type below.

      You can also specify an Agent Groups (HOSTG).

    2. In System Name specify a filter for the user-defined system name that can be used to distinguish various OS instances. It can be up to 8 characters long.

    3. Set a filter for the OS name as defined by IBM. Currently, it is always MVS. It can be up to 8 characters long.

    4. In the Events table specify the job (maximum 32 characters) and the filter for the console output that should be searched for.

      You can use the wildcard characters "*" and "?". "*" stands for any number of characters, "?" for one specific character.

      For a description of how to work with the table see, Working with Tables.

    In z/OS, you can monitor the console output (Multiple Console Support - MCS). To do so, you must install the Event Monitor UCXEMxx and start it with a corresponding entry in the z/OS agent's INI file.

    ClosedTo Define Console Events for OS/400 Agents

    1. In Agent do one of the following
      • Select OS/400. The Agent Type dropdown list below is then disabled and displays OS400.
      • Enter the name of an agent and select OS400 in Agent Type below.

      You can also specify an Agent Groups (HOSTG).

    2. Specify the Message Type, which can be:

      "01" - Completion
      "02" - Diagnostic
      "04" - Informational
      "05" - Inquiry
      "06" - Sender's copy
      "08" - Request
      "10" - Request with prompting
      "14" - Notify (handled exception)
      "15" - Escape (handled exception)
      "16" - Notify (unhandled exception)
      "17" - Escape (unhandled exception)
      "21" - Reply, not validity checked
      "22" - Reply, validity checked
      "23" - Reply, message default used
      "24" - Reply, system default used
      "25" - Reply, from system reply list

    3. In the Events table specify a filter for the message ID.

      You can use the wildcard characters "*" and "?". "*" stands for any number of characters, "?" for one specific character.

      For a description of how to work with the table see, Working with Tables.

    In z/OS you can monitor message queues. Use the OS/400 agent's INI file to define the particular message queue that should be monitored

    ClosedTo Define Console Events for SAP Agents

    1. Select the Agent that is connected to the SAP system and whose events should be monitored. You can also specify an Agent Groups (HOSTG).

    2. The SAP Console event distinguishes several data sources:

      • ABAP Event history

        Column Description
        Event ID

        Filters the name of the SAP ABAP event.
        Event Parameter Filters the parameter of the SAP ABAP event.
        Event Server Filters the batch server name of the SAP ABAP event.

        • Comments

        XBP 3.0 is required in order to monitor SAP events via the event type "Console". The XBP interface version that is used must be specified in the SAP agent's Connection Object (CONN).

        the agent periodically polls the SAP system for occurred SAP events and reports them to the active Console events. The administrator can define the required interval in the variable UC_HOSTCHAR_DEFAULT, key JOB_CHECKINTERVAL.

        As of version 8.00A, the SAP agent always uses the XBP interface. This includes that the SAP criteria profiles must be adjusted in order to ensure that the selected triggered events are logged in the Event History. Otherwise, the Console event cannot react.

        Use the SM64 transaction in order to create a criteria profile for the Event History.

        You can use the GET_EVENT_INFO script function on the Event Process page to provide additional information about the SAP Event. See GET_CONSOLE, GET_EVENT_INFO.

      • XI communication channels
        1. In Login select the object that contains the XI object. Use different Login objects for SAP and XI systems if both are installed on the same agent. Otherwise, the login entry would not be unique. The Login object overrules the user specified in the Connection Object (CONN).

        2. Specify the event filters. You can use the wildcard character "*".

          The possible values for State are: ERROR, OK, INACTIVE, UNKNOWN and UNREGISTERED.

          The possible values for Activation state are: STARTED and STOPPED.

          For a description of how to work with the table see, Working with Tables.

        The filter list describes the nominal status of one or several communication channels. An event is triggered for each communication channel that

        • does not meet the nominal status when the Event object starts
        • switches to a different status (regardless if nominal status or different).

        No event is triggered if the communication channel meets the nominal condition when the Event object starts.

        You can use the GET_EVENT_INFO script function on the Event Process page to provide additional information about the XI communication channel. See GET_CONSOLE, GET_EVENT_INFO.

      • Java event history

        Specify the event filters:

        Column Description
        Event Type

        Filter for the type of SAP Java Scheduler event.

        The content of this list is retrieved from the UC_SAP_XJBP_EVENTTYPES variable , which is available in client 0. The Variable object is supplied with all possible event types and should not be changed by users.
        Event Parameter

        Filter for the parameters of the SAP Java Scheduler event.

        You can use the wildcard characters "*" and "?". "?" stands for exactly one, "*" for any number of characters.
        Event Additional Parameter

        Filter for additional parameters of the SAP Java Scheduler event.

        You can use the wildcard characters "*" and "?". "?" stands for exactly one, "*" for any number of characters.

    ClosedTo Define Console Events for Windows Agents

    In Windows you can monitor the Windows Event Viewer. To react to particular messages you first analyze the Event Viewer. The event details provide the required entries. You can open them by double-clicking them.

    In Microsoft Windows, message texts consist of static and variable parts. The event only supplies the variable message parts. If you use a message filter, the event only reacts if variable message parts are searched. See GET_WIN_EVENT for details on how to query the message text.

  2. Define the Time Parameters.

    In Frequency you have the following options to determine how often the event object should be activated:

    • Repeatedly

      It is activated periodically, depending on the setting you define below.

    • Repeat until first match

      It is activated until the specified conditions applies.

  3. Define the Time and Date Conditions.

    These conditions are always checked and an event will only be triggered if at least one of the them is met or if no condition has been defined here. The current date and time are used as reference. The Time Zone assigned to the event is considered as well. This means that activating an event and specifying a logical time does not make sense.

    Time specifications are checked for full minutes, i.e. the ending time 23:59 hours lasts until 23:59:59. Hence, the event can also be triggered in the last 59 seconds.

    1. Click the first row to activate it and, in the Calendar column select an entry from the dropdown list.
    2. Select the Calendar Event you want to apply.

    3. To edit a row you must first click its checkbox to activate it.

      For a description of how to work with the table see, Working with Tables.

  4. Switch to the Event Process Page.

Next steps:

Define the Actions that the Event will Trigger

You do this on the Event Process Page.

Execute the Event Object

The execution of an Event object usually triggers the execution of other objects; those objects may in turn trigger the execution of further tasks. In the Process Monitoring perspective on the various lists of Executions related to the Event object, the tasks resulting from these executions are displayed as children of the Event and are flagged with a special tag type, namely !EVNT. This way you can easily check which executions were triggered by a specific Event.

See Monitoring Events for details on how the Event Monitor works as well as Execution Data for information on Execution data.

Event objects can be included in Schedule Objects (JSCH) and thus be executed automatically at predefined times and/or intervals. Likewise, they can be part of workflows (see Workflow Overview).

Of course, you can also manually execute, restart or stop them. For details see Executing Event Objects.

If you want to check the number of times the system checked the Event, go to the Check count section on its Details.

Monitor the Event

Immediately after executing the object you can start monitoring it. Right-click it to select Monitoring and open the pre-filtered list of tasks to display this one. See Monitoring.

In the Process Monitoring perspective you can then follow their progress and access the reports and statistical information associated to them.

Active Events can be canceled (they assume then the Abend/manually canceled status), quitted (they end cleanly with Ended_OK status) or suspended (this keeps the Event active but temporarily disabled).

See Working with Tasks, particularly Stopping and Interrupting.

See also: