Release 6.08

February 27, 2003

Email of Batch Sysout

ENHANCEMENT: You can now have sysout files from batch jobs sent out via email. This facility is dependent upon the SMTP server being defined to Change Action in the Global Host options, just as with all of Change Action's email processing.

On any scheduled batch job listed on the "Batch Function: List of Functions" panel, the line command EM can be used to define email options. At this level, the emailing facility depends on the automatic scheduler; the emailing of a job's sysout files is initiated in the MZCJCOMP completion step of the scheduled batch job.

For report jobs only, once you have selected a report job and are on the "Report Steps Within Job" panel, the primary command EM can be used to define email options. Only the sysout for report jobs can be set up for email independent of the automatic scheduler since such email is initiated by the Change Action reporting program.

A job can only be defined for email in one of the facilities, either via the scheduler or through reporting.

The "EMail Options" panel allows you to specify recipients, a reply id and subject. For recipients, you can specify either userids and/or usergroups as defined in Change Action with email options, or actual email addresses. You also can indicate what type of output to send i.e. JCL, REPORTS, or a list of DDNames; other sysout options are also available. Please refer to the help panels for a further description of the email options.

As with scheduling, when Change Action wants to send the data to be emailed, the scheduler task in the main address space will create another address space under the userid of the job owner in order to access and pass on the sysout to the SMTP server via JES.

These other address spaces will use the same PROCname as the submission facility and append the MZJJJnnn as the step name.

Product Execution Control

ENHANCEMENT: Now you can specify the program name of a product, along with the dsname. You can specify either or both (program name and/or dsname). This will allow you to control a product from a specific library only. If you provide just the program name without library name, then the product will be controlled from any library.

CHANGE: The product description field has been expanded from 20 characters to 30 characters.

NOW AVAILABLE: A batch program to send emails and to report from the PXC log is now available. See Administration guide for details.

Dynamic Dataset Definition Facility

ENHANCEMENT: If a dataset entry is manually added to one of the facility OIDs of .APF, .LINK or .LPA then it will not be affected by the dynamic processing. Also if one of these dataset entries contains a dsname mask, then even if the original entry was created dynamically and then modified, it will be left untouched by the dynamic processing.

The purpose of this change is to allow for more flexibility with the dataset options under the dynamically processed OIDs. You may want some other data sets not included in one of the system lists to be defined and managed as if it were in such a list.

Normally when using change requests and you specify a dataset without a volser, the creation of the change request may not find the desired dynamically managed OID because all dynamically added dataset entries are defined by specific volume. Now you can manually add a dataset entry without a volume so that the proper OID will be found for the purpose of the change request. When the change actually occurs, the more specific dataset entry with the volser will be used.

Database Maintenance

A new DBDEFRAG job has been added to the CNTL library. This will remove all deleted records from active chains and move all used blocks towards the beginning of the database. After this is done, the database can be reduced in size using the COPYDB job. The output shows the highest used block number. NOTE: The database must be allocated OLD for this to run.

This should be done at least once a year and probably before each new release of Change Action. Make sure the database(s) have been backed up by your normal backup procedures.

The Daily job now handles USS backups the same as MVS backups (ie. cycles are checked and backups are moved to tape, if necessary).

Change Requests

As per options at the OID level, a check is made to determine whether a dataset name is masked. The check for masked member name will not be made. Prior to this change, both dsname and member name were checked for masking.

Command Tracking & Control

Now you cannot specify the log option as DB for display commands or $* commands. They will be changed to BUF.

NOTE: Prior to this change the log option was changed from DB to BUF if you specified just an asterisk for the command definition. This is still being done to avoid over-utilization of database space.

External Logging

ENHANCEMENT: The following subtype has been added. NOTE: This subtype is also recorded on the Change Action database, irrespective of the options you specify. With this release subtype 01 has been discontinued.

SUBTYPE 10 - Updates to User Groups.

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