In cases where a critical message requires automation and the TCP/IP connection to the Proxy Server is not guaranteed, the automation can be done on the mainframe agent by writing a REXX program to handle the message. This redirection of a message to a REXX program requires an RMA subtask to be defined on the mainframe agent. See the Installation Guide for information on setting up an RMA subtask.
To redirect a message to a REXX program, add an entry to the mainframe message filter table to identify the name of the REXX program to be called. For example, to call REXX program MYPRGM when a message ABC123I is received, enter the following console command:
F VP390,FILTER ADD MSG ABC123I REXX=MYPRGRM
where VP390 is the name of the Ironstream job running on the mainframe. This entry can also be added to the SYSIN parameter cards to be loaded at job startup. See the Installation Guide for syntax of the FILTER command. The named REXX program must reside in a dataset pointed to by the SYSEXEC DD card in the startup JCL (or the DD name specified on the RMA SYSIN card).
When the REXX program is called, it is sent three parameters: the message text, the job name which issued the message, and the job ID. The three parameters are separated by a hexadecimal character x'0A'. If the message is a multi-line message, the several lines of the message will be separated by a hexadecimal character x'15'. A sample program for retrieving and parsing a message is given in the Ironstream SAMP dataset member PARSEMSG.
Any message which is directed to a REXX automation script will not be forwarded automatically to the Proxy Server. However, any text that is in a REXX return variable will be forwarded to the Proxy Server, thus allowing the REXX script to modify the original message text, if desired. The message text will retain the same MVS message identification, so that if the original message is removed via a Delete Operator Message and the agent's MVS subtask has the DOM attribute active, the forwarded message (modified or not) will also be acknowledged on the OMi browser.