Externally initiated CLISTs

Externally initiated EXECs are scheduled by a

job step that executes the IMFSUBEX program
user-written program
TSO user

The EXEC that IMFSUBEX schedules is called an externally initiated EXEC.

Potential use

In many instances, full automation requires the completion of a task that is not an EXEC and is running outside of the BBI-SS PAS.

A database backup is one example. When the backup is complete, you can use an externally initiated EXEC to notify MainView AutoOPERATOR to schedule any further actions.

Two possible ways to do this process are through writing a Rule and through IMFSUBEX. If you use the Rule Processor application to write Rules, follow these steps:

Create a message with a unique message-ID.
Send the message to the operator's console.
Create a Rule to process the message.

If you use the IMFSUBEX facility, you can directly schedule an EXEC to take subsequent automation actions. For more information about how to schedule externally initiated EXECs, refer to Invoking-REXX-EXECs-from-outside-of-MainView-AutoOPERATOR-with-IMFSUBEX.

Parameters passed to the EXEC

The first positional parameter is the one- to eight-character name of the EXEC.

Any following positional parameter are optional.

Example of Input

The following JCL shows how the subroutine IMFSUBEX schedules an EXEC named BACKDONE for execution.

//STEPX EXEC PGM=IMFSUBEX,// PARM='SS(SSA1) EXEC(BACKDONE SYST1)'

Example

The following EXEC is scheduled:

Figure 1. Externally initiated CLIST example

PROC 2 BACKDONE V1
/***********************************************************************/
/* DOC GROUP(MVS) FUNC(BKUP) CODE(BK)                                  */
/* DOC DISP(YES) AUTHOR(B&B)                                           */
/* DOC DESC(SEND NOTIFY/LOG FOR A SUCCESSFUL BACKUP)                   */
/*---------------------------------------------------------------------*/
IMFEXEC CMD SE 'VOLUME &V1 SUCCESSFULLY DUMPED',LOGON,USER=(SYSP1,SYSP2)
IMFEXEC MSG 'VOLUME &V1 SUCCESSFULLY DUMPED'
EXIT

The positional parameters passed to the EXEC-initiated EXEC are shown in the following table:

Positional Parameter	Variable name	Value passed	Description of value passed
1	BACKDONE	BACKDONE	is the name of the EXEC scheduled
2	V1	SYST1	is the volume serial number of the backed up device

Describing the example

The EXEC named BACKDONE is scheduled to execute in a target subsystem called SSA1.

A single parameter is passed (SYST1) which is a DASD volume serial number. The BACKDONE EXEC receives a volume serial number of a DASD from the second positional parameter to IMFSUBEX.

The BACKDONE EXEC first sends a message to two TSO users, SYSP1 and SYSP2, informing them that the volume backup has been successful and then places a message in the BBI-SS PAS Journal recording a successful operation.