AS400 Message Status Test

On the AS/400 server, messages are shared between the programs that are executing on it and users of the target system and used for many purposes on the system. The messages that are received from the users/programs are first stored in the message queues in arrival sequence. The messages will remain in the queues until administrators take the necessary action that suits the respective messages. Typically, the messages provide variety of information such as status, errors, non-error related information, inquiry message that needs reply from the user or program, etc. By tracking these messages, administrator can clearly understand what was exactly happened while executing the jobs and abnormalities, and also can find out the load on the queues. This is where the AS400 Message Status test helps administrators!

This test monitors the messages received on the message queues of the target AS400 server and reports the total number of messages in the queue and the number of messages that require reply.

Target of the test : An AS400 Server

Agent deploying the test : An external/remote agent

Outputs of the test : One set of results for the AS400 server that is being monitored.

Configurable parameters for the test
Parameter	Description
Test Period	How often should the test be executed.
Host	The IP address of the host for which this test is to be configured.
Port	The port at which the specified host listens. By default, this is NULL.
ServerName	This test connects to the AS400 server being monitored to extract the required metrics. Therefore, specify the name of the AS400 server to connect to in the ServerName text box.
UserID	To enable the test to login to the specified AS400 server, you need to provide the test with the credentials of a valid user to the AS400 server. Hence, specify a valid userid.
Password	Provide the Password that corresponds to the specified UserID.
Confirm Password	Confirm the password by retyping it in the Confirm Password text box.
Message Queue Path	Indicate the full path to the message queues that hold the messages in an arrival sequence.
Show All Messages	By default, this flag is set to No, indicating that the test will not report the total number of messages on the message queue by default in the Total messages measure. To ensure that this test reports the value of the Total messages measure, set this flag to Yes.
Message limit	By default, 100 is set as the Message Limit. This implies that the test will report the metrics only for the 100 messages received on the message queue during the measument period. If required, you can change the value of this parameter. Controlling the value of this parameter, administrators can limit the number of messages to be shown and prevent the data overload on the database server.
DD Frequency	Refers to the frequency with which detailed diagnosis measures are to be generated for this test. The default is 1:1. This indicates that, by default, detailed measures will be generated every time this test runs, and also every time the test detects a problem. You can modify this frequency, if you so desire. Also, if you intend to disable the detailed diagnosis capability for this test, you can do so by specifying none against DD frequency.
Detailed Diagnosis	To make diagnosis more efficient and accurate, the eG Enterprise embeds an optional detailed diagnostic capability. With this capability, the eG agents can be configured to run detailed, more elaborate tests as and when specific problems are detected. To enable the detailed diagnosis capability of this test for a particular server, choose the On option. To disable the capability, click on the Off option. The option to selectively enable/disable the detailed diagnosis capability will be available only if the following conditions are fulfilled: The eG manager license should allow the detailed diagnosis capability Both the normal and abnormal frequencies configured for the detailed diagnosis measures should not be 0.

Measurements made by the test
Measurement	Description	Measurement Unit	Interpretation
Total messages	Indicates the total number of messages in the message queue.	Number	This measure will appear only if the Show All Messages flag is set to Yes. This is a good indicator of the load on the message queue.The detailed diagnosis of this measure reveals the ID, severity and type of the message, the information provided by the message, the time stamp at which the message was created, whether the message needs replay back or not and the help tips to take necessary actions that suit the message.
Messages need reply	Indicates the number of Inquiry (INQ) messages in the message queue.	Number	An inquiry message requires a reply. The sender of the inquiry message (either a user or one of the programs) may need to make a decision beyond its capabilities. For instance, consider the printer writer which is a program. Your printer has been printing standard forms all day long, but suddenly a spool file shows up with special forms PURCHORDER. Now, the printer writer is faced with a decision it can't make. Should it continue printing on the same form, or should it stop? It has no way of knowing if the form PURCHORDER is installed on the printer or if the standard paper is still there. Consequently, it sends an inquiry message to ask for instructions. The instructions will be then sent as reply messages with the help of which the printer will make the decision.