Mainframe, MVS and zOS Discussion

1. Here, I'll be listing a list of all of the standard TSO commands and what they do.

If the ISPF interface is not started or has been shut down then TSO commands can be entered at the READY prompt.

However, in 2013 - most of us (The Programmers), run ISPF on top of TSO -which, in turn, is started using the PDF/ISPF command. Now, to enter TSO commands after the ISPF interface is started, one need to either precede the desired command with TSO (eg. 'tso asm') or go into ISPF option 6 and enter the TSO command there.

2. HELP [COMMAND] Displays the purpose and syntax of the command.The source for this information is retrieved from ‘SYS1.HELP’.

Ex:

3. Though it's a Tips-section of the Forum, however, I thought, it'd be nice if we quickly recap what are TSO and ISPF? Keeping their definition in mind does help.

TSO and ISPF are software environments, under zOS. They allow you to create, store, print and delete data sets, and to submit and examine Jobs.

TSO stands for - Time Sharing Option, as the name implies - is a facility that allow multiple users to use the operating system at the same time. This is a bare iron interface to your mainframe. TSO allows you to execute most programs interactively. The more recent versions of MVS (e.g. zOS) also provide an extension product know as, TSO/E (TSO/Extensions), however the base component TSO is still present in these systems.

TSO monitor program may be run as a batch process, but it is designed to function as an interface between the user, through a display terminal, and the operating system - and that's where I think it got the initial break through in the market, long back. The actual management of the display system input/output is handled for TSO by either VTAM, under MVS or TCAM, under MVT. However, how exactly that is out of the scope of this thread.

ISPF, on the other hand, is menu-driven facility to allow you to do what we can do in/with TSO and much more (though what more, I leave that deliberately as it's a Tips Section not the explanation section... )

4. During a TSO session, information appears on the display as a conversation. Characters or the-input-from-the-user are typed by the user and sent to the computer when an attention key is pressed.

The mainframe responds back by showing the output on the display screen; at the end of the communication from computer the cursor remains positioned under the last output. During this, the keyboard is unlocked to await the next input from the operator. When the bottom of the screen is reached, the TSO monitor writes three asterisks on the bottom line of the display screen.

These three asterisks, is a signal to let the user know that more information is available in the current output from the computer, though it won't fit on the curent screen. To see the additional information press the ENTER key; the current screen will be cleared and the 'next' output will resume from the top of the screen. At times, when the user is not interested in viewing additional output, the output may be interrupted using PA1 key.(these key setting can be different at different key boards, though this key is usually used for this purpose.)

Anuj,

It would be nice if you could you add a screen print for the tip for today?

Hi Prem,

I agree with you with the idea of screen shots. When I thought to write about the TSO, I understood it's laborious subject and screen shots will make it attractive! .

On the other hand, my current role/s do(es) not involve to work with a regular customer and that puts me in a situation where I don't have access to mainframe and so no screen shots. I'll revise this section once I get a chance to capture the screen shots.

Needless to say, thanks for your insight and time - appreciate that,

Regards,

5. If you want to send a message to another person logged on to TSO - you can use ‘ TSO SEND ‘message line’ U(user_id)’.

If the person in not logged on but you want to send a message which he can read when he logs on use: ‘ TSO SEND ‘message line’ U(user_id) LOGON’