Get PARM values from data area

[Mohan_zOS]

Hi Folks,

I am here in search some leads on where to find values of parameters used when IPLing the system.
I did find some under CVT>CVTECVT>ECVTIPA>PDE for XXXX, but need to fetch parameter values (not directly from datasets) via either APIs or any available services.

As to why I need this, I am thinking of a utility like TASID (not that extensive!) but something similar in respect to listing of PARMLIB parameters.

Thanks for you time, Have a good one.

Regards,
Mohan

[enrico-sorichetti]

why reinvent the wheel... use SHOWZOS

Code: Select all

File # 492 Permanent home: SHOWzOS 7.20, 7.21 SHOWMVS 6.30, 7.10

available at
www.cbttape.org
here
http://www.cbttape.org/ftp/cbt/CBT492.zip

[nevilh]

You will probably find what you are looking for in IPA control block. Take a look at SYS1.MACLIB(IHAIPA)

[prino]

Mark Zelden's IPLINFO...

[Mohan_zOS]

Hi Enrico,

You are right about using SHOWZOS, but I would like to take up this as an assignment for myself and try to get a grip of how zOS functions with all the passed parameters by accessing them directly from CBs and data areas.. May be this a little too much for a newbie, but I still want to give it a shot. Please help.

Hi Nevilh,

Thanks for that tip, I did find some direct values in IPA but for those parameters that takes suffix list as input.. I guess it should be somewhere else in the system that hold the final overridden values? Any pointers to where I could find those parameters (for E.g. SMF=SV is available IPA, but parameter values of SMFPRMSV would reside in?)

Hi Prino,

Mark's program was of great help, but still I couldn't find the list of all parameters used at IPL. Appreciate any advice.

I did search in ABC's of zOS System programming and the MVS Data Area manuals, but found not much.. may be I am not using the right terms to search.

Have a good day.

Regards,
Mohan

[jaggz]

Hello,

If you are talking about CONTROL BLOCKS and the DATA AREA. Then its worth giving a read on Z/OS architecture book and learning assembler at the base level too would help you understand the concepts.If talking about Z/OS parms used during IPL then try taking a SAD and read using IPCS or Download your Weekly SYSLOG to a PS file and check or there are many products which records IPLINFO in many formats.

Regards,
Jaggz

[nevilh]

If you are looking for one control block where all the IPL information is stored, I am afraid you are out of luck. The information is scattered through the system. If you can be a bit more specific as to what you are looking for maybe someone will be able to point you in the right direction.

[Robert Sample]

but still I couldn't find the list of all parameters used at IPL. Appreciate any advice.

I think one of the real problems is that you have not clearly defined what you are looking for. Certain values, such as the system programmer-supplied values mentioned in http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocente ... temIPL.htm are external to the system and are not reflected in any data set on the system, although they are available for retrieval once the system IPL is complete. SYSn.IPLPARM (where n can vary from 0 to 9) is customized for each system and contains initial IPL parameters such as the master catalog name. SYS1.PARMLIB (which is a shortcut term for the dataset used by the system to load parameters -- the actual name will depend upon the site) is where many of the various system parameters are stored; there are well over 100 members in this data set and some of these members have dozens (or hundreds) of lines of parameter values.

Different control blocks have different parameters, but as has been pointed out already there are perfectly good programs available (MXI, SHOWZOS, IPLINFO are three of them) and material from the CBT has no cost -- so what you want to develop is already available at no cost to your site. Other than doing this as a learning exercise, there is no reason for you to proceed any further with your program. And if you do not have a deep understanding of the z/OS IPL process and the various control blocks of z/OS, you're going to have a very hard time doing what you want, anyway.

Asking for help with something like this on a beginner's forum isn't the best use of everyone's time, either.

[Mohan_zOS]

Hi Jaggz,

Yes, I am interested in the CBs and DAs of z/OS.
I am still learning and just took up this learning exercise to get familiar with z/OS Arch.

Hi Nevilh,

That's true, I have posted a query on a very vast area. I'll return back here after I do my analysis on few pointers that I found lately.
Here are some.. CVT>ECVT>ECVTSLCA for CEEPRMxx and CSVDYNEX for Exits Info Etc..

Hello Robert,

Indeed, I did not state my need clearly.. one of the problems of a newbie!
I agree, I am going to have a hard time before I come up with a decent utility, but I know learning is a never ending and painful process.
Anyways, thanks for the tips.

Thanks to you All,
Mohan