JSF Components

Job and Syslog Facility (JSF) is JES2 output management software which effectively manages a job's JCL and/or reports as well as SYSLOG. JSF is an MVS subsystem allowing ISPF and JSF software to interact with JES2 and the other components of MVS to collect, browse, print, copy, scan, archive and restore a job's JCL or reports and the system log.

The first component is the JSF JOB/SYSLOG collection processor. The collection processor runs as a started task and is responsible for moving a job's JCL and/or reports and the system log from the JES2 output spool to the JSF online database for further ISPF processing which can include, viewing, printing, copying, deleting, scanning, and reporting.

As jobs complete, jobs and SYSLOGs go to the JES2 output spool. SYSLOG enters the JES2 output spool via writelog commands which can be set up to be done automatically through MVS system options.

The JSF JOB/SYSLOG collection processor polls the JES2 spool for output at an interval determined by the JSF administrator. When output is found in the specified output classes it is moved to the JSF job history PDS(E) and removed from the JES2 spool freeing up spool space. Once this is done, the output is available for ISPF viewing, printing, copying, scanning and reporting.

The collection processor is also responsible for maintaining the JSF database. JSF detects when the database is full and automatically submits a job which will:

• Backup the JOB/SYSLOG database (JSF job history PDS or PDSE).

• Purge from the JOB/SYSLOG PDS database jobs and SYSLOGs that are x number of days old, where x is an installation defined value from 1 to 999.

• Update the JSF database's VSAM history file which has historical data on all SYSLOGs and jobs which have been purged to a backup volume. Jobs and Syslogs that have purged to a backup volume can be easily restored from JSF ISPF panels.

The second component is the JSF database. The JSF database is composed of a standard (yet compressed) partitioned dataset and a VSAM dataset. The partitioned dataset contains all JCL, reports and SYSLOGs that have been archived to it, and can be immediately processed. The VSAM dataset contains statistical data on all JOBS/SYSLOGs which have been purged from the PDS to a backup volume, and the required information for restoring those JOBS/SYSLOGs back to a temporary PDS for ISPF processing.

The third component is the JSF interactive ISPF JOB/SYSLOG facility. This component is an interactive and comprehensive online system, which utilizes ISPF dialog management services for the processing of the JSF database in many different ways. This component is user-friendly and easy to use for anyone familiar with ISPF/PDF.   Click on the link to see examples of panels in the JSF ISPF System.

The fourth component of JSF is a Generalized Report Writer which allows users to create customized batch reports from the JSF databases (Job History PDS/E and VSAM History) for quick and easy analysis.  Just specify the fields to print, the sort field(s), and the inclusion criteria to get the desired report.  Click on the link to see a JSF Generalized Report Writer example.