Know the OS version using a TSO command.

[Eklavya Bharti]

We have been told that our shop is upgraded zOS 2.1. As a programmer I feel dumb that what is in it for me. At minimum I would like to know where the version informationis stored. What is the way to find out the version we are using of operating system?

Thanks!

[Robert Sample]

What is the way to find out the version we are using of operating system?

1. Talk to your site support group -- they installed it, they know it.

2. If you can issue console commands (not many application programmers can), D IPLINFO will give you the z/OS version.

3. If you have access to a CICS region, and can use the CECI transaction (not all sites allow application programmers access to CECI), you can do CECI INQUIRE SYSTEM and one of the returned variables has the z/OS level.

I don't know of any TSO command that will return the z/OS version. There are some third-party software that can be used in TSO to get this information, but since they cost money not all sites use them. That being said, you can (indirectly) find out by looking at the primary menu panel of ISPF. If your STATUS is Session, on the right side of the primary menu panel will be displayed various values. The final value is RELEASE. If the value is ISPF 7.1, you are on a z/OS 2.1 system. The ISPF release varies by z/OS version.

However, the bottom line is that your BEST source for this information or any other information like it is your site support group.

[Akatsukami]

The Rexx external function MVSVAR will return this information in variable SYSOPSYS.

[enrico-sorichetti]

and knowing it, will it make Your work better ?

[William Collins]

And if it doesn't have to be an actual TSO command, WHO in SDSF has been pointed out to me.

[Robert Sample]

As a programmer I feel dumb that what is in it for me.

This is why you REALLY need to communicate with your site support group. As with most operating system upgrades, z/OS 2.1 doesn't have that much for application programmers directly. For example, health checker went from an optional component to being started during IPL with 2.1 -- but application programmers will not (usually) be aware of health checker. The only significant change for application programmers that I can think of is that JES2 job classes can be up to 8 characters with 2.1 (which matches JES3 now), but your site support group decided how to implement this change. It is possible that your site runs JES3, or that they did not add any 8-character job classes to your system, in which case this change means nothing to you.

Over time, operating system upgrades will change the way application programmers do things (instream data in PROC, 8-character job classes, MEMLIMIT for 64-bit memory are examples) but many such features have to be implemented by the site support group. And some of these changes can have big impacts on the system, hence are generally carefully implemented over time to assess the impact.

[prino]

Dialog test variables, ZOS390RL

[Eklavya Bharti]

Thanks for the reply Robert. I have some view about them. Written them below-

1. Talk to your site support group -- they installed it, they know it.

Site support group is not very supportive and they don't tell answer to such questions.

2. If you can issue console commands (not many application programmers can), D IPLINFO will give you the z/OS version.

3. If you have access to a CICS region, and can use the CECI transaction (not all sites allow application programmers access to CECI), you can do CECI INQUIRE SYSTEM and one of the returned variables has the z/OS level.

No I can't issue console commands (what are they, in the first place?).

For CICS, we don't have access to CECI but will that tell the information about CICS release or the zOS release?

I don't know of any TSO command that will return the z/OS version. There are some third-party software that can be used in TSO to get this information, but since they cost money not all sites use them. That being said, you can (indirectly) find out by looking at the primary menu panel of ISPF. If your STATUS is Session, on the right side of the primary menu panel will be displayed various values. The final value is RELEASE. If the value is ISPF 7.1, you are on a z/OS 2.1 system. The ISPF release varies by z/OS version.

However, the bottom line is that your BEST source for this information or any other information like it is your site support group.

STATUS, session was helpful. Thanks again for all your replies.

[Eklavya Bharti]

The Rexx external function MVSVAR will return this information in variable SYSOPSYS.

Thanks, I have studied about it and found this:

Using the MVSVAR Function

The MVSVAR function retrieves information about MVS™, TSO/E, and the current session, such as the symbolic name of the MVS system, or the security label of the TSO/E session. The information retrieved depends on the argument specified.

To retrieve the information, use the MVSVAR function immediately followed by an argument value enclosed in parentheses. For example, to find out the APPC/MVS logical unit (LU) name, use the MVSVAR function with the argument SYSAPPCLU.
appclu = MVSVAR('SYSAPPCLU')
The MVSVAR function is available in any MVS address space. Compare this to the SYSVAR function which also retrieves system information but can only be used in REXX execs that run in the TSO/E address space.

Many of the MVSVAR arguments retrieve the same information as do CLIST control variables.

The following table lists the items of information that are available for retrieval by MVSVAR.

Argument Value Description
SYSAPPCLU the APPC/MVS logical unit (LU) name
SYSDFP the level of MVS/Data Facility Product (MVS/DFP)
SYSMVS the level of the base control program (BCP) component of z/OS®
SYSNAME the name of the system your REXX exec is running on, as specified in the SYSNAME statement in SYS1.PARMLIB member IEASYSxx
SYSSECLAB the security label (SECLABEL) name of the TSO/E session
SYSSMFID identification of the system on which System Management Facilities (SMF) is active
SYSSMS indicator whether DFSMS/MVS is available to your REXX exec
SYSCLONE MVS system symbol representing its system name
SYSPLEX the MVS sysplex name as found in the COUPLExx or LOADxx member of SYS1.PARMLIB
SYMDEF symbolic variables of your MVS system

This helps and used the following REXX for now:

Code: Select all

/*REXX*/ 
Say 'zOS version:'  MVSVAR('SYSOPSYS') 

[Eklavya Bharti]

and knowing it, will it make Your work better ?

That is a good question but I shall be looking at correct manuals in future, if I knew that.

[Eklavya Bharti]

Dialog test variables, ZOS390RL

Thanks but I am not sure where do I look for it. But I have also used

Code: Select all

TSO ISPVCALL STATUS

.

This also tells what I was looking.

[Robert Sample]

No I can't issue console commands (what are they, in the first place?).

A z/OS system has a console, which is where system messages are listed and where operators can issue commands to control the system (varying drives online / offline, checking the status of jobs / subsystems, and so forth.

For CICS, we don't have access to CECI but will that tell the information about CICS release or the zOS release?

The CECI INQ SYSTEM command returns such information as

Code: Select all

< CICSTslevel( '040100' ) >  
< OSlevel( '020100' ) >