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Managing Cross-System Command Traffic › Issuing Cross-System Commands from a z/VM System › Directing Commands to z/VM Systems › Using Line End and Escape Characters When Directing Commands to z/VM

Using Line End and Escape Characters When Directing Commands to z/VM

You can use the line end and escape characters when issuing cross-system CP commands, but they cannot be used when issuing cross-system CA MIM commands.

The logical line end character allows you to issue multiple CP commands with one cross-system command directed to the local z/VM system. To define the logical line end character for use with CA MIM for z/VM, specify the character you want as your line end character on the SETOPTION GCMF LINEND command. The default value for the line end character is the pound sign (#).

For example, you can VARY two devices with the following single command:

MI VMSYS1 VARY ONLINE 3A0#VARY OFFLINE 7E0

The logical escape character causes CA MIM for z/VM to consider the next character entered to be a data character, even if it is a line end or escape character. To define the logical escape character, specify the character you select as your escape character on the SETOPTION GCMF ESCAPE command. The default value for the escape character is the quotation symbol (").

For example, assume that you want to send a message containing the pound sign symbol (#). You could use the escape character to prevent the pound sign from being interpreted as a line end character as shown in the following command:

MI VMSYS2 MESSAGE OPERATOR PRINTER "#3 IS OUT OF PAPER

Without the escape character, this command could be read as two separate commands. Using the escape character, the command would send the following message to OPERATOR:

PRINTER #3 IS OUT OF PAPER

Note: The logical line end and escape characters defined for CA MIM for z/VM can be the same as the CP logical line end and escape characters defined for the MIMGR service machine. However, this is not required. You can define these characters differently without causing any security problems.