SDSF (System Display and Search Facility)

What is SDSF?

SDSF (System Display and Search Facility) is a powerful TSO/ISPF application that provides system administrators and programmers with the ability to view, monitor, and manage job output and system resources in z/OS environments. It serves as a gateway to the JES (Job Entry Subsystem) spool, allowing you to interact with jobs, their outputs, and system resources.

SDSF is an essential tool for mainframe professionals, simplifying tasks such as:

• Viewing job output without having to print it
• Monitoring job status and execution
• Managing the JES spool and devices
• Examining system logs and resources
• Issuing system commands from a user-friendly interface

Accessing SDSF

SDSF is typically accessed through ISPF. The most common methods to access SDSF are:

1. ISPF Primary Option Menu - Select the SDSF option (usually SD or S) from the ISPF Primary Option Menu.
2. ISPF Command Line - Type SDSF on the ISPF command line and press Enter.
3. Direct TSO Command - Issue the SDSF command from TSO READY mode.

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==> SDSF

Alternatively, you can directly access a specific SDSF panel using commands like:

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==> ST

to directly access the Status panel.

SDSF Main Panels

SDSF is organized into panels that each serve specific functions. The most commonly used panels include:

1. Status Panel (ST)

The Status panel displays active jobs in the system, including batch jobs, started tasks, and TSO users. This is one of the most frequently used panels for monitoring job execution.

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SDSF STATUS DISPLAY  ALL CLASSES                          LINE 1-16 (195)
COMMAND INPUT ===>                                            SCROLL ===> PAGE 
NP JOBNAME  JobID    Owner    Prty Queue      C Pos  SAff  ASys Status      
   JOB1234  JOB12345 USER1    15   EXECUTION  A      SYS1  SYS1 EXECUTING   
   JOB5678  JOB56789 USER2    15   EXECUTION  A      SYS1  SYS1 EXECUTING   
   CICSPROD STC01234 SYSPROG1 15   EXECUTION  A      SYS2  SYS2 EXECUTING   
   DBPROD   STC05678 SYSPROG2 15   EXECUTION  A      SYS1  SYS1 EXECUTING   
   TSOJOHN  TSU09876 JOHN     15   EXECUTION  A      SYS1  SYS1 EXECUTING

2. Output Queue Panel (O)

The Output Queue panel displays jobs with output waiting to be processed. This panel is useful for finding and viewing job output.

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SDSF OUTPUT DISPLAY  ALL CLASSES                      LINE 1-10 (82)
COMMAND INPUT ===>                                            SCROLL ===> PAGE
NP JOBNAME  JobID    Owner    Prty C Queue      Dest        Rec-Cnt Pages  
   PAYROLL  JOB01234 PAYUSER  15   A PRINT      LOCAL       12,345  123    
   INVRUN   JOB05678 INVUSER  15   A PRINT      LOCAL       5,678   57     
   RPTGEN   JOB09876 RPTUSER  15   A PRINT      LOCAL       34,567  346   

3. Held Output Queue Panel (H)

The Held Output Queue panel shows output that has been held in the JES spool. This is typically used for viewing output before deciding whether to release it for printing or to purge it.

4. Input Queue Panel (I)

The Input Queue panel shows jobs waiting to be executed. This panel helps monitor the batch workload waiting to be processed.

5. System Log Panel (LOG)

The System Log panel provides access to the system log (SYSLOG), which contains system messages, operator commands, and responses. This is valuable for system troubleshooting.

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SDSF SYSLOG  SYSTEM SYS1                              LINE 1-19 (32K)
COMMAND INPUT ===>                                            SCROLL ===> PAGE
R00.00  S0000000  SYS1    2023134 00:00:00.00 RCVD000I IEA989I SLIP TRAP ID=X133 MATCHED
R00.00  S0000001  SYS1    2023134 00:01:15.45 RCVD000I IEF196I IEF142I BACKUP JOB12345 STEP1 - STEP WAS EXECUTED - COND CODE 0000
R00.00  S0000002  SYS1    2023134 00:03:22.11 RCVD000I IEF196I IEF142I RESTORE JOB67890 STEP1 - STEP WAS EXECUTED - COND CODE 0000

6. Active Users Panel (DA)

The Display Active panel shows information about active address spaces, including CPU usage, memory utilization, and other system resource statistics. It's similar to the UNIX "top" command.

7. JES2 Monitor (MAS)

The Multi-Access Spool panel shows information about JES2 members in a JES2 MAS (Multi-Access Spool) configuration.

Common SDSF Commands

SDSF uses a command-based interface. Here are some of the most commonly used commands:

Line Commands

SDSF also supports line commands that are entered in the NP (Prefix) column next to a specific job or output:

Viewing Job Output

One of the most common uses of SDSF is to view job output. This can be done using these steps:

1. Access the ST (Status) or O (Output) panel
2. Locate your job by scrolling or using the LOCATE command (e.g., L jobname)
3. Type S or / in the NP column next to the job
4. This will display a list of DDNAMES (output files) for the job
5. Type S or / next to the DDNAME you want to view (e.g., JESMSGLG, JESJCL, JESYSMSG, or application-specific output)

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SDSF JOB DATA DISPLAY PAYROLL JOB01234                 LINE 1-15 (15)
COMMAND INPUT ===>                                            SCROLL ===> PAGE
NP   DDNAME   StepName ProcStep DSID Owner    C Dest        Rec-Cnt Page
     JESMSGLG JES2                1 PAYUSER   X LOCAL           18
     JESJCL   JES2                2 PAYUSER   X LOCAL           18
     JESYSMSG JES2                3 PAYUSER   X LOCAL           24
     SYSPRINT STEP1              11 PAYUSER   A LOCAL        8,456   85
     PAYCHK   STEP1              12 PAYUSER   A LOCAL        3,567   36
     TAXRPT   STEP1              13 PAYUSER   A LOCAL          345    4

Once you select a DDNAME, you'll see the actual output content. In this view, you can use commands like:

• FIND or F to search for specific text
• TOP to go to the beginning of the output
• BOTTOM or BOT to go to the end of the output
• LEFT or RIGHT to scroll horizontally
• PRINT to print the output

SDSF as a Troubleshooting Tool

SDSF is invaluable for troubleshooting JCL and application issues:

Identifying JCL Errors

When a job fails with JCL errors, you can use SDSF to:

1. View the JESMSGLG (JES message log) to see overall job execution messages
2. Check the JESJCL to verify the JCL that was submitted
3. Examine the JESYSMSG for detailed error messages

Application Errors

For application errors, check:

1. Application-specific output DDNAMEs (like SYSPRINT, SYSOUT)
2. Return codes in the JESMSGLG
3. Abend codes and error messages in JESYSMSG

System-Wide Issues

For system-wide issues:

1. Use the LOG panel to examine system messages
2. Check the DA panel to identify resource bottlenecks
3. Examine the initialization messages in started tasks like JES2, VTAM, and others

SDSF Security

SDSF access is typically controlled by security products like RACF, ACF2, or Top Secret. Access to SDSF functions may be restricted based on:

• The specific SDSF panels a user can access
• The actions a user can perform (view, modify, purge, etc.)
• The jobs a user can see and manipulate (often limited to the user's own jobs)
• Authority to issue system commands

SDSF in Batch

SDSF functionality can also be accessed in batch mode using SDSF batch. This allows you to:

• Automate the retrieval of job output
• Generate reports on job execution statistics
• Perform automated system monitoring

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//SDSFJOB  JOB (ACCT),'SDSF BATCH',CLASS=A
//STEP1    EXEC PGM=SDSF
//ISFOUT   DD SYSOUT=*
//ISFIN    DD *
  ST
  OWNER ALL
  PREFIX PAYROLL*
  PRINT 
/*

Best Practices for Using SDSF

1. Filtering with PREFIX: Use the PREFIX command to filter the display to show only jobs with names starting with a specific prefix.
   text

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   PREFIX PAYROLL*

2. Using OWNER: Use the OWNER command to filter jobs by owner.
   text

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   OWNER MYUSERID

3. Saving Output: Use PRINT with ODSN to save output to a dataset.
   text

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   PRINT ODSN 'MYUSERID.JOBOUTPUT.TXT'

4. Issuing System Commands: Use the / command to issue system commands (when authorized).
   text

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   /D A,L

5. Creating Custom Layouts: Use the ARRANGE command to customize which columns are displayed and in what order.