Does a CA InterTest for CICS PROMMAC table allow wildcarding of program names?

Products

InterTest - CICS InterTest - Batch InterTest VSE - CICS

Issue/Introduction

In many cases, customers have set up a PROMMAC table to execute various CNTL commands at InterTest startup. One possible use is set up automatic region wide monitoring of all application programs that may execute in a CICS region; possibly to test and QA programs prior to moving them into production. At the same time, however, this may hinder development since monitoring some programs may lead to unnecessary breakpoints of different types and prevent effective testing during this verification phase. A way to avoid this is to incorporate commands into the PROMMAC to exclude various programs from being automatically monitored by InterTest.

I have a large number of programs I would like to exclude from monitoring by CA InterTest for CICS. Does an InterTest "PROMMAC" table allow generic wildcarding or do I need to list the programs individually?

Environment

Monitoring multiple programs, perhaps an entire CICS region, using InterTest for CICS.

Cause

In many cases, customers want to monitor entire CICS regions in order to test new applications before moving them into production. However, monitoring all programs may hinder development since monitoring some programs may lead to unnecessary breakpoints of different types and prevent effective testing during this verification phase. A way to avoid this is to incorporate commands into the PROMMAC to exclude various programs from being automatically monitored by InterTest.

Resolution

A CA InterTest for CICS PROMMAC table will allow generic wildcarding for programs and transactions that begin with a common set of characters. The generic values can be carried out as far as necessary.

The following sample PROMMAC source statements will:

Set up a default number of 20 monitoring table entries (PROM) and 40 exclusion table entries (PROX) when InterTest is started. If more entries are needed for either table, they will be added dynamically.
Set up automatic monitoring for the entire CICS region using the 'PROG=.ALL' statement.
- As a result, the Cobol Demo program, COBDEMO, will receive the Automatic Breakpoint (ABP) at the 'Add +1 to Tasknum' source statement when the DEMC transaction is executed.
- Conversely, due to the generic exclude of ASM* and PL1* , the Assembler Demo program, ASMDEMO, and PL1 Demo program, PL1DEMO will receive the ASRA abend when the DEMA and/or DEMP transactions are executed.
Exclude several additional sets of programs due to the wildcarding of the program names.
Exclude a specific program from InterTest monitoring.

PROMMAC 'CNTL=START,PROM=20,PROX=40' <== Takes effect when InterTest starts.
PROMMAC 'CNTL=ON,PROG=.ALL' <== Monitor an entire CICS region
PROMMAC 'CNTL=EXCL,PROG=(ASM*)' <== Exclude all programs that begin with "ASM"
PROMMAC 'CNTL=EXCL,PROG=(PL1*)' <== Exclude all programs that begin with "PL1"
PROMMAC 'CNTL=EXCL,PROG=(CEE*)' <== Exclude all programs that begin with"CEE"
PROMMAC 'CNTL=EXCL,PROG=(P1*,IDX*,TM*)' <== Exclude all programs beginning with P1, IDX, and TM
PROMMAC 'CNTL=EXCL,PROG=(TS23TS23)',END <== Exclude this specific program
END

Please note the ",END" on the last "PROMMAC" statement that denotes the end of the PROMMAC control statements followed by the "END" on the next line to mark the finish of the macro.

There is no specific name for a PROMMAC as long as it is a valid 8 character (maximum) program name. For this example, the PROMMAC is called INTRTABL. To automatically invoke INTRTABL at InterTest startup, the following additional steps are necessary:

Define a PPT entry for INTRTABL
INTRTABL must be defined in IN25OPTS - the program to define the global user options.
- Point to INTRTABL on PROMD= keyword, the default value is 00000020
- Reassemble and relink IN25OPTS
- Recycle Intertest
Once Intertest is recycled, execute the transaction VRPT
- Option 2 off the Main Menu will display the global options set by IN25OPTS
- The PROMD = entry should read PROMD =INTRTBL

Additional Information

Sample JCL and source statements used to create a PROMMAC as well as the necessary steps to reassemble and link IN25OPTS can be found under the sections entitled "Use the PROMMAC Macro" and "CICS Options" in the following documentation: