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Status Delivered
Workspace IBM i
Categories Work Management and Messaging
Created by Guest
Created on Feb 17, 2020

RELATED IDEAS

Eliminate QZSHSH, QP0ZSPWP/T Job Logs with "No Job Log"

When a user has their job set with a logging level to generate a job log (e.g., LOG(4 0 *SECLVL)), then uses QShell, there is a jog log generated for every QShell command, with the job log having a single message, CPF2523, "No job log information."

While the logging level specifies that a job log is to be created, it is no longer good for the system to generate job logs for these jobs spawned by QShell.

Consider a large system, using QShell in a batch mode to remove unnecessary files from the IFS. There can be a potentially very large number of job logs created, just stating there is no job log.

Given the increasing use of Open Source, the IFS, and QShell, when the QZSHSH, QP0ZSPWP/T jobs end with no job log, let them end with no job log. That is, change the behavior to eliminate the job log with CPF2523 message.


Use Case:

A client had a weekly job to clean up the IFS. The job was submitted to batch with (2 40 *SECLVL) and used QShell in batch mode to remove files from the IFS. Because of the logging level, each week they would generate nearly 60,000 job logs, all of which were job logs with just the CP2523 message.

The client did not realize this was the cause of the huge number of job logs on this system; they had tried all sorts of approaches to clean up job logs, but continued to struggle with the issue. It took expert assistance to identify the problem with their job description that caused these job logs from their IFS cleanup.

This is a waste of system resources and causes a risk for reaching the maximum number of jobs in the system. (This particular client set their QMAXJOB system value to 970,000 because of job log issues like this!)

Eliminating these job logs would be good for overall system health.


Idea priority Medium
  • Guest
    Reply
    |     May 25, 2022

    Thank you!!!

  • Guest
    Reply
    |     May 4, 2022
    A job log will no longer be produced when there are no messages in the job log, unless the user explicitly requests a job log using the DSPJOBLOG OUTPUT(*PRINT) command, in which case a job log will be spooled, and it will contain a single message, CPF2523, "No job log information."

    This change is delivered in release 7.5.

    IBM Power Systems Development
  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Jan 17, 2022

    Our product, 5770RD1, Content Manager OnDemand for i, makes extensive use of qshell. Multiple customers have complained over the years about the excessive production of unnecessary joblogs when using our product. Implementation of this RFE will be welcomed by our user community.

  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Nov 5, 2021

    Changing status to 'Planned for Future Release.'

  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Oct 14, 2020

    Reopening this RFE after doing additional research on the CPF2523 message. More testing is needed to avoid any regression errors, but I think we may have a solution. We would still produce the joblog when using DSPJOBLOG OUTPUT(*PRINT) since the user is explicitly requesting a joblog in that case, but we would not produce the empty joblogs during job termination. I believe this was the original intention of the CPF2523, but a change to fix a defect may have changed the behavior unintentionally.

  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Oct 2, 2020

    Thank you for the information provided. There was a recent issue described in this support document that I thought you may be experiencing: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/638197.
    This use case could easily be avoided by using the more strategic SSH Terminal interface provided by IBM I Access Client Solutions. The qshell interpreter runs in a prestart job which by default will use the QDFTSVR job description, which do not produce job logs.
    The 5250 interface runs qsh commands in a batch immediate by default, which copies its job attributes from the parent job, so the logging level is the same as the parent job. You could run the commands in a prestart job that uses a job description with a different logging level. It would be incompatible to change the logging level to only log when it thinks you want the joblog. Some users may be confused by this if they are trying to determine whether the logging level is set correctly when they DO want to produce a joblog.

  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Sep 19, 2020

    No, those PTFs do not apply. This is very simple to reproduce.

    I did this test on IBM i 7.4:

    Sign on to an interactive session and issue a CHGJOB LOG(4 0 *SECLVL).

    Start QShell.

    Do 10 ls commands.

    Exit QShell and do a WRKSPLF. You'll have 10 job logs with user data QP0ZSPWT with message CPF2524 - "No job log information".

    This is a trivial example, but the same thing applies to more complex situations.

    I simply want the system to no longer create these job logs for QShell work when the job description is set to (4 0 *SECLVL).

    These QP0ZSPWT jobs do not have the CPF1124 and CPF1164 messages logged to them. When there are no other messages, please do not generate a job log.

    Many clients have job descriptions set up with LOG(4 0 *SECLVL) and end up with problems with too many jobs if they use QShell without realizing the ramifications of the LOG setting. Protect the system and the client by eliminating this behavior.

  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Sep 18, 2020

    This sounds related to a recent CPS.
    Do the following PTF's eliminate the problem?
    R710 SI73750
    R720 SI73751

  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Aug 3, 2020

    I don't see how the use of -s on the system command will help. CL commands are not being used; shell commands are used.

    If the initial interactive job has LOG(4 0 *SECLVL), a job log is created with "no job log" for every one of these QP0ZSPWP/QP0ZSPWT jobs.

    For example, simply doing an 'ls' command in QShell will give you one of these empty joblogs.

    Dawn

  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Apr 20, 2020

    The CEAC has reviewed this requirement and recommends that IBM view this as a MEDIUM priority requirement that should be addressed. There is a workaround available details in the link below (use -s instead of -K)
    https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/ssw_ibm_i_74/rzahz/rzahzsystem.htm

    Background: The COMMON Europe Advisory Council (CEAC) members have a broad range of experience in working with small and medium-sized IBM i customers. CEAC has a crucial role in working with IBM i development to help assess the value and impact of individual RFEs on the broader IBM i community and has therefore reviewed your RFE.

    To find out how CEAC help to shape the future of IBM i, see CEAC @ ibm.biz/BdYSYj and the article "The Five Hottest IBM i RFEs Of The Quarter" at ibm.biz/BdYSZT

    Therese Eaton – CEAC Program Manager, IBM

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