General workstations
A general workstation lets you control operations that are normally
not controlled automatically. To do this, the operation can create
events to notify HCL Workload Automation for Z of
its status, or an operator can report the status manually. For operations
and workstations that are associated with z/OS® jobs and started tasks, these events are
created automatically by JES and SMF exits. On computer workstations
with other non-z/OS operating systems, events are also created automatically.
Operations that are specified to run on general workstations, or computer
workstations that have a user-defined destination, must use one of
several methods to inform HCL Workload Automation for Z of
the operation status:
- HCL Workload Automation for Z ISPF panels
- The TSO command OPSTAT, used either in TSO, or in a CLIST or REXX EXEC
- The EQQEVPGM batch program, using the OPSTAT command as input
- The program interface
- The EQQUSIN subroutine, which lets you create events from your own programs
HCL Workload Automation for Z also
uses three special general workstations to perform these tasks:
- Set up JCL for jobs and started tasks
- Issue WTO messages, possibly to trigger action by NetView®
- Create dummy operations that run for specified periods of time (WAIT option).
When you add an operation that is defined on a general non reporting workstation to the current plan, the estimated duration of the instance is automatically set to 1 second, regardless of the value that is set in the operation definition. This rule applies for all general non reporting workstations, except the WAIT workstations.