When a UTM application executes, openUTM generates messages that provide you with information on particular events.
A UTM message consists of a message number, a fixed message text and variable parameters referred to as inserts. These inserts are dynamically assigned current values when the respective message is output. Examples of inserts are the name of the application or of the communication partner, counters, error codes, etc.
Each message is associated with an identifier - a message number. UTM message numbers always consists of the letter K, P or U followed by a three-digit number, e.g. K008; this is then followed by the actual message text.
UTM messages serve different purposes and can be sent to different recipients (message destinations). Within certain limits you can define message destinations for K and P messages yourself on an application-specific basis. U-messages, on the other hand, are always sent to stderr and stdout and optionally to SYSLOG (SYSLOG file). It is not possible to specify other message destinations in this case.
Some explanations and examples for UTM messages are listed below:
A user can be informed of a certain event at the terminal by means of a message and can be requested to make an input if necessary.
Example
During the sign-on check the password was found to be invalid. openUTM requests that the user repeat the KDCSIGN input at the terminal.
An event in the UTM application is logged by means of a message in the UTM log file SYSLOG. In this way, data is collected for monitoring the application run and for diagnostic purposes.
Example
A message is issued stating that the size of the page pool in KDCFILE has exceeded a certain level.If certain UTM messages are generated and you have defined the message destination MSGTAC for them, openUTM calls an event-driven program unit in the application (see section on "MSGTAC event service" in the openUTM manual „Programming Applications with KDCS”). This event service can, for example, issue asynchronous calls to the administrator using FPUT. This makes it possible to use programmed administration to react to events for which openUTM generates messages.
Example
If the event "service abort" occurs, message K017 or K055 is generated. The MSGTAC service can act on this message by locking the TAC, for example, and sending a message to the administrator.
In order to output a message, openUTM utilizes a message module specific to openUTM. This contains the properties and texts of all UTM messages. When using NLS, the message texts are taken from special message catalogs, see section “Message catalog source file for NLS”.
You can, to a certain extent, structure the output of UTM messages for specific applications. You can, for example, change the message destinations (recipients) of K, P, and U messages and translate the message texts into a different language. You will find more information in "section “Modifying message output”.
You can also use NLS message catalogs to structure the message output. The message catalogs contain the message texts for a particular language and a character set (code set). This brings the following benefits:
If message catalogs are used, UTM messages appear for the user in the selected language (assuming appropriate NLS message catalogs exist), i.e. an application can be operated in more than one language according to requirements.
The language of a user need not be generated since the message texts are automatically selected in the correct language at run time. The %LANG% environment variable of the user is evaluated by the dialog terminal process of this user.
Message catalogs in German and English are supplied with openUTM as standard.
You can include message inserts in the message text or remove inserts from it.