Resource Monitoring Overview
Many IBM i objects, such as controllers, subsystems, servers, or jobs can be set up as Robot Console resources. Robot Console can then monitor those resources for a desired status and, if necessary, take actions based on that status. The resource definitions you create identify the IBM i objects (resources) to be monitored, the status each resource should have, and how often the status is checked. Resource monitoring notifies Robot Console when resources are not available (not in the expected state) and when they become available again. If a resource’s status is not its expected status, an event is triggered that creates a message.
The following diagram shows how Robot Console resource monitoring works:
Primary and Secondary Resources
Resources can be dependent on other resources. For example, devices are dependent on controllers, and controllers are dependent on lines. To reduce the number of messages from unavailable resources, you can define some resources as primary resources and the resources dependent on those resources as secondary resources. When a primary resource is detected in an unexpected status, or when you manually hold it, its secondary resources are placed in a Pending status and Robot Console does not monitor them.
Held Resources
Robot Console does not monitor resources that are held. If a primary resource is held by a user, its secondary resources are placed in a Pending status and Robot Console does not monitor them. When the primary resource is released, the secondary resources are released. If a secondary resource is placed on hold separately, you must release it separately.
Grouping Resources
You can use an application to group resources together. This is useful for exporting the resources to an XML file. It also can be useful if you routinely hold and release a group of resources at once. You can create an application as you are defining the resource.
IPL Monitoring
During a system IPL, resources may have a status other than the expected status. Robot Console delays monitoring of resources during the IPL to allow time for the resources to start. Even so, it is possible for a resource to have a transitional status the first time it is checked. (A resource can have a transitional status only the first time it is checked by the resource monitor.) Robot Console resource monitoring rechecks the status of any resource that was in a transitional status outside of the normal priority frequency.
Resource monitoring provides a detailed history of the status checks.
Resource Monitoring Commands
Robot Console provides five commands that you can use to work with resource monitoring from a command line or program:
- RBCSTRRMON - Starts resource monitoring.
- RBCHLDRSC - Holds a resource.
- RBCRLSRSC - Releases a resource.
- RBCCHKRSC - Checks the status of a resource.
- RBCRSCLOG - Sends a resource history log message.