Take over or recover an Operations Console connection

A special set of functions included in i5/OS allow an Operations Console to take control from another console device. The two main actions that you can do are:

• Take over is the process used for a LAN-connected console-capable device to take control from the current LAN-connected console device. This take over action can not be used with directly attached consoles.
• Recovery is the process of regaining control of the job running on the console after a problem with the console was encountered. The recovery process may be to the same console device or a different console device and may be facilitated by additional work to enable a device using a different connectivity. The exception is twinaxial console which does not use the same type of 5250 emulation and thus cannot recover the console.

Every console-capable device running 5250 emulation, regardless of connectivity, will be presented a screen of data regardless of whether or not it is the console when it successfully connects. This means that now, more than one device will have data on the screen after the console has been established. A console device will not have a blank screen showing Disconnected. This action allows the job at the console to be "transferred" to another device without causing loss of data. When the console option for take over is enabled, the server also has enhanced recoverability from loss of the console.

The recovery action is accomplished by suspending the data stream to a console that loses a connection, or is being taken over, saving further data and then sending that data to the next device to become the console, even if the device is the same former console. Recoverability is essentially just taking over the console from the same or different qualified device regardless of what the former console was doing.

The default setting for the console take over and recovery function is disabled. If this function is disabled, all console-capable devices will display the Console Information Status screen whenever they are not the active console.

Benefits of these functions include convenience and redundancy. Console capable devices can be placed around a site, or multiple sites, allowing users to move around and gain control of the system from any of these devices. Whatever the previous console's activity was, the new console will be at the exact same place, even during the process of restarting the server or installing i5/OS™. When the console option for takeover is enabled, the server also has enhanced recoverability from a loss of the console.