i5/OS restricted state

At times, it is necessary to place the operating system in restricted state. This is a concept unique to the i5/OS™ operating system and must only be performed when necessary. Learn about restricted state and when it needs to be performed.

Restricted state is a condition that occurs when all subsystems are ended, either manually or automatically by the system. When the operating system is in restricted state, most jobs cannot be active and users cannot connect to the server. You need to ensure that information is saved and that other servers, such as a Windows^® server, are properly powered down before putting the operating system in restricted state. If not, there is a high risk that you will lose data.

The following examples show the most common tasks that require or highly recommend restricted state status:

Performing a full system backup: When a full system backup is performed, the operating system is automatically placed in restricted state. Restricted status is required because the server requires sole access to everything it is backing up.
Saving multiple items: It is recommended that you put the operating system in a restricted state when backing up multiple items such as libraries, documents, directories, and storage. As previously stated, the system requires sole access to each object it is backing up. If the system is not in restricted state and someone is using a library when the system tries to back it up, the save operation will not complete successfully.
Software installation and upgrade: At various points during a software installation or upgrade, the operating system is required to be in a restricted state. During these procedures, you are given instructions on how to do this.

There are many more situations where certain tasks require that you perform this operation. The individual tasks will include specific requirements and instructions. When required, you can place the operating system in restricted state by entering the following command at a command line, type ENDSBS SBS(*ALL) OPTION(*CNTRLD) DELAY(600) and press Enter.

Notes:

For the Delay parameter, specify a number of seconds that allows your server time to bring most jobs to a normal end. On a large, busy server, you might need a longer delay. For more information, use the online command help.
The End System command (ENDSYS) will also put the system into restricted state.

The server sends messages to the QSYSOPR message queue. These messages indicate that the subsystems ended, and the server is in a restricted state.