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On the AS/400 server, messages are shared between the programs that are executing on it and users of the target system and used for many purposes on the system. The messages that are received from the users/programs are first stored in the message queues in arrival sequence. The messages will remain in the queues until administrators take the necessary action that suits the respective messages. Typically, the messages provide variety of information such as status, errors, non-error related information, inquiry message that needs reply from the user or program, etc. By tracking these messages, administrator can clearly understand what was exactly happened while executing the jobs and abnormalities, and also can find out the load on the queues. This is where the AS400MessageTest test helps administrators!

This test monitors the messages received on the message queues of the target AS400 server and reports the total number of messages in the queue and the number of messages that require reply.

Outputs of the test : One set of results for the AS400 server that is being monitored.

Measurement	Description	Measurement Unit	Interpretation
No_of_total_message	Indicates the total number of messages in the message queue.	Number	This measure will appear only if the SHOW ALL MESSAGES flag is set to Yes. This is a good indicator of the load on the message queue. The detailed diagnosis of this measure reveals the ID, severity and type of the message, the information provided by the message, the time stamp at which the message was generated, whether the message needs replay back or not and the help tips to take necessary actions that suit the message.
No_of_reply_need_message	Indicates the number of Inquiry (INQ) messages in the message queue.	Number	An inquiry message requires a reply. The sender of the inquiry message (either a user or one of the programs) may need to make a decision beyond its capabilities. For instance, consider the printer writer which is a program. Your printer has been printing standard forms all day long, but suddenly a spool file shows up with special forms PURCHORDER. Now, the printer writer is faced with a decision it can't make. Should it continue printing on the same form, or should it stop? It has no way of knowing if the form PURCHORDER is installed on the printer or if the standard paper is still there. Consequently, it sends an inquiry message to ask for instructions. The instructions will be then sent as reply messages with the help of which the printer will make the decision.