Analysing DSPLOG to CFG

[Al Mac <macwheel99@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I am not as skilled as you guys on spectrum of topics, because I am a jack 
of all trades, jedi master of only some, so like to work with various 
capabilities for multiple applications to get more familiar with what can 
be done.  I have an idea for a potential solution to multiple challenges, 
but I an unsure of all the pieces.  I do most of my programming nowadays in 
RPG/400 with embedded SQL, and occasionally Query/400 work files (because 
speed of implementation is lightning fast compared to other approaches).

I'd like to read current DSPLOG info into a program, obtain selected 
messages, extract security and performance tracking info:

CPF1124 Sign-on/Job Start or CPF1164 Job Ends
* Layout of this in WRKMSGF QCFPMSG
** Hey, that's a message object ... can a program access it like we access 
a physical file?
** Can some program, with overlays, access prior QHST-whatever or is 
current QHST a different object type requiring a different program?
* I not want to read the whole thing, perhaps different programs extract 
info to check out different things.
** Can embedded SQL grab just those selected message lines, when there's 
variable field positioning, due to uncertain lengths of parameters?.
*** I want the SQL to dump what's with those message lines into a data 
structure, then RPG test particular fields for certain content matches.

I envisage different program variants
* Who is using main console for tasks that should be QINTER? ... get times 
to match with performance sluggishness
* JOBQ tasks taking entirely too long to execute, other than those I 
already know about
** I have identified some long running jobs, massaged the programs, made 
significant improvements in their performance.
* Security interest in identifying user-id sign-on from site other than 
user true location.
*** e.g. same person appears to be signed on simultaneously from multiple 
cities (either they sign on and never sign off, or too many people are 
using their password)
*** e.g. trainee memorizes password of visitor showing how to do stuff, 
then goes exploring beyond what we intended them to get into.
*** e.g. some co-worker has deduced one of the QIBM passwords, so time to 
change that password again.
*** e.g. security-wise person notes last time the AS/400 thinks they signed 
on was much more recent than their human memory, need to document from 
where their ghost signed on, in addition to changing password.
** when subsystem QINTER in message CPF1124 sign-on, seek programmable 
equivalent of WRKCFGSTS *DEV then "The Workstation ID used" (get from 
CPF1124) to get at F14 5 F11 what CTL Controller is that work station 
attached to (Local, Virtual, or which Remote Site).
*** First few letters of our remote site controllers naming are named after 
the particular site.
*** What's the utility to get that? RTVCFGSTS or some API?
**** I am not at all skilled with API/400

-
Al Macintyre  http://www.ryze.com/go/Al9Mac
BPCS/400 Computer Janitor ... see
http://radio.weblogs.com/0107846/stories/2002/11/08/bpcsDocSources.html