Mainframe WLM - mouse scrolling for PF7/PF8

[Nancy Perkinson]

We have many developers running an app that enables their mouse to do scrolling on the mainframe. It essentially issues “DOWN 2” commands behind the scenes, but looks like regular scrolling. This has to be incredibly inefficient/unwise in respect to WLM as it fires multiple Period 1 TSO tasks over and over, whereupon a regular PF7 wouldn’t do this amount of tasks. We have occasional poor TSO response time issues (very intermittently, and unpredictable), and our hunch is that this mainframe mouse scrolling that has been adopted by so many of our programmers is the culprit. Theoretically, it must be causing spike activity in TSO thus making WLM act unfavorably for the overall health of all TSO users (and the entire LPAR).

We know that WLM operates much better when spiky activity is lessened, and it sure seems like the TSO mouse scrolling would cause spikes in TSO. Our developers love this mouse scrolling (they think it is "cool"), and we'd hate to eliminate a favored tool just on a hunch that doesn't play out.

Have any of you dealt with problems associated with mouse scrolling on the mainframe not being nice with WLM?

Thanks.

Nancy Perkinson

[wackerm_ONKRHRJNXY]

You should set-up your emulator session to issue the PF7-PF8 on the mouse scroll action which would then follow whatever scroll amount is set on the particular panel.

[David Barry]

For example, using QWS, under Session Options > Mouse > Wheel Functions, set Roll Wheel Up: PF7; Roll Wheel Down: PF8. Works with whatever scroll value is on the ISPF panel. Way more ergonomic than using the actual PF keys.

db