4.5.3.2 Characteristics of the PRIO Parameter

The PRIO parameter must be used carefully. Depending on the order of messages on the queue (for example, A, B, and C), some (such as A and B) will be dequeued only one in ten times. This means reduced performance and potential slow turnaround time on the service.

The characteristics of the PRIO parameter are as follows:

• It determines the priority of an interface on the server’s queue.
• The highest assigned priority gets first preference. This interface must occur less frequently.
• A lower priority message does not remain forever enqueued, because every tenth message is retrieved on a FIFO basis. Response time must not be a concern of the lower priority interface.

Assigning priorities enables you to provide more efficient service to the most important requests and slower service to the less important requests. You can also give priority to specific users or in specific circumstances.