A method of managing buffers of a computing environment, said method comprising: setting buffers of a coupling facility to either an active state or an idle state comprising: responsive to a start operator message command having an associated operator message token value, setting the operator message token value in a selected buffer and making the selected buffer active (502, 712); and determining that the selected buffer of a coupling facility of the computing environment is to be reset, the buffer including information relating to processing an operator message command sent remotely to the coupling facility from a processor image coupled to, but separate from, the coupling facility, the operator message command to perform an action on the coupling facility, the selected buffer including a token field having a token value relating the selected buffer to operator messages having operator message tokens having the same token value; and setting the determined buffer to an idle state (728, 912) in response to the determining indicating that the buffer is to be reset, wherein the buffer includes a plurality of fields including a timer to indicate a length of time an operator message has been active for the buffer, an operator message request length, and an operator message response length. setting buffers of a coupling facility to either an active state or an idle state comprising: responsive to a start operator message command having an associated operator message token value, setting the operator message token value in a selected buffer and making the selected buffer active (502, 712); and determining that the selected buffer of a coupling facility of the computing environment is to be reset, the buffer including information relating to processing an operator message command sent remotely to the coupling facility from a processor image coupled to, but separate from, the coupling facility, the operator message command to perform an action on the coupling facility, the selected buffer including a token field having a token value relating the selected buffer to operator messages having operator message tokens having the same token value; and setting the determined buffer to an idle state (728, 912) in response to the determining indicating that the buffer is to be reset, wherein the buffer includes a plurality of fields including a timer to indicate a length of time an operator message has been active for the buffer, an operator message request length, and an operator message response length. responsive to a start operator message command having an associated operator message token value, setting the operator message token value in a selected buffer and making the selected buffer active (502, 712); and determining that the selected buffer of a coupling facility of the computing environment is to be reset, the buffer including information relating to processing an operator message command sent remotely to the coupling facility from a processor image coupled to, but separate from, the coupling facility, the operator message command to perform an action on the coupling facility, the selected buffer including a token field having a token value relating the selected buffer to operator messages having operator message tokens having the same token value; and setting the determined buffer to an idle state (728, 912) in response to the determining indicating that the buffer is to be reset, wherein the buffer includes a plurality of fields including a timer to indicate a length of time an operator message has been active for the buffer, an operator message request length, and an operator message response length.