gtpd2m0aData Communications Services Reference

TPF Automated Operations Enabler Requirements

Implementing Automated Operations in the TPF Environment

The TPF system's implementation of automated operations supports using Target System Control Facility (TSCF) and/or NetView's Terminal Access Facility (TAF) in order to accomplish this.

See Primary Areas of the TPF System Affected by Automated Operations for more detailed information about areas affected within the TPF system.

Target System Control Facility (TSCF)

The Target System Control Facility (TSCF) gives you the ability to configure, initialize, shut down and monitor target systems from a focal point system. Customer written automation procedures assist the human (NetView operator) in controlling the target system.

TSCF allows you to:

TSCF consists of host and PS/2 code, and therefore requires a PS/2 computer as part of its configuration. The PS/2 computer can be connected to the focal point systems using an IBM token-ring local area network (LAN) or by a synchronous data link control (SDLC) link.

Each target system requires two connections to a PS/2 computer; one is for the hardware system console and the other is for its operations system console (see Figure 1). To hook up the hardware system console, see Target System Control Facility Planning and Installation, GC28-1065. There are two ways to connect TSCF to the TPF system:

Figure 1. Sample Hardware and Software Requirements for Implementing Automated Operations using TSCF and NetView. A token ring LAN may be used instead of the SDLC link.


For detailed information about PS/2 hardware requirements, see Target System Control Facility General Information, GC28-1063 and Target System Control Facility Planning and Installation, GC28-1065.

Terminal Access Facility (TAF)

TAF is a feature of NetView that allows the establishment of LU1 sessions between NetView and the TPF system. The LU1 sessions are used as the TPF system's high speed communication links to NetView. These bi-directional paths carry TPF Automated Operations Enabler message traffic to and from NetView. The TPF system should define the TAF LU1 session as a remote SNA functional support console and send selected messages to NetView across this session. Using NetView allows you to write command lists that aid a operator in controlling a local or remote computer complex.

Terminal Access Facility Support

To prevent flooding of a PS/2 computer by too much output from the TPF system, a high speed communications link to NetView is provided via TAF LU1 session establishment. This permits the TPF system to send selected output messages to NetView across the TAF session for processing by NetView command lists/command processors. Because the TPF systemaccepts input from an LU_1 (printer-type device), NetView can send commands to the TPF system in response to messages interpreted by the NetView command lists/command processors.

In addition, the TPF system accepts a SNA SIGNAL command on this interface. This enables the NetView operator to clear their terminal if it hangs awaiting a response. NetView operators can send an SNA SIGNAL by entering the command:

SENDSESS SessionID ,*

where: SessionID is the name of the TAF resource in session with the TPF system, and, * indicates request permission to send again.

Note:
The TAF LU1 resource must be defined as a 3287/9 printer to the TPF system via the TPF offline SNA table generation (OSTG) program. In NetView, this resource is defined as a 3767 printer in session with the TPF systemF.

User Responsibilities

Data integrity must be maintained during user exit processing. Inclusion of this support in the TPF system has minimal impact upon system performance. However, when control is passed to the user exit, it is the user's responsibility to address any performance impact on the system.

You will need to create automation procedures and a message automation table to provide for automation.

Requirements for Implementing Automated Operations within the TPF System

See Figure 1 for an illustration of the hardware and software requirements for implementing automated operations using TSCF and NetView.

Some Important Things to be Aware of

When referring to Figure 1, here are some important things to keep in mind:

To aid in the migration to TPF automated operations, you may choose to define the PS/2 computer as an FSC. This gives you the ability to route messages of your choosing to TSCF running in NetView. A restriction on this is the fact that a PS/2 computer must be locally attached to the TPF system.

In a loosely-coupled environment, a local channel attached FSC cannot be shared by the non-Emulator Program (EP) processors in the complex. Because a 3270 local device is attached to the EP processor in the loosely-coupled complex, the PS/2 computer, when defined as the FSC CRAS, can only be used with the EP processor. This restriction is an impact on loosely-coupled environments. IBM's recommendation is to use TAF FSCs over NCP or SNA-CTC and only use the PS/2 computer for prime CRAS automation.

Primary Areas of the TPF System Affected by Automated Operations

Filtering TPF Output Messages

Because too many TPF output messages may flood the outboard automation system, it may be necessary to filter these messages. Filtering is accomplished in a customer-replaceable program that can:

Note:
Because the NetView message automation table works off a unique message identifier, TPF messages that conform to standards are easier to automate. Non-standard messages require either reformatting in the TPF system or logic tests in the NetView command list.

How is This Filtering Done?

Two user exits in the TPF system are provided to facilitate the necessary message suppression, routing, and reformatting. This support is performed in the CRAS output module CVIQ.

In segment CVIQ, an ENTRC call is made to these customer replaceable modules: segment UOP1 and segment UOP2. It is in these segments that customer written code may be added for message suppression, routing and reformatting.

Refer to the TPF System Installation Support Reference for a detailed description of the user exits interface.

Functional Support Consoles

The TPF system permits functional support consoles (FSCs) to be printers or 3278 CRTs (because PS/2s emulate only this device). TPF message filtering, as previously described, should be used to route selected messages to NetView that require immediate attention. Defining the NetView TAF LU1, or even a PS/2 as an FSC to the TPF system, facilitates this routing of messages to NetView by enabling selection of the FSC as the destination.

Notes:

  1. FSC printer support is still available. However, only one FSC per FSC type may be defined. For example, you cannot have a 3278 CRT defined as the communications FSC and also have a printer defined as the communications FSC. However, a second communications console type may be defined; see TPF Data Communications Services Reference for more information.

  2. When an FSC is defined as a CRT, there is no longer any hardcopy printout available for this FSC type.