HATS

Due to processing by IBM, this request was reassigned to have the following updated attributes:
Brand - Servers and Systems Software
Product family - Enterprise Tooling
Product - HATS

For recording keeping, the previous attributes were:
Brand - Rational
Product family - Enterprise Tools
Product - HATS

Due to processing by IBM, this request was reassigned to have the following updated attributes:
Brand - Rational
Product family - Enterprise Tools
Product - HATS

For recording keeping, the previous attributes were:
Brand - Rational
Product family - Design & development
Product - HATS

As mentioned in previous comment, when single collision avoidance symbol [=] is used, requests will be sent by incrementing workstation ID values from 0-9 and A-Z. However, when two [==] or more symbols are used workstation ID values are generated randomly as the number of possibilities are more. Due to this, even though the device is free on host, there is no guarantee that the request goes with the same workstation ID again. This is to avoid delay in establishing the connection with the host and minimize the number of requests with a workstation id that's in use.
Use of two [=] results in approximately 1 in 50 chances of duplicating an established ID out of approximately 1296 unique IDs.

"the system should release the workstation ID that had been used, to allow new connections."

If one uses one wildcard "=", the devices are reused.

If one uses two or more wildcards "==", devices are not reused, and new devices are created.

The RFE is for the same behaviour in both cases, IE, reuse of devices.

In HATS '=' in a Workstation ID is treated as wildcard character for Collision Avoidance.

If 'workstationID' parameter is not specified then, a workstation ID is automatically assigned by the host. When specified, the Collision Avoidance ID enables the generation of a new workstation ID if the Telnet server rejects the previous name (which can occur when the old name is already in use on the IBM® i server).

Wildcard combinations in the workstation ID field allows the HATS Server to automatically generate more ID variations for achieving connection acceptance from the host. This decreases the time required for session connection, as it decreases the number of times the host must reissue a request to the client for valid workstation ID.

Wildcard characters can be specified multiple times in the workstation ID field in any combination with other alphanumeric characters. (For example: N=A=M=E, NAME==, and so on.) With each use of the wildcard, you decrease the likelihood of generating a workstation ID already claimed by another session:

Use of two [=] results in approximately 1 in 50 chances of duplicating an established ID.
Use of three [=] results in approximately 1 in 300 chances of duplicating an established ID.
The number of unique names generated is approximately 36n, where n is the number of equal signs [=].

For example: Given the input of NA=ME for workstation ID, the one [=] can trigger generation of 36 unique IDs that use the alphanumeric characters specified (N, A, M, E). Adding a second [=] can trigger generation of approximately 1296 unique IDs, and so on.

Incase if QAUTOVRT is less than that of the number of unique IDs that can be generated using the repeated use wildcard character '=', then there is a possibility that system could reach the maximum limit defined by QAUTOVRT value (if all the connections are active) as the request goes with a random generated workstation ID.

However, when the user gets disconnected from the host, the system should release the workstation ID that had been used, to allow new connections.

Please let us know if you have any questions.