Accept commands from service processor

A separate RFE has been created for zVM to enhance CP SEND so it works with TERMINAL CONMODE 3270 guests.

No changes are required to TPF product code as long as the solution provided by zVM conforms to the 3270 interface.

I had a meeting this morning with Brian and Dan and a new, simpler solution may be possible. I no longer think supporting messages from the service processor (VINPUT) need to be supported.

The problem I'm trying to solve is to have a way to enter a Prime-CRAS-only command to a TPF system running on zVM, from a (privileged) CMS userid.

For comparison, this is easily done for zLinux if a userid (root?) is auto-logged onto the console. CP SEND is processed just as if the user were logged on to the id.

However, the same does not work for TPF running on zVM when the console mode (CP TERMINAL CONMODE) is 3270 instead of 3215.

I already (23 Apr 2018) created an RFE for zVM to enhance CP SEND so it works with TERMINAL CONMODE 3270 guests.
See https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/rfe/execute?use_case=viewRfe&CR_ID=119212

I'm reasonably certain that if CP SEND (or similar command) is available within zVM, then no changes to TPF are required at all.

A mechanism is needed to submit a 3270 datastream as input to a guest, making it look like it was actually entered from the console.

One question for the TPF 3270 people:
The TPF 3270 console has only one input field. But when enter (or any AID key) is pressed, the terminal sens the AID, cursor location and SBA orders defining the fields being sent to the host. What does TPF do with those? TPF supports only 24 X 80 (Mod-2) so a CP SEND/equiv would need a way to generate those extra pieces of information so the TPF guest would see the expected 3270-data stream.

Business case/use:
We have automated processes that bring up/down TPF test systems hundreds of times a day. In some cases, we need to enter a command restricted to Prime-CRAS. The automated processes are zVM/CMS based so they cannot use HLLAPI-type interfaces to 3270 emulators, or IBM's Host-On-Demand product. Furthermore, such a solution would cause automation processes to be split from CMS to Windows/Linux/mac/whatever, and that just wouldn't work well to provide a completely automated end-to-end session.

We use the IUCV connection to TPF from CMS, but that can't be used to enter Prime-CRAS-only commands because the IUCV session is assigned an LN-IA-TA in the CRAS table, but it's never "Prime-CRAS".

I understand there is a restriction with CP SEND that the response will not be seen by the issuer of CP SEND...
I don't expect CP FOR to be enhanced...

Thanks for your consideration, I hope these new, simpler requirements are something IBM sees value in for all its TPF customers.

Cheers,
Donald Russell

I received an email saying you nneed more information... what information are you looking for?

With zTF running as a ghuest on zVM... service console can be simulated with the CP VINPUT VMSG command. However, to make that more useful, a Class C user can use CP SEND CP VINPUT VMSG so the zTPF command is executed without actually logging on to the userid console.

example... zVM is shutting down and I want to quiesce all zTPF guests... by having them go to 1052 state. A Class C userid, on deteching that zVM is shutting down, can CP SEND CP VINPUT VMSG ZCYCL 1052 for all zTPF guests.

Each zTPF guest then "sees" a ZCYCL 1052 command from its console and processes the command.

That's just one exanple of needing to enter TPF commands...