External Product Interface › Install the EPI

Install the EPI

You cannot start the EPI automatically at product initialization and then leave it alone; this is because the EPI communicates with other VTAM applications that may be active when the EPI (CA OPS/MVS) starts. The EPI depends on VTAM availability, unlike the rest of CA OPS/MVS. The following discussion assumes that you operate the EPI manually. However, to automate any EPI operation task that you perform regularly and manually, you should make the maximum use of the CA OPS/MVS AOF component.

Take the following steps to prepare to use the EPI:

1. Add and activate virtual terminal definitions to VTAM.

   This step adds APPL statements to the VTAM definition library and activates these definitions in VTAM.

2. Define virtual terminals to the EPI.

   This step notifies the EPI of the virtual terminal names it should use, their characteristics, and which external products they will be used to logon to (see the EPI DEFINE command).

3. Enable the virtual terminal or terminals.

   This step connects the virtual terminals to VTAM (see the EPI ENABLE command).

4. Log the virtual terminal onto an External Product.

   This step establishes the connection between the virtual terminal and an external product (see the EPI LOGON command).

These steps are discussed in detail in the following sections.