Overview › How the Product Works

How the Product Works

CA Mainframe Connector enables client products (such as such as CA OPS/MVS and CA SOLVE:Operations Automation) to manage Linux resources on z/VM systems. The product provides the z/VM and Linux message, and command and response services that client products use to manage the Linux resources. The product consists of the following components:

• A z/OS region (or task)
• A z/VM agent on each z/VM system that hosts the Linux systems you want to manage through the client products
• A Linux agent on each Linux system

The following illustration shows the main product components and the flow of data:

The product has the following main components:

z/OS Region

Provides the following TCP/IP servers for the traffic between client products and the agents. You can use the following command to find out the status of these servers: F,rname,SERVERS.

VMMON

Provides the following services to the z/VM agents:

• To receive unsolicited z/VM events and messages from the agents
• To provide a command and response interface for the agents

This server sets up the port to which z/VM agents connect.

SYSLOG

Receives messages from the syslog daemon. This server sets up the port to which the syslog daemon on each Linux system connects.

UNSOLMSG

Passes unsolicited events and messages to client products. This server sets up the port to which client products connect.

COMMANDS

Provides a command and response interface between client products and agents:

• For z/VM agents, the end-to-end command flow is client product, COMMANDS server, VMMON server, and z/VM agent. The reverse applies to the response flow.
• For Linux agents, the end-to-end command flow is client product, COMMANDS server, and Linux agent. The reverse applies to the response flow. This server communicates directly with a Linux agent. All Linux agents to be connected must set up their ports using the same port number.

You configure and run the region on the same z/OS system where your client products run. The task serves multiple z/VM and Linux agents.

z/VM Agent

Provides the following services:

• To pass unsolicited z/VM events and messages to client products through the z/OS region
• To accept z/VM commands from and return responses to client products through the z/OS region

You configure and run an agent on each z/VM system that hosts the Linux systems that you want to manage through client products.

Linux Agent

Accepts Linux commands from and return responses to client products through the z/OS region.

You configure an agent on each Linux system you want to manage through client products. The agent is started automatically after the syslog daemon connects with the z/OS region.