Frequently Asked Questions › FAQs

FAQs

Q: Can I issue a z/OS modify command to send a broadcast message to CA TPX?

A: Yes. The syntax for the command is:

F tpx_started_task_name, SEND 'text',L=general_list_name

Q: How do I dynamically add virtual terminals to CA TPX?

A: Build a VTAM member to define the additional GROUP, UNIQUE, or both, virtual terminals as follows:

TPXNEW VBUILD TYPE=APPL
*TPX,UNIQUE DO NOT REMOVE - THIS COMMENT IDENTIFIES UNIQUE VIRT TERM
*
Z44IJSU0 APPL MODETAB=ISTINCLM,DLOGMOD=T3278M2,SRBEXIT=NO,EAS=1
Z44IJSU1 APPL MODETAB=ISTINCLM,DLOGMOD=T3278M2E,SRBEXIT=NO,EAS=1
Z44IJSU2 APPL MODETAB=ISTINCLM,DLOGMOD=T3278M3,SRBEXIT=NO,EAS=1
*     END OF UNIQUE VIRTUAL TERMINALS
*
*TPX,GROUP DO NOT REMOVE - THIS COMMENT INDENTIFIES GROUP VIRT TERM
*
Z44IGRU0 APPL MODETAB=ISTINCLM,DLOGMOD=T3278M2,SRBEXIT=NO,EAS=1
Z44IGRU0 APPL MODETAB=ISTINCLM,DLOGMOD=T3278M2E,SRBEXIT=NO,EAS=1
Z44IGRU0 APPL MODETAB=ISTINCLM,DLOGMOD=T3278M3,SRBEXIT=NO,EAS=1
*     END OF GROUP VIRTUAL TERMINALS*

Vary the new member ACTIVE in VTAM.

In TPXOPER, issue the VTADD TPXNEW command to add the newly created VTAM member TPXNEW.

Q: Where are the CA TPX timeouts specified?

A: Timeout values are established at the multiple levels listed below. The lowest level where information is specified is used. Levels are listed here from high to low.

System Options Table (SMRT)

Timing Parameters Detail panel (TEN0104)—All fields require values; if no values are specified, SMRT defaults are used. This panel contains User Timeout and Timeout Option fields, which allow for a two-stage timeout if the first level is a lock (L in Timeout Option field), and a Session Timeout field.

Application Characteristics Table (ACT)

Application Characteristics Detail panel (TEN0094)—This panel contains the Timeout Minutes field for an application. Specifying this field is optional.

Profile:

• TPX User Options Detail panel (TEN0113)—This panel contains four timeout-related fields and allows for a two-stage timeout. Specifying these fields is optional; if specified, the values override the User Timeout and Timeout Option fields in the SMRT.
• TPX Application Session Options-Profile Table Detail panel (TEN0114)—Use the Timeout Minutes field. Specifying the field is optional; if specified, the value overrides the value in the ACT (if specified) and in the Session Timeout field in the SMRT.

TPX User Maintenance

(Applicable only for user IDs defined in the administration database)

• TPX User Options, TPX Userid Maintenance Detail panel (TEN0123)—This panel contains four timeout-related fields and allows for a two-stage timeout. Specifying these fields is optional; if specified, the values override the User Options at the Profile level and the User Timeout and Timeout Option fields in the SMRT.
• TPX Session Options, TPX User Maintenance Detail for Session panel (TEN0124)—Use the Timeout Minutes field. Specifying this field is optional; if specified, the value overrides the Application Session Options at the Profile level, the ACT, and the User Timeout field in the SMRT.

When evaluating timeout information, you should also consider timeouts that can be defined in your applications, such as the TCP/IP INACTIVE parameter.

Q: Where can I get a summary of total active sessions? The TPXOPER command "D U" displays total active users, but requires that I tally the active sessions of all user IDs listed.

A: The z/OS console command "F tpxprocname, D U" displays a summary of the total active sessions.

Q: When and how should an SVCDUMP of the CA TPX region be taken?

A: In general, you should take an SVCDUMP when CA TPX is in a hung state or using an excessive amount of CPU time.

Issue the following z/OS command at the system console:

DUMP COMM=(TPX LOOP DUMP)

The system issues the following response, where xx is the reply number:

xx IEE094d SPECIFY OPERANDS(S) FOR DUMP COMMAND

Reply to the console message with:

xxJOBNAME=(proc_name,),SDATA=(RGN,SQA,CSA,TRT,LSQA),
STRLIST=(STRNAME=sname,ACCESSTIME=NOLIMIT,LOCKENTRIES,LISTNUM=ALL,
    ADJUNCT=CAPTURE, ENTRYDATA=SERIALIZE),
END

where

xx

Indicates the reply number

proc_name

Indicates the CA TPX procedure name.

Note: If CA TPX is not running as a VTAM generic resource, omit the STRLIST parameter.

The console dump is routed to the system dump data sets.

Q: What are the considerations for using SessionData for an application session in CA TPX?

A: The SessionData field lets you provide up to 60 characters of information to an application when the application session is started.

You can pass information using the SessionData field only if the application will accept that information from the DATA parameter on the LOGON command in the unformatted system services (USS) table.

The syntax for the LOGON command in the USS table is as follows:

LOGON APPLID(applid) DATA(........)

The application controls what data can be accepted from the DATA parameter, and thus from CA TPX SessionData.

CA TPX SessionData for an application session can contain CA TPX variables. For example, it can contain variables such as &USERID and &PSWD to indicate the user ID and password used for CA TPX signon (unless another user ID or password is specified for the specific application session on the session detail definition). The parameters should be separated by a comma (,) or slash (/). Specify the data in the order in which the application expects to receive it (that is, user ID first, then password, and so on).

Q: If I have an application that needs to know my physical terminal ID, how can I accomplish this using CA TPX?

A: You can use one of four possible methods to meet this requirement:

1. You can pass the original VTAM network name to an application session by using the symbolic &NETNAME specified in the SessionData field (profile-level or user-level session detail) or by using a session signon ACL/E.

   Note: You can pass information using the SessionData field only if the application will accept that information from the DATA parameter of the unformatted system services (USS) table.

2. You can implement a terminal-masking rule (in a virtual terminal masking rule table) for the application (defined in the ACT table with the mask rule name) that will "map" a physical terminal ID to a virtual terminal ID where only one character is different.

   For example: you can set up a rule that will map all physical terminals to a virtual terminal mask that changes only the first position of the terminal ID, but retains the remaining positions (physical terminal ID A55U0109 would "map" to Z55U0109), or some variation of this mapping logic. The application, however, will need to know that the Zxxxxxxx virtual terminals are derived from Axxxxxxx physical terminals.

3. OEM Terminal-ID Query allows you to incorporate code, as part of your application, that utilizes a special data stream sent from the application. CA TPX intercepts this data stream and responds with a data stream that contains the LUNAME of the physical terminal; no data is actually transmitted to or from the terminal. The CB0VSRC library contains two samples: CICS#OEM and TSO#OEM.
4. You can set up the application session to be a PASS session (PASS = Y in profile-level or user-level session definition) so that when a user selects the session, CA TPX "passes" the physical terminal to the session. The application communicates directly with the physical terminal as if a session manager is not in use. While in PASS mode for the application session, CA TPX functions, such as toggling between sessions, are unavailable. When the application session is terminated, CA TPX regains control of the physical terminal.

Q: What are the benefits of using external security to determine the applications that will appear on the TPX Menu for a given user? How do I implement it?

A: The benefits are as follows:

• CA TPX maintenance would be reduced to adding or deleting applications and profiles in the system, which in most installations is an infrequent occurrence. The user maintenance would be reduced to security system entries that are required regardless of whether you use CA TPX.
• Customization of the signon and signoff exit function code 20 would likely be eliminated.
• Any exceptions to the normal menu, such as additional authorizations for managers, are resolved by security. External security will manage each application and its appearance on the menu based on the set of permissions defined for the user ID. All exceptions are clearly defined in external security based on the user's position.

For information on how to implement this, see Using External Security to Determine Applications on TPX Menu in the chapter Special Features and Customization Tasks.

In addition, the signon and signoff exit (TPXUSNSF) must be checked under function code 20 to return to CA TPX with return code 12. The default exit, as supplied, performs the functionality required. (For more information, see Signon and Signoff Exit.)

Q: How many megabytes of Coupling Facility (CF) storage are required for the CA TPX list structure?

A: Determining the required storage involves a number of factors. Use the formulas provided by IBM for a list structure with named entries and adjunct data (this can be different depending on the CFLEVEL and CF model in use). For your hardware and software levels, see IBM documentation S/390 PR/SM Planning Guide (GA22-7236-04) or equivalent.

Determine the maximum number of members (instances of CA TPX) that can use this generic name. This number plus one gives you the maximum number of lists in the structure (commonly referred to as the list count). This is also the number of lock entries required.

CA TPX uses named entries without keys and allocates adjunct data for each entry. A single list set entry (with adjunct data) is used for each unique user that is logged on to CA TPX. Data elements are not used for unique users. Mult-users require a single list set entry for all instances of any one user ID with adjunct data and one or more data elements, which are defined with a size of 256 bytes and are allocated in 256 byte increments. The number of data elements associated with a list entry is a function of the number of instances of any one Mult-user and is limited to 16, which limits the maximum number of instances of any one Mult-user to approximately 341.

The amount of storage used in the data element is approximately 12 bytes per Mult-user instance. However, the element and entry ratios are set to one to minimize data element space and maximize list entry space in the structure.

These calculations will give you a close estimation of the storage required. We recommend that you monitor structure utilization, because CA TPX or IBM software maintenance and changes in your environment can affect this.

When CA TPX initializes, it issues message TPXL5101 to the CA TPX log. The message indicates the results of the connection attempt to the coupling facility structure and contains the approximate number of entries the structure will support as reported by the XES subsystem.

In addition, CA TPX provides a sample program (and the necessary JCL to invoke it) that issues the IBM IXLCSP macro. Written in assembler, the sample program asks you to provide input parameters, which are then used to calculate the number of required entries; the program then invokes the IXLCSP macro to obtain feedback from the XES subsystem regarding the approximate size of the structure required.

Q: What causes VSAM integrity errors?

A: VSAM integrity errors usually occur because:

• Your CB0VLOAD is not APF authorized.
• You moved, reorganized, or allocated your VSAM files or the catalog but did not run the RESET INTEGRITY batch job prior to restarting CA TPX. For sample JCL for this job, see the BATCHINI member in CB0VSRC. See also the Batch Administration Guide.
• You are running a VSAM optimizer.

You upgraded your operating system but did not run the batch RESET INTEGRITY job against your VSAM files prior to starting CA TPX for the first time in the new operating environment.