Installing the Mainframe Components

Mainframe zServer

The mainframe zServer is a z/OS server that supports the Eclipse mainframe integration, and is provided with Enterprise Developer Personal Edition+ and Team Edition+ products. zServer needs to be installed before mainframe access is enabled.

Refer to the document z/Server Installation Guide for instructions on how to install Enterprise Developer's mainframe components.
To define default zServer connections
Enterprise Developer supports the configuration of default connections. Default connections can be defined by creating a file called defaultZConnection.ini in the Eclipse folder of your Enterprise Developer installation.

The contents of this file must follow these syntax rules:

  • Every line must contain one attribute or start with # (Comment)
  • Every connection must start with >CONNECTION and end with >END_CONNECTION
  • Every connection must be defined with following attributes:
    NAME
    The name of the connection (must be unique)
    HOST_ADDRESS
    The physical address of the host (for example 192.168.1.1, localhost)
    PORT
    The port of the zServer (scheduler)
    DESCRIPTION
    The description of the connection - this can be left blank

A sample file is included in the installation.

When Enterprise Developer successfully parses the defaultZConnection file, it creates a z/OS connection in the Remote Systems View for every configured default connection.

Important: Enterprise Developer reads the defaultZConnection file only once for each workspace. This means that any changes relating to default connections will not apply to existing workspaces that have already been used.

Assuming you have the appropriate Enterprise Developer Personal Edition+ or Team Edition+ license, after installing zServer you should verify the connectivity.

To verify mainframe connectivity
  1. Start Eclipse.
  2. Ensure the Team Developer perspective is loaded. If it is not visible, select Window > Open Perspective > Other > <Team Developer>.
  3. Right-click in the Remote Systems view and select New > Connection.
  4. Select "z/OS" from the connection list and click Next.
  5. Enter the TCP/IP address or name of your mainframe system and enter a connection name that will be displayed in the view. Click Next.
  6. Enter the correct connection port and the default encoding parameters. Ask your system administrator if you do not know the correct parameters.
  7. Click Finish. The z/OS entry is added to the view.
To verify the client host connection
  1. Start Eclipse and switch to the Team Developer perspective.
  2. Expand the z/OS connection entry in the Remote Systems view. If the z/OS entry is not shown in this view, verify the client installation process first.
  3. Right-click on the MVS entry and verify, or customize, the port number of the zServer server (the default is 1111).
  4. Right-click on the MVS entry and select Connect.
  5. Enter your mainframe user ID and password and click OK. After a successful connection the color of the icons turns green.
  6. Right-click again on the MVS entry and select Disconnect to disconnect from the host system.

Mainframe Access server (MFA)

Mainframe Access is the OS/390 and z/OS server for Micro Focus development environments. It is a common component providing access to host resources for environments. One installation of Mainframe Access can support all of these products, providing connectivity to any number of DB2, IMS, and CICS systems located anywhere in an enterprise. It can also provide access to JES facilities, VSAM data sets, non-VSAM data sets, and data controlled by external library management products such as Panvalet, Librarian and Endevor.

Features include:

  • The Drag and Drop utility allows you to transfer files using drag and drop methods, between the mainframe and the PC environments.
  • The Remote Job Step Execution (RJSE) facility enables execution of one or more steps of a job on a remote z/OS host. It automatically uploads and downloads required files as necessary with an end result the same as when all steps are executed locally.
  • Compare and Synchronization Monitor allows you to mirror mainframe data sets against either workstation directories, or PVCS archives. This mirroring, known as synchronizing, can occur in either direction, or both directions. Typically, a user would synchronize mainframe partitioned data sets or source control systems with a workstation directory for download.
  • You can use SourceConnect to map a PC drive to a mainframe dataset. You can then access mainframe files and resources from a PC, or from applications running on a PC.
Parent topic: Installing Enterprise Developer for Eclipse