EXTENDED TERMINAL ASSIST
EXTENDED TERMINAL ASSIST:
- Saves system support time by eliminating the need to code and maintain exits
- Improves availability by eliminating most IMS restarts
- Provides additional flexibility features for the most complex environments
- Improves integrity by providing error checking during data entry
- Allows system administrators to secure IMS commands by keyword
Business challenge
The Extended Terminal Option (ETO) feature, available with IMS Version 4.1 or later, allows terminals, printers and LTERMS to be created dynamically, reducing IMS downtime and cutting waste of computing resources associated with IMSGENs. However, ETO does present some limitations and new challenges.
ETO's default dynamic terminals and other elements require additional configuration before they will meet most customers' needs. When configuring these terminals and peripherals, systems support personnel must undertake the time-consuming process of creating or modifying descriptors, plus they must write user exits in assembler language. Staff productivity is diminished during the time it takes to code the exits and maintain them. Plus, the additional risk of human error can cause problems in implementing the exits.
Business opportunity
What is needed is a product that can eliminate the need to manually code and maintain user exits, eliminate IMS restarts and customize ETO and IMS for even the most complex environments.
The BMC Software solution
The EXTENDED TERMINAL ASSIST (ETA™) product from BMC Software is the productivity and availability enhancement you need to gain the greatest value from the ETO feature of IMS/TM. ETA completely eliminates the need to write user exits.
ETA provides easy, fast system modifications through an ISPF online interface. Administrators or systems support personnel can add or modify terminals quickly and easily, freeing their time for more productive tasks.
Instant implementation
ETO without EXTENDED TERMINAL ASSIST requires an IMS restart to implement any exit changes or descriptors, which means choosing between delaying users' requests until the next scheduled restart or taking IMS down and losing availability.
With ETA, changes to the system are immediate. IMS restarts to change terminal configurations are eliminated. Response to users' requests and IMS availability are increased. ETA provides two features that make ETO immediately usable on all of the organization's IMS systems:
- An online interface that simplifies the process of customizing IMS systems
- The ETA Translate Subsystem Services (TSS) table lookup feature, a centralized resource for reviewing and performing customizations on IMS systems using ETO
Online interface
The ETA online interface enables you to find information easily and to customize ETO through a series of pull-down menus and pop-up windows. This interface, a CUA-compliant ISPF dialog, checks for errors during data entry, offers extensive online help and gives value prompts for many data entry fields. Administrator benefits include:
- Ease of learning new options available with ETO
- Ability to activate options and select correct values without extensive research
- Executions of IMS customizations properly the first time, every time
- Elimination of additional customization changes and IMS restarts that would otherwise be required to correct errors found during ETO checking
Flexible, easy customization for complex environments
The TSS table lookup facility, another robust feature of ETA, allows you to quickly implement system-wide changes as well as changes that apply to groups of nodes, LTERMS and/or users. Any ETA session can be used to review, change or add information to TSS tables on any IMS system at your facility. Additionally, TSS can be used to store system customization information.
Continuous IMS availability
ETA can eliminate the IMS restarts otherwise required to implement needed system customization changes. If ETA is used to perform system customizations for all your ETO systems, all changes are made online and all changes are completely dynamic. Therefore, IMS restarts for system customizations are completely eliminated.
If you have already created user exits and descriptors to perform some of your IMS system customizations, ETA provides features that allow you to implement changes to them without performing restarts.
Command Security feature
The Command Security by keyword feature available with ETA allows administrators to specify which users have authority to use specific keywords or groups of keywords for IMS commands.
Standard IMS security facilities allow users to issue all variants of the START command, or none. With the Command Security feature of ETA, administrators can provide personnel with only the command authority they need, without risk of accidental use of commands they don't need.
Maximize ETO
BMC Software has the experience in supporting IMS and dynamic environments to ensure that the EXTENDED TERMINAL ASSIST product will deliver the flexibility enhancements you need to make the most of ETO. By providing faster and easier ways to implement your IMS system customizations under ETO, EXTENDED TERMINAL ASSIST can help you reap significant time and cost savings while improving the productivity of your IMS systems staff.