ISPF GUI WORKSTATION

25.09.2001

The ISPF Workstation Agent (WSA) component of ISPF enables you to run ISPF on a programmable
workstation and display the panels using the display function of your workstation operating system.
One reason for using the ISPF Client/Server function is to offload CPU cycles from the host to a
less expensive workstation. Another reason could be with WSA your users can use their favourite
editor to work with your data, whether that means using a host editor on host and workstation files,
or using a workstation editor on the same files. By making the connection to the workstation, a user
can edit workstation files on ISPF, or host files on his workstation, in standard 3270 mode as well
as in ISPF GUI mode.

Before configuring your ISPF session to work with WSA, check that your TCPIP address space is called
TCPIP. If not, you might need to change the ISPF default table ISPDFLTS accordingly.

Make sure you have the necessary authority to access the necessary UNIX files (ex. UID 0 path \).

Find your workstation IP address by going under DOS and issuing the command IPCONFIG.

C:\users\default>ipconfig

Configurazione IP di Windows NT

Ethernet scheda El90x1:

Indirizzo IP. . . . . . . . . . : 10.3.37.91 ç

Subnet mask . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.224.0
Gateway predefinito . . . . . . : 10.3.32.1

Transfer member ISPGUINX in binary form from the system data set ISP.SISPGUI to your desktop as
ISPFINST.

Create a new folder called ISPFGUI under the PROGRAMS Windows directory and copy there your
executable file. Execute the file which will in turn create another 4 files and the program WSA.

Execute WSA by double-clicking on it. Select Options from the windows that will appear on your
screen and make sure the configuration looks as follows.

Options Help

Information…

X Enable TCP/IP
Enable APPC

Set TCP/IP Port…

Set SNA TP name…
Set Winsock Path…

Set Font…

System Register…

Now that you have started your workstation agent on your workstation, turn to your mainframe ISPF
session by selecting 0 – Settings and then the pull-down menu Workstations from which you should
select 1. Workstation connection. Select 1 for GUI display on the left, 1 for TCP/IP on the right
and enter below the IP address of your workstation.
You can also choose not to start a GUI display with your session. In this case your ISPF session
looks exactly as usual, but you still retain the capability of editing Workstation files or
Mainframe files with a Workstation editor.

Command ===>
More:
/ Save values in system profile? (/=Yes)

Workstation Connection GUI Network Protocol

1 1. With GUI display 1 1. TCP/IP
2. Without GUI display 2. APPC
3. Connect to ISPF Application Server 3. Use ISPDTPRF file

GUI Title

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ISPF Session
TCP/IP Address
10.3.37.91
APPC Address

The following panel will appear and you should click on the yes button to start your session.

Incoming connection…

Requester information

System: 192.168.10.41
User: USER01

Connection request

Allow file access

Allow remote command execution
Allow dialogs to be displayed

Accept connection ?

Yes No

You are now ready to take advantage of your session by using a Workstation editor.
From the 3.4 panel, edit the mainframe data set as usual. The following screen will appear on which
you should select <EDIT host file on Workstation>.

Workstation Help
``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
EDIT Entry Panel

Object Name:
'SYSG.TESTFILE.OUTPUT'
* No workstation connection
Initial Macro . .
Profile Name . . . (Blank defaults to Type)
Format Name . . .
Panel Name . . . . (Leave blank for default)

Options
/ Confirm Cancel/Move/Replace
EDIT Mixed Mode
/ EDIT host file on Workstation
Preserve VB record length
/ Warn on First Data Change

Press ENTER to continue. Press CANCEL to cancel action.

By selecting option 1 from the pull-down menu Wokstation, you can configure the editor for files on
the Workstation.

Workstation Help
|``````````````````````````````````````````````````````|
| 1 1. Configure ISPF Workstation Tool Integration... |
| 2. Exit |
{``````````````````````````````````````````````````````¬
'SYSG.TESTFILE.OUTPUT'

Initial Macro . .
Profile Name . . . (Blank defaults to Type)
Format Name . . .
Panel Name . . . . (Leave blank for default)

Options
/ Confirm Cancel/Move/Replace
EDIT Mixed Mode
/ EDIT host file on Workstation
Preserve VB record length
/ Warn on First Data Change

Press ENTER to continue. Press CANCEL to cancel action.

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3
Your edit and view configuration will appear. Type <e> against edit and type in the editor of your
choice on the next panel (so far I have only managed to work with notepad).

File Map Help

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Workstation Tool Integration Configuration
Command ===> Scroll ===> PAGE

Press EXIT to save tool configuration to connected workstation hard drive.

Press CANCEL to temporarily update tool configuration for this session.

Action: E=Edit V=View

Description Code Data Mode Command

View V TEXT MODELESS excel
e Edit E TEXT MODAL notepad
**End**

Modify Tool Configuration

Description . : Edit Code . : E

Options
Data . . 1 1. Text Invocation 1 1. Modal
2. Binary 2. Modeless

Workstation command
notepad

Additional parameters

Working directory

Update Cancel

Update as required and then press PF3 to return to the edit screen. You have now configured notepad
as your Workstation editor and you only need to go through the last 2 steps if you want to choose
another editor. From now on, when you edit a file specifying <Edit HOST file on Workstation>, the
file will be opened directly by Notepad as described below.

testfile.out – Bloc notes

__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__
File Modifica Cerca ?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__

Content of the mainframe file displayed with Notepad.

File Edit Confirm Menu Utilities Compilers Test Help

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
EDIT SYSG.TESTFILE.OUTPUT Columns 00001 00072
Command ===> Scroll ===> PAGE
****** ***************************** Top of Data ******************************
000001 Content of the mainframe file displayed with ISPF.
****** **************************** Bottom of Data ****************************

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You can also edit a text file residing only on your PC by entering the file name on the edit entry
panel (2) and selecting <Edit on Workstation> on the bottom right corner.

Menu Reflist RefMode Utilities LMF Workstation Help

Edit Entry Panel

Command ===>

ISPF Library:
Project . . . .
Group . . . .
Type . . . .
Member . . . .

Other Partitioned or Sequential Data Set:

Data Set Name . . . .
Volume Serial . . . .

Workstation File:
File Name . . . . c:\textfile.txt

Initial Macro . . . . . Conferma Cancel/ Move/ Delete

Profile Name . . . . . Mixed Mode
Format Name . . . . x Edit on Workstation
Data Set Password . . .

Finally, you can edit the same PC file using the ISPF editor simply by not selecting <Edit on
Workstation> from the panel above.

GUI display gives you, amongst others, the advantage of being able to navigate through the ISPF
panels by the click of your mouse and having a new window created on your desktop every time you
issue a <SPLIT NEW> command. On the other hand you do not need to start a session with GUI display
to take advantage of the extended editing feature. The same functionality is in fact available as
long as a connection is established between ISPF and your workstation.