3270 Host Connection Program 2.1 and 1.3.3 for AIX

The AIX 3270 Host Connection Program 2.1 and 1.3.3 for AIX (HCON) is a software package that allows communication with one or more IBM System/370 computer systems.

HCON Overview

To communicate with a System/370 host, HCON establishes a session with the host system. HCON can be used to establish multiple sessions with IBM System/370 computers. Each session emulates either a 3278/79 display or a 3286/87 printer. A session emulating a display is known as a display session, while a session emulating a printer is known as a printer session. HCON provides file transfer capabilities within display sessions. It also includes an application programming interface (API), which can be used to write programs that communicate with a System/370 host.

At the beginning of a display session, the emulator acts as if you had just turned on the 3278/79 terminal. After you log in to the System/370 host, you can run commands and programs. You can also use the fxfer command to upload and download files to and from the host as well as change the format of the data in files as you transfer them. For example, you can translate the file from ASCII to EBCDIC or add or remove carriage-return characters.

During a printer session, you can print files from the host on a local printer as if it were attached directly to the host or save files in printable form to print or edit later.

A user with root authority must register you as an HCON user before you can use HCON commands. After you have been registered, you must create at least one session profile before you can run HCON.

The smit hcon or the mkhconu commands may be used to add a new HCON user.

Each user of HCON can have a maximum of 26 sessions, allowing one or more simultaneous invocations of HCON to communicate with one or more hosts using different session characteristics and communication protocols, but because of SNA constraints you are limited to one host per physical link station. The parameters defining the characteristics of each session are established by a session profile.

Session profiles can be created with smit hcon or mkhcons commands.

The following list is a classification of HCON commands:

• Setting up HCON:

  startsrc -s hcon

  Starts the hcondmn daemon.

• Working with HCON users:

  mkhconu
  	Registers HCON users.
  lshconu
  	Lists HCON users.
  rmhconu
  	Removes an HCON user.

• Working with session profiles:

  mkhcons
  	Creates an HCON session profile.
  lshcons
  	Lists the characteristics of a session.
  lshconp
  	Lists all of a user's session profiles.
  chhcons
  	Changes a session profile.
  rmhcons
  	Removes a session profile.

• Working with HCON session:

  e789 n	Starts one or more specified HCON sessions.
  e789cln
  	Removes IPC resources and HCON processes left over from one or more abnormally terminated sessions. This will also terminate all other active sessions for the user issuing this command.
  fxfer
  	Implicit file transfers between your system and the host (you can also use the hconutil command for a full-screen interface).

• The hconutil command:

  This command provides a menu that allows the creation of a binary color definition table, a binary keyboard definition table, explicit file transfer, logon/logoff facilities and access to the genprof command used to create or modify automatic logon profiles.

See AIX Version 4.3 Commands Reference for more information about HCON commands.

Setup and Use of 3270 Host Connection Program 2.1 and 1.3.3 for AIX

Once you have set up all the related profiles, use the following procedure to start the connection:

1. Define valid HCON users.
2. Define HCON SNA display sessions.
3. Start an HCON session.

Defining HCON Users

Use the following procedure to add an HCON user.

1. Enter the following command:

   smit mkhconu

2. At the Add HCON User screen, enter a user name in the AIX LOGIN name field, and then press Enter.

Defining HCON SNA Sessions

Use the following procedure to define an HCON SNA session.

1. Enter the following command:

   smit mkhcons_st

2. At the Add SNA Display Session screen, enter the appropriate values in the fields and then press Enter. The following example shows the fields along with sample values:

     HCON user name                               edgar
     SESSION name                                 a
     Session USE                                 [X.25 CONNECTION]
   * SNA Profile                                 [XPROF02]
     COUNTRY                                      United States
   * KEYBOARD table                              [/usr/lib/hcon/e78>
   * COLOR table                                 [/usr/lib/hcon/e78>
   * File used by SAVES key                      [/u/edgar/e789_sav>
   * File used by REPLS key                      [/u/edgar/e789_rep>
     Host TYPE                                    CMS
     Host LOGIN ID                               [ ]
     Autolog NODE ID                             [ ]
     Autolog TRACE                                no
     Autolog TIMEOUT (seconds)                   [ ]

Starting a HCON Session

To start a session, enter the following command:

e789 SessionName

SNA Problems

See "SNA Server Problem Determination Overview for X.25" for information on problem determination procedures.

HCON Problems

The file transfer times out on a System/370 host with the emulator screen displaying message 0789-114.

One of the reasons this can occur is that the value of the PSERVIC field of the MODEENT macro has not been set correctly for HCON. If it has been set correctly, check that the logmode table has been refreshed since changing the value of the PSERVIC field.