AUDIENCE:   This course will be of particular benefit to System programmers and technical support staff responsible for installation, performance and maintenance of ACF/VTAM network products. Experienced applications programmers, designers, communications technicians and technical managers may also benefit. PREREQUISITES:   Completion of 'Network Communications' or equivalent exposure to general teleprocessing concepts is necessary System programming experience in operating systems or on-line systems, or an operational background in TP hardware or software is desirable. DURATION:   4 days APPROACH:   This class is taught by lecture with hands-on workshops. OBJECTIVES:   Outline the functions and inter-relationships of SNA network software and hardware products List the steps necessary for installing or modifying an ACF/VTAM network and demonstrate a good working knowledge and understanding of the sources of detailed information Write all tables and lists needed for multi-systems networking, and maximize network availability Describe and implement strategies for tuning VTAM's storage usage and I/O channel-driving Take VTAM buffer and IO traces, sketch out the message flows captured and use diagnostic DISPLAY commands COURSE CONTENT:   SYSTEMS NETWORK ARCHITECTURE SNA concepts and terminology Network structure - nodes and datalinks Network Addressable Units: LU, PU and SSCP Network Addresses, Subarea and Element Addresses, MAXSUBA and Extended Network Addresses APPN Dynamic Networking SNA Sessions BIND and prerequisite command flows SNA Formats FID4 PIU illustrated through VTAM buffer and I/O traces APPC Data flows through VTAM buffer and I/O traces Attach processing Error processing Session Protocols Response protocols Sequence numbering Request/Response modes Chaining Bracketing SDLC line Discipline summarized Token Ring Discipline summarized Boundary Function FID 2 PIU format Local addresses Segmenting Session pacing ACF/VTAM OVERVIEW SNA Access Method: Sub Area SNA Domain ownership Cross-domain resource management Configuration services Session services Route management Peer to Peer SNA overview Network nodes End Nodes LEN nodes Addressing Routing Session Services Configuration Data Flow SNA over IP : EE Enterprise Extender Application programming introduction General outlines of VTAM programs VTAM macro language Macros equated with SNA RU's LOGON, TPEND, LOSTERM and RELREQ exit routines ACQUIRE and PASS options Functions of ACB's NIB's and RPL's Pointers for further information Examples of CPIC APPC applications Network operator interface Commands for starting and halting VTAM under MVS, VM or VSE, with discussion of the effects of command options DISPLAYs, MODIFYs, and VARYs in everyday usage, contingency usage, problem determination and tuning Product releases Summaries of recent ACF/VTAM releases correlated with releases of other Network Program Products including VTAM 4.1, 4.2 Bibliography Suggested booklist for further reading and reference INSTALLATION: OPERATING SYSTEM CONSIDERATIONS Libraries, JCL, system parameters and IOGEN VTAM CUSTOMIZATION USS table General form, usage, creation, limitations Examples LOGMODE table Table entry selection scheme Cookbook approach to coding Meanings of the operands coded Intermediate Routing and Path Tables TG's, ER's and VR's explained Strategy for producing PATH tables Workshop Class of Service Table What to code, and how the VR selection routine uses it Other tables and exits on demand RESOURCE DEFINITION Major and Minor Nodes Network names Application program definition NCP/EP Definition Facility and VTAM aspects of NCP Switched network definition Dynamic Reconfiguration SNA and non-SNA local terminal definition Adjacent SSCP lists Channel Attachment major node PU 2.1 definitions VTAM co-existence with TCP/IP VTAM resource definitions in TCP/IP stack on the mainframe SNA over IP : EE Enterprise Extender definitions START OPTIONS AND TUNING Start option and configuration list merging and selection scheme Important start options and tuning options VTAM start options for APPN Buffer pool dynamic expansion mechanism BFRUSE displays for pool optimization TNSTAT for tuning channel data transfers VTAM TROUBLESHOOTING AND DIAGNOSTICS How to start VTAM buffer and I/O traces Tracing normal data flow Diagnosing BIND failures with VTAM traces BACKUP CONSIDERATIONS (TIME PERMITTING) Network failures Configuration Restart and NODELST files 37XX Channel Interfaces and Two-Processor Switches NCP takeover: OWNER and BACKUP vs. ISTATUS Auto Network Shutdown Alternate Routing SNBU for peripheral links  HW/08