Systems Network Architecture (SNA) protocol, which provides communication between IBM mainframes and peripheral nodes, is often deployed in the retail and finance industries. SNA was developed by IBM for the business community. SNA provided industry with a technology that permitted unparalleled business opportunities.
With the prevalence of TCP/IP and the introduction of "SNA over IP" technologies, current mainframe networks are migrating to IP-based networks. Across the industry, support for the native SNA protocol, LLC2, or 802.3, on distributed platforms is now being withdrawn, such that native SNA connectivity to the mainframe will eventually be rendered largely useless.
IBM would like to understand your current usage of native SNA (through OSE channels) on IBM Z, and what plans, if any, you have in place to migrate to an alternative.
If your enterprise is currently using OSA-Express in OSE mode (for SNA or TCP/IP), IBM would like to understand your plans. Your answers to this brief survey will be very important in helping IBM understand your current and future needs around this technology.
This survey, available until 6/30/2020, will only take a few minutes. Your anonymous responses will only be used to help IBM evaluate the need for investment in alternative solutions or services to aid you in your migration.
Click the survey link or scan the QR code to provide feedback:
https://ibm.biz/OSA-Express-OSE-Survey
How to collect survey data:
- Follow the instructions in How to Verify OSA-Express OSE CHPID Types on Your Systems. See the section below.
References:
- See the following section: Things You Should Know about the Survey for more details about the survey background and verification process.
Thank you very much for your time and suggestions. We really appreciate your input!
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Things You Should Know about the Survey
Background
The IBM Z OSA-Express OSE CHPID type provides “legacy mode” access to Ethernet (802.3) for various IBM Operating Systems. Your answers to this survey will be very important in helping IBM to gain a better understanding of your current and future usage of OSE.
OSA-Express OSE CHPID mode provides the following two types of Ethernet connectivity support:
- VTAM Subarea SNA (PU Type 2/4) native access to Ethernet using Link Station Architecture (LSA) support:
a. VTAM Definition (VTAM VBUILD Type = XCA major node, PORT statement with MEDIUM=CSMACD).
Note: This support is also referred to as XCA through OSA with Ethernet LLC2 (802.3), requiring Data Link Switch (DLSw) routers for remote connections. b. For additional information about how to verify active XCA (LSA) usage, see the section How to Verify OSA-Express OSE CHPID types on Your Systems.
- z/OS TCP/IP LCS (LAN Channel Station for legacy access to Ethernet) support:
a. TCP/IP profile DEV/LINK statement for device LCS. b. For additional information about how to verify active LCS usage, see the section How to Verify OSA-Express OSE CHPID types on Your Systems.
This survey does not pertain to Enterprise Extender (APPN) connectivity. The focus is on VTAM SNA XCA (LSA) support (native Ethernet that may be using DLSw for connectivity) which applies to z/OS, z/VSE and VM/VTAM. LCS use should also be captured when applicable. Each Operating System type can run as a guest virtual machine (using z/VM) or as a native LPAR. This aspect (LPAR or guest) is also collected.
Verification Process
To verify OSE CHPID types being used on your systems, perform the following steps for each system:
1. Hardware Query
- Query the system using the HMC/SE (advanced facilities). If OSE CHPIDs are shown, note the channel device addresses and proceed to query each Operating System instance. Note that LSA uses a single channel device and LCS uses two channel devices.
2. Software Query
- Query each Operating System instance to determine if the LSA or LCS channel devices (noted in step 1) are online and in use (active) by either VTAM (LSA) or TCP/IP (LCS).
See the following section for additional information and examples of how to perform the above steps.
How to Verify OSA-Express OSE CHPID types on Your Systems
The information provides additional information to assist with collecting the information required to complete this survey. Samples are provided to help you verify OSE CHPIDs that are defined on your system and in use by the Operating Systems.
Step 1. System Hardware Verification
a. From HMC or SE Home Panel, highlight System then select Advanced Facilities.
b. If an OSE PCHID is present, select each OSE PCHID. Next, for each PCHID using the ---Select Action--- pull down select DISPLAY OAT ENTRIES.
c. Make a note of the LPAR(s) and device number(s). Note that SNA (LSA) uses a single device, and TCP/IP (LCS) uses two devices. In this example, devices 2E30 and 2E31 are used for LCS and 2E34 is used for LSA. This information is used for the software verification step shown next.
Step 2. Operating System (software) Verification
z/OS System Verification
The following z/OS commands provide information about the OSE CHID status (online, allocated etc.) and the LCS (2E30, 2E31) and LSA channel devices (2E34).
In this example, device 2E30, 2E31 are online and allocated to TCP/IP for LCS and device 2E34 is verified to be online and allocated to VTAM for LSA (SNA). This display should be repeated in each LPAR for each LSA or LCS device.
The information from the previous two steps should be sufficient to complete the survey for your z/OS instances. If the OSE channel devices are confirmed to be defined to your LPAR(s), online and allocated, then you have verified that the devices are in use. The device numbers allow you to determine if they are in use by SNA (LSA uses a single channel device) or TCP/IP (LCS uses two channel devices).
This software verification step should be repeated for z/VSE or z/VM usage (see below). There is a 3rd optional step to verify your VTAM XCA definitions and status of the LSA status.
Step 3. Optional: VTAM Displays
z/OS System Verification
z/OS VTAM XCA (LSA) and TCP/IP (LSC) OSE Status
This step is optional. At this point you should already have enough information about the system configuration for your OSE CHPIDs on your system(s) to complete the survey (at least for z/OS). The z/VSE and VM/VTAM specific displays are also provided below.
Optionally, you can also confirm the specific VTAM or TCP/IP state of the devices by using the following z/OS displays:
VTAM display for XCA (LSA is the same VTAM display applies to all Operating Systems).
If you don't know if there is an XCA major node defined, or the XCA major node name then start with the first display command, then display the XCA major node(s):
1. D NET,RSCLIST,ID=*,IDTYPE=XCASEG2. D NET,ID=majornodename
In the display output look for an XCA majornode with a port defined with medium = CSMA/CD (Ethernet). If you find this type of majornode then you are using OSE support for SNA Ethernet support. You can confirm the current state and the name of the peripheral (remote) nodes. This information can be used to help complete the survey. Sample VTAM displays are provided below.
Netstat Dev/Link display output (LCS is shown as DEV/LINK for LCS). Use the following netstat command: NETSTAT DEVLINKS
In the netstat output look for the following: devtype: LCS You could have a long list of TCP/IP devices. If you find an LCS device, you can issue another NetStat display to see additional detail using the INTFN (see sample below). This display confirms you are using OSE support for TCP/IP access to Ethernet. You can confirm the current state. This information can be used to help complete the survey. See sample below.
- z/VSE XCA (LSA device) Verification
- The following z/VSE commands provide information about the OSE CHID status in z/VSE. This example is for the TCP/IP devices. The SNA device would be very similar (with a single device).
- The VTAM displays for XCA (LSA) resources in z/VSE are the same as the VTAM display commands listed above.
VM/VTAM XCA (LSA device) Verification
- The z/VM command would be issued from a suitably privileged user such as OPERATOR or MAINT against the device number reported by the hardware:
- From the guest running VTAM, if you know the virtual device number or get it from the previous command, you could issue:
- The VTAM display for XCA (LSA) resources in VM/VTAM are the same as the VTAM display commands listed above.