Downloading host AFP resources using FTP

Several methods can be used to download the AFP resources, each method having distinct advantages and disadvantages. All of the processes have one thing in common, the ability to leave the resource data in its raw binary format. This topic provides the instructions using FTP. You can also use IND$FILE (TSO SEND /RECV), Barr Tran, and BARR/NJE.

This topic assumes that you will be using an MVS/OS390/zOS platform, that you are currently driving IPDS printers from a PSF functional subsystem on JES2/JES3 spool, and that your Barr Enterprise Print Server operating system is Microsoft Windows XP Professional or Windows 2000.

You can also download host AFP resources using BARR/NJE. With this method, a Barr-provided custom OBJECT runs on the mainframe to extract the resources from the partitioned data sets and output them as a SYSOUT data set in the JES2 spool. In the JCL stored in \\Program Files\Barr\Spooler\NJE Resource Download\MVS\resource, simply change the SYSIN IN DD * entrees from SYS1.IMAGELIB(*) to your resource library's identifier. All resources will be downloaded to the \\Program Files\Barr\Spooler\resources\hostnode\resource pdsname folder. Then change the settings in the \\Program Files\Common Files\Barr\AFP config data\user\ResourceLibraries.xml file to point to these folders.

Automatically

Manually

See also:

Phase I – Setting up Microsoft FTP server

In order for the host to FTP files in batch to the Barr Enterprise Print Server computer, the computer should be configured for IIS with the FTP option.

Installing Internet Information Services

The Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) component is used for managing information over the Internet or your intranet. You must be a local administrator to install IIS. See the Installing IIS topic in the Help for your operating system.

  1. On the Barr Enterprise Print Server computer, run the Windows Add/Remove Programs utility.

  2. In the left column of the Add/Remove Programs dialog box, click Add/Remove Windows Components.

  3. When the Windows Components Wizard appears, click Next.

  4. In the Windows Components list, select to install the Internet Information Services (IIS) component.

  5. Click Details and select all of the options. Click OK.

  6. Click Next, and follow the instructions. You may need your Windows system CD.

Configuring an FTP server

Complete the following steps to configure your Barr Enterprise Print Server workstation as an FTP server. Until a local account is created, you will be the only person with access rights.

  1. Run the Internet Information Services.

  1. Open the Windows Control Panel.

  2. Double-click Administrative Tools.

  3. Double-click Internet Information Services.

  1. Expand the Computer Name (local computer) tree.

  2. Under FTP Sites, right-click Default FTP Site and select Properties.

  3. From the Securities tab, clear the allow anonymous logons check box. Later we will add a user FTP and make this account a member of the local administrators group. The FTP user account will be the account we use to establish a logon to the computer’s FTP service from the host.

  4. Right-click Default FTP Site and choose New Virtual Directory.

  5. In the Wizard, enter AFP Resources as the Alias and for the path, enter C:\Program Files\Commonfiles\Barr\AFP Resources (or browse to find this path).

  6. Select both read and write for permissions. This sets up a shorthand way of allowing the host to only write to this folder on the computer.

Establishing a local user

  1. From Control Panel's Administrative Tools, double-click Computer Management.

  2. Expand the Local Users and Groups tree. Right-click the User folder and select New User. The New User dialog box displays.

    New User Dialog Box

  3. Type the User name (for example, FTP).

  4. Type the Full name (for example, P390).

  5. Type the Description.

  6. Type the Password. This will be needed by the systems programmer when they set up the job control to download the AFP resources.

  7. Open a Command Prompt and log and log into your FTP Server. When prompted for user, enter the computername/user.

    AFP Command Prompt

You should now be logged in and able to perform ftp commands like dir, cd, etc.

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Phase II – Locating your resources

Determining where the resources are for your AFP jobs requires logging into the host using a 3270 emulation product and having the proper authorities. This may need to be performed by the systems programmer.

JES2 controls all spooled output that is stored in it’s spooler. This is commonly referred to as SYSOUT. When a particular report is going to an IPDS printer, that printer is controlled not by JES but by a separate interface known as PSF. It too is an application that runs on the mainframe, that when configured is provided with SYSOUT data from JES via a Functional Subsystem. JES2 thinks it’s talking to a printer, but the printer is really the PSF application, that then in turn talks to the Printer. PSF gets started automatically when JES starts the printer associated with the Functional Subsystem. Because PSF is just another application it is run just like any other application and that’s with JOB Control or JCL.

The JCL for PSF is normally stored in the SYS1.PROCLIB partitioned data set (PDS) and there may be several PSF JCLs. The JCL defines where the AFP resources that the printers controlled by PSF 'Proc' reside. Here’s a sample PROCLIB member called BARRMRD in the BARR.PROCLIB PDS:

Sample PROCLIB Member

FONT01, FONT300 and PSEG01 DDNAMES reference PDS libraries of AFP Resources, thus are subject to downloading.

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Phase III – Setting up a job to download an AFP resource partitioned data set

The host has TCP/IP and FTP capabilities, and these can be accessed interactively through time sharing (TSO) or batch submittal. We will be looking at batch submittal.

To setup a job to submit and send resources is a matter of knowing what FTP commands have to be used and how to call the FTP program.

Here is a sample Job that puts the connection properties in a separate data set and then puts the actual FTP commands inline. This is written in PROC form so that it can be easily modified as a called procedure:

Sample Job

When using the NETRC DDNAME as the source for the MACHINE, USERID, and PASSWORD, include PARM=' (EXIT TIMEOUT 20' on the FTP Exec statement.

The FTP commands are explained as follows

When the job is processed, all matching members would be written to the AFP RESOURCES virtual folder. Because it is a batch job, the OUTPUT DD SYSOUT * will output any messages to the JES output queue for printing or viewing.

Sample Output Listing

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Manually gathering AFP resources using FTP

Most host are configured for the FTP server software. You can manually download the AFP resources if you have authority to access the host's FTP server and if you have read access to the AFP resource libraries.

The Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows XP operating systems include an FTP client used to access the FTP server. Follow these steps from the Barr Enterprise Print Server computer to download the host AFP resources.

  1. On the taskbar, click Start | Run.

  2. Type CMD, and then click OK. The MS-DOS prompt displays.

  3. Change your directory to the \\Program Files\Common Files\Barr\AFP Resources folder.

  4. Enter the following command at the prompt:

FTP host server IP address

Once logged into the Host FTP server you can then issue commands similar to those documented in the job control above. For example, issue the following commands to copy all of the resources from the SYS1.FON200 library to the AFP resources folder:

BIN

CD 'sys1.fon200'

MGET *

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