There are two programs for transferring files between a workstation and a host:
Silicon Graphics' IRISXFR program
the IBM IND$FILE program
This chapter describes how to use both programs to transfer files.
The 3270 Display Emulator must be running before you can start any file transfer. To execute file transfers, follow these steps:
Establish a TSO or CMS session with the host.
Make certain the TSO or CMS command-level prompt is displayed and the keyboard is unlocked.
Invoke either the IRISXFR Set Up screen or the IND$FILE Set Up screen and supply the appropriate information.
Start the file transfer by either clicking on the START TRANSFER box (from a graphics terminal), or by pressing <Enter> (from an ASCII terminal when using curses mode).
Before you can use the IRISXFR program to transfer files between your workstation and a host, the Silicon Graphics Host 3270 File Transfer Software must be installed on both the IRIS workstation and the IBM host.
 | Note: IRISXFR is an optional software package. If it is not installed on your IBM host, you must use IND$FILE to transfer files. The IND$FILE program is described later in this chapter. |
The IRIS 3270 Emulator "IRISXFR" file transfer menu enables you to transfer text or binary files to and from SGI's Host program also called IRISXFR. The file transfer requires a dedicated 3270 display session and uses SGI's 3270 HLLAPI programming interface.
You must have 3270 Structured Fields capability to achieve optimum IRISXFR file transfer speed. If 3270 Structured Fields are not supported, a warning message is written to the file /usr/3270/file/t3279_log, and file transfer throughput may be severely degraded.
After you install IRISXFR on your host, read the file /var/opt/3270/example/CASE4/README and follow the instructions to automatically verify that you have installed IRISXFR properly.
If you are using an IRIS graphics terminal, you can start IRISXFR file transfer operations from the 3270 Emulator menu. Press the right mouse button anywhere in the 3270 terminal emulation window to display the 3270 Emulator menu. Move the mouse to select "IRISXFR". See Figure 4-1.
If you are using an ASCII terminal (in curses mode), you can start IRISXFR file transfer operations during a 3270 emulator session by pressing <Ctrl-f>. For more information on IBM keyboard mapping with ASCII terminals, see Table 3-1 in Chapter 3, “Using the IRIS 3270 Emulator with an ASCII Terminal.”
To transfer files to and from the IBM host, you must:
display the IRISXFR Set Up screen
select and change Set Up screen menu items, depending upon the kind of the files you are transferring
start the transfer
To display the IRISXFR Set Up screen on a graphics terminal, click and hold the right mouse button anywhere in the emulator window. Move the mouse pointer to "IRISXFR", then right to show the "IRISXFR" submenu. See
Figure 4-1. While still holding the right mouse button, move the mouse pointer to the "Set Up Screen" option and release the mouse button. If you are using an ASCII terminal, type a to select "Set Up Screen".
You see the IRISXFR Setup Menu screen, as shown in Figure 4-2.
Some of the menu items are set to default values, such as "Transmission Direction", "Translate Data", and others. You must supply the names of the files to transfer and what they will be named on the destination machine.
Select menu items by clicking on them with the left mouse button. Context-sensitive help is presented in the HELP INFORMATION area at the bottom of the window whenever you select a field. Error messages are also displayed in this area.
To change the value of one of the first five menu items and item seven, select the item, then click on the middle mouse button. Each time you press the middle mouse button, it cycles through the options available in each of these fields. The remaining menu items require you to type in the necessary information.
| Note: Depending upon how you set certain fields, you may not be able to change the values of some other fields. For example, when you are receiving a file (the "Transmission Direction" field is set to Receive), you cannot set the Record Format field. If you try to set a field illegally, you see an error message in the HELP INFORMATION area explaining the problem. |
To transfer a file between a workstation and the host, follow these steps:
Select the transmission direction. Using the left mouse button, click on the "Transmission Direction" menu item. Use the middle mouse button to select either Send or Receive. Send uploads files to the IBM host. Receive downloads files from the IBM host to the IRIS workstation.
For ASCII terminals, type Send or Receive. The selections must be spelled out completely and with an initial capital letter. You cannot use abbreviations.
Choose whether or not to translate data during the transfer. Click on the "Translate Data" menu item, using the left mouse button. Use the middle mouse button to cycle between Yes and No. Select No for binary file transfers. Select Yes for text data files.
For ASCII terminals, use the <Tab> key to move to this menu item, then type either Yes or No.
Choose whether or not to overwrite existing files on either the workstation (if you are downloading files) or the IBM host (if you are uploading files) using the "Overwrite File" menu item. IRISXFR overwrites a file only if you specify Yes. Otherwise, IRISXFR displays an error message and terminates the file transfer operation.
For ASCII terminals, use the <Tab> key to move to this menu item, then type either Yes or No.
Choose whether or not to restart an interrupted file transfer with the "Restart Interrupted Transfer" menu option. If your file transfer terminates before it is successfully completed, select Yes to resend only the data that was not already received.
For ASCII terminals, use the <Tab> key to move to this menu item, then type either Yes or No.
Set the "Record Format" menu option. If the "Translate Data" option (step 2, above) is set to No for binary files, set your Record Format to Fixed. For text data files, you can select Fixed or Variable.
For ASCII terminals, use the <Tab> key to move to this menu item, then type either Fixed or Variable.
Set the record size to a size appropriate for the file. For a variable length record size, set the size to the length of the longest record in the file.
For ASCII terminals, use the <Tab> key to move to this menu item, then enter the record size.
Determine whether the file type is VSAM. VSAM files are supported only on MVS hosts (not VM hosts). Use the middle mouse button to toggle between Yes and No.
For ASCII terminals, use the <Tab> key to move to this menu item, then type either Yes or No.
Fill in the IRIS file name field. Use standard IRIX conventions to specify a file name or a full pathname. If you enter only a file name, the file is assumed to be in /var/opt/3270/spool (when sending a file) or is saved in
/var/opt/3270/spool (when receiving a file).Remember to use only U.S. ASCII characters in IRIX file names. Note that for full pathnames, you cannot use IRIX environment variables, such as $HOME, and shell pathname conventions, such as tilde (~).
If you want to alter or correct information in either this field or the "Host" file name field, use the arrow keys to move the cursor to the desired place on the line. Use the backspace key to erase characters. If you place the cursor on text in the line, then press backspace, the remainder of the line to the right and the character immediately to the left of the cursor are deleted. You can change characters by typing over them. As you enter information for the IRISXFR file transfer, note that the keyboard mapping is identical to that for your 3270 session.
Fill in the "Host" file name field. Use the IBM host file name format appropriate for TSO or CMS. You can edit this line in the same way as the IRIS file name field (using the arrow keys and the backspace key).
When the appropriate menu items are configured correctly, start the file transfer. From a graphics terminal, click the left mouse button anywhere in the START TRANSFER rectangle to start the transfer. From an ASCII terminal, press <Enter> to begin transferring the file.
When you start the file transfer, the IRISXFR Transfer Summary screen is automatically displayed. It shows you the name of the file, whether it is being uploaded or downloaded, and shows how many bytes have been transferred. For more information about the IRISXFR Transfer Summary screen, see the next section.
You can abort the transfer by pressing the PA1 key (<Esc-q> for ASCII terminals). When the transfer is complete (or aborted), you can return to the emulator window in one of three ways:
Pop up the IRISXFR menu and select "Redisplay Emulator" (in graphics mode only).
Press <Enter> on the IRIS keyboard (both graphics and ASCII mode).
Press <ctrl-r> (in ASCII mode only).
You can exit from the Set Up screen at any time by pressing the right mouse button (from a graphics terminal). From an ASCII terminal, press <ctrl-r>. Your current setup information is retained for later use. While a file transfer is in progress, you can display the current setup information, but you cannot change it until the file transfer is either complete or stopped (aborted).
The next section describes how you can check the status of your file transfers.
The Transfer Summary provides information on the status of an ongoing file transfer. It lists whether you are uploading (sending) or downloading (receiving) a file, the name of the file, and the current number of bytes transferred. See Figure 4-3.
The Transfer Summary is automatically displayed whenever you start transferring a file from the IRISXFR Set Up menu. Either Download or Upload is displayed with the local name of the file. To return to the current 3270 session screen, select "Redisplay 3270" from the IRISXFR menu if you are using an IRIS graphics terminal, or press <ctrl-r> from an ASCII terminal.
The following are the IRISXFR Set Up Menu options:
| Transmission Direction |
| |
| Translate Data |
| |
| Overwrite File |
| |
| Restart Interrupted Transfer |
| |
| Record Format |
| |
| Record Size | The record size is displayed only if the "Record Format" is “Fixed.” | |
| VSAM File | The middle mouse button cycles between Yes and No. Yes is only valid for MVS systems. | |
| IRIS file name |
| |
| Host file name |
| |
| START TRANSFER |
|
To abort IRISXFR, press the keyboard equivalent for IBM key PA1. When the program is aborted, a text message appears on the IRISXFR Transfer Summary screen. Press <Enter> (in graphics mode) to redisplay the emulator window. In ASCII mode, press <ctrl-r>.
You can automate the process of transferring files between your workstation and the host using the file updown profile. After validating the IRISXFR installation, you can modify this file to suit your particular needs. See Appendix D, “Automating Host File Transfers” for more information.
The IRIS 3270 Emulator IND$FILE menu enables you to transfer text or binary files to and from IBM S/370, 43XX, or 30XX systems running CMS, TSO, or CICS.
The file transfer requires a dedicated 3270 display session. The IND$FILE must be installed on the mainframe and available from the user's account.
| Note: IBM maps EBCDIC values onto ASCII values at the host end. Some characters appear differently on your IRIS-4D Series workstation from how they appear on the host. For example, for the U.S. character set, the EBCDIC ¬ (“not” sign) is mapped onto an ASCII ^ (caret). |
If you are using an IRIS graphics terminal, you can start IND$FILE file transfer operations from the 3270 menu. Press the right mouse button anywhere in the 3270 terminal emulation window to display the 3270 menu. Move the mouse to select IND$FILE. The IND$FILE menu displays as shown in Figure 4-4. For more information on starting the IRIS 3270 Emulator using the Toolchest menu, see Chapter 2, “Using the IRIS 3270 Emulator.”
If you are using an ASCII terminal, you can start IND$FILE file transfer operations during a 3270 emulator session by pressing <Ctrl-b>.
See Table 3-1 in Chapter 3, “Using the IRIS 3270 Emulator with an ASCII Terminal” for more information on IBM keyboard mapping.
To set up and transfer files using IND$FILE with a graphics terminal, click the right mouse button on the "Set Up Screen" option of the IND$FILE menu. If you are using IND$FILE with an ASCII terminal, type a to select "Set Up Screen". You see the IND$FILE Setup Menu:
Some of the menu items are set to default values, such as the Host subsystem name, the Transmission Direction, and others. You must supply the names of the files to transfer, what they will be named on the destination machine, and any host options.
Select menu items by clicking on them with the left mouse button. Context-sensitive help is presented in the HELP INFORMATION area at the bottom of the window whenever you select a field. Error messages are also displayed in that area.
To change the value of one of the first two menu items, select the item, then click on the middle mouse button. Each time you press the middle mouse button, it cycles through the options available in each of these fields. The remaining menu items require you to type in the necessary information.
To transfer a file between a workstation and the host, follow these steps:
Select the host subsystem name. direction. Using the left mouse button, click on the "Host subsystem name" menu item. Use the middle mouse button to select one of TSO, CMS, or CICS.
For ASCII terminals, type TSO, CMS, or CICS.
Select the transmission direction. Using the left mouse button, click on the "Transmission Direction" menu item. Use the middle mouse button to select either Send or Receive. Send uploads files to the IBM host. Receive downloads files from the IBM host to the IRIS workstation.
For ASCII terminals, use the <Tab> key to move to this menu item, then type either Send or Receive. The selections must be spelled out completely and with an initial capital letter. You cannot use abbreviations.
Choose the delay between blocks. Click on the "Delay" before each block sent menu item, using the left mouse button. Enter the desired delay. The range of values is between 1 and 5 seconds.
For ASCII terminals, use the <Tab> key to move to this menu item, then enter the desired delay (0 to 5 seconds).
Specify how long to wait for a response from the host. Click on the "Maximum" wait for host response menu item with the left mouse button, then enter an appropriate time. The range is between 10 and 5000 seconds.
For ASCII terminals, use the <Tab> key to move to this menu item, then enter the desired maximum time to wait (10 to 5000 seconds).
Fill in the IRIS file name field. Use standard IRIX conventions to specify a file name or a full pathname. If you enter only a file name, the file is assumed to be in /var/opt/3270/spool (when sending a file) or is saved in
/var/opt/3270/spool (when receiving a file).Remember to use only U.S. ASCII characters in IRIX file names. Note that for full pathnames, you cannot use IRIX environment variables, such as $HOME, and shell pathname conventions, such as tilde (~).
If you want to alter or correct information in either this field or any other field in which you enter information from the keyboard, use the arrow keys to move the cursor to the desired place on the line. Use the backspace key to erase characters. If you place the cursor on text in the line, then press backspace, the remainder of the line to the right and the character immediately to the left of the cursor are deleted. You can change characters by typing over them.
Fill in the "Host file name" field. Use the IBM host file name format.
Provide any host options. Click on this field with the left mouse button, then enter the desired options.
For ASCII terminals, use the <Tab> key to move to this menu item, then enter the desired options.
For a complete list of available host options, see the next section, “IND$FILE Setup Menu and Host Option Reference.”
When the appropriate menu items are configured correctly, start the file transfer. From a graphics terminal, click the left mouse button anywhere in the START TRANSFER rectangle to start the transfer.
From an ASCII terminal, press <Enter> to begin transferring the file.
When you start the file transfer, the IND$FILE Transfer Summary screen is automatically displayed. It shows you the name of the file, whether it is being uploaded or downloaded, and shows how many bytes have been transferred. For more information about the IND$FILE Transfer Summary screen, see the next section.
You can abort the transfer by pressing the PF2 key (<Esc-q> for ASCII terminals). When the transfer is complete (or aborted), you can return to the emulator window in one of two ways:
Pop up the IRISXFR menu and select "Redisplay Emulator" (in graphics mode only).
Press <ctrl-r> (in ASCII mode only).
You can exit from the Set Up screen at any time by pressing the right mouse button (from a graphics terminal). From an ASCII terminal, press <ctrl-r>. Your current setup information is retained for later use. While a file transfer is in progress, you can display the current setup information, but you cannot change it until the file transfer is either complete or stopped (aborted).
The keyboard mapping for IND$FILE input is identical to that for a 3270 session.
The Transfer Summary provides information on the status of an ongoing file transfer. The screen shown in Figure 4-6 is automatically displayed when a file transfer is initiated via the START TRANSFER option of the IND$FILE Setup Menu screen. Either Download or Upload is displayed with the local name of the file involved.
To return to the current 3270 session screen, select "Redisplay 3270" from the IND$FILE menu if you are using an IRIS graphics terminal, or press <ctrl-r> from an ASCII terminal.
This section summarizes the IND$FILE Setup Menu items and lists the available host options.
| Host subsystem name |
| |
| Transmission direction |
| |
| Delay before each block sent |
| |
| Maximum wait for host response |
| |
| IRIS file name | Use standard IRIX conventions to specify a file name or a full pathname. If only a file name is specified, the file name is appended to /var/opt/3270/spool to create a full pathname. | |
| Host file name | Use the IBM host file name format. | |
| Host options | Enter multiple options by separating them with a space only. Do not use parentheses or other delimiters. See Table 4-1 for a listing and description of the host options. | |
| START TRANSFER |
|
You can cancel the setup operation and return to the current 3270 session screen at any time by pressing the right mouse button from a graphics terminal or pressing <ctrl-r> from an ASCII terminal. (Your current setup information is retained for later use.) While a file transfer is in progress, the current setup information can be displayed but not altered.
Table 4-1 describes the host options used with the host name in the IND$FILE Setup Menu screen.
Table 4-1. IND$FILE Setup Menu Screen Host Options
Host Option | TSO | VM/CMS | CICS | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
APPEND | S* | S | —— | Append the transferred file to the end of an existing file. |
ASCII | S/R[a] | S/R | S/R | Store local text files in ASCII and convert them to or from EBCDIC during the transfer. |
BINARY | —— | —— | S/R | Transfer file in binary format; do not translate. |
CRLF | S/R | S/R | S/R | Add or remove carriage return (hex 0D) and line feed (hex 0A) characters to or from the end of each line because they are not used in host text files. |
LRECL nnnn | S | S | —— | Specifies the logical record length of the host file. “nnnn” must be a four-digit positive number. The default value is 0080. When you append or overwrite a file, the logical record length of the existing file is used. |
NOCRLF | —— | —— | S/R | The transferred file lacks records delimited by carriage return or line feed characters. |
RECFM a | S | S | —— | Specifies the record format of the host file. Valid values for a are: F for fixed record length on TSO and VM, V for variable length on TSO and VM, and U for undefined length on TSO. If not specified, ASCII files default to variable length; all other files default to fixed length. |
BLKSIZE | S | —— | —— | Specifies the byte size of each data set block. When you omit this parameter, use the logical record length. When you append or replace existing data sets, ignore this parameter. |
SPACE | S | —— | —— | Entered as SPACE (Q [, I]). Specifies how much space to allocate for the host file. Q (quantity) and I (increment) can be specified as AVBLOCK, TRACKS, or CYLINDERS. The default is BLKSIZE. |
[a] S= Send, R = Receive | ||||
To abort IND$FILE, press the keyboard equivalent for IBM key PF2. When the program is aborted, a text message appears in the IND$FILE Transfer Summary screen.
To return to the current 3270 session screen, select "Redisplay 3270" from the IND$FILE menu if you are using an IRIS graphics terminal, or press <ctrl-r> from an ASCII terminal.
During a file transfer, a message can be sent to your terminal by another user, the operator, or a system utility. Any message causes the IND$FILE File Transfer to halt. If your byte counter stops incrementing, use the "Redisplay 3270 PS" option to check if you have received a message. To recover, press PF2 and reinitiate the file transfer.
Messages can be suppressed on VM/CMS and MVS/TSO. Consult your system administrator for details on how to do this.
If a problem occurs during a file transfer, error messages appear in a 3270 message window.
Each error message is also recorded in /var/opt/3270/file/t3279_log.[PID]. For explanations of these messages, see Appendix A, “Error Messages.”