AM3270 Management Programming Manual

MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMING FOR AM3270
How a Management Application Fits Into the Architecture
Managing a subsystem programmatically can mean a more efficient
use of resources as follows:
• If routine management tasks are performed programmatically
instead of interactively, the human operator can spend more
time on tasks that require more judgment and creativity.
• Where appropriate, a management application can standardize
responses to errors or other information obtained from the
subsystem. This standardization allows you to establish
procedures without having to train several operators to use
the procedures.
• A single management application can communicate with several
subsystems using an SPI interface instead of using several
different types of interactive interfaces, each providing
different capabilities.
• You have more latitude in responding to errors returned by
the subsystem. A management application can be designed to
take immediate remedial action to selected reported errors as
compared to the delay between the time the error is reported
and the operator responds.
• You can customize a management application to respond to the
specific needs of your computer system or network.
HOW A MANAGEMENT APPLICATION FITS INTO THE ARCHITECTURE
A management application uses Subsystem Programmatic Interface
(SPI) messages to communicate with the AM3270 subsystem. SPI
messages are passed between the management application and
the AM3270 subsystem by means of the Subsystem Control Point
(SCP) or the EMS interface. The function of an SPI message
determines whether the message is passed through SCP or EMS.
SCP is a management process that provides the control-and-
inquiry interface. EMS is a collection of processes, tools,
and interfaces that support the reporting and retrieval of event
information.
The control-and-inquiry interface differs from the EMS interface
in key areas. Most notably, the control-and-inquiry interface
requires a management application to initiate the communication
with the subsystem by sending a command through SCP to the
subsystem. The subsystem then returns the appropriate response
to the application through SCP. This means that the exchange of
a command and response between your application and the subsystem
is bidirectional and occurs synchronously. The commands avail-
able to you for managing the AM3270 subsystem are listed later in
this section.
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