Host explorer connections

To use Host Explorer to work with a mainframe system, you must define a Host Communication Interface (HCI) connection and connect the Topaz Workbench or Eclipse/RDz to a mainframe system. Contact your system administrator to obtain specific connection configurations for your site for establishing Host Connections. (For system administrators, refer to the appropriate installation guide for further information on installing and configuring an HCI.) Host Explorer may also be used to navigate relational database connections as well as your local Windows system.

To manually add a new connection

Important

Alternatively, connection settings can be synchronized with Compuware Enterprise Services (CES). Refer to the Topaz Workbench User Guide for information on Topaz Workbench's central administration functionality.

  1. In the navigation tree of Host Explorer, right-click Hosts and select Configure. The Preferences dialog box's Host Connections page appears.
  2. For a mainframe connection, select the HCI tab and click Add. The New Host Connection dialog box appears.
  3. On the General tab, enter a name for the connection, the host, and the mainframe port in the specified fields.
    • Description - Text description of the defined connection, which may contain both letters and numbers.
    • Host - z/OS host system name or IP address that is running HCI.
    • Port - Port number to which HCI is assigned to listen for client requests.
  4. From the Encryption protocol list, select the type of encrypted secure HCI connection to be enabled by doing one of the following:
    • Select None to disable any encrypted secure HCI connection. To use Smart Card functionality, do not select None.
    • Select Auto to have the protocol determined when the HTTPS connection is established. Selecting Auto will not detect if there is no encryption protocol configured.
    • Select an encryption protocol from the available choice
  5. Select the Credentials tab.
  6. From the Credential provider list, select one of the following:
      • To use PassTicket functionality, select PassTicket Credential Provider. Use of PassTicket functionality requires special implementation by the user. Refer to the Compuware Host Services SDK User Guide for information.
      • To use Smart Card functionality, select X.509 Certificates. Use of Smart Card functionality requires that the HCI be configured to allow secure connections and that the Smart Card be inserted in the card reader.
      • To use a z/OS TSO user ID and password (the default), select User ID and Password. Optionally, use the Saved Credentials box to edit or remove saved credentials for a z/OS TSO connection.
  7. Optionally, select the Advanced tab to reveal additional parameters:

    • Read/write timeout (seconds) determines the amount of time Host Explorer will wait for a response from the HCI before timing out.

      Important

      Sites can set a maximum timeout value. Refer to the installation guide for more information.

    • I/O trace level should only be changed from the default of None when directed by Compuware Customer Support.

  8. Click OK. The new mainframe connection appears in the Host Explorer view.

    Important 

    The Group field indicates Ungrouped when a connection was added manually rather than via Compuware Enterprise Services (CES). Host Explorer does not establish a mainframe connection until you log on.

  9. Optionally, to define connections to any supported database type instance, select the JDBC tab and click Add (an optional, licensed feature).

    • From the NewDatabase Connection dialog box's General tab, select the type of database from the Database Type list.

      Important

      For Oracle and DB2 LUW databases, you may need to first configure a database driver. See JDBC Drivers preference for more information.

  10. Fill in the host, port, location and description.

Important

The Credentials and Properties tabs are not used to define the initial JDBC database connection. You will be prompted for credentials when you first try to access this database in Host Explorer.


Important

If File-AID Services has been configured, when you right click Hosts and select Configure, you must select whether to configure Local Host Connections or Connections in File-AID Services. File-AID Data Privacy will not function properly with locally defined host connections, therefore you must configure the mainframe and database host connections in File-AID Services. Since Connections on File-AID Services are available to all users, you must have authority to update File-AID Services configurations. A File-AID Services administration dialog box appears to validate your authority. The default User ID is cwadmin and the default Password is cwadmin. Once you have supplied valid credentials, use the HCI tab of the File-AID Services Connections dialog box to configure your mainframe host(s). Use the JDBC tab to configure remote relational databases. Refer to the Topaz Workbench File-AID Data Privacy User Guide for complete details.

To edit an existing connection

  1. From the Window menu, select Preferences. The Preferences dialog box appears.
  2. Select Compuware>Host Connections from the navigation tree. The Host Connections page appears.
  3. Select the HCI or JDBC tab and the host/connection to be edited and click Edit.
  4. Make changes as needed to your connection information.
  5. When updates are complete, click OK.

To remove an existing connection

  1. From the Window menu, select Preferences. The Preference dialog box appears.
  2. Select Compuware>Host Connections from the navigation tree. The Host Connections page appears.
  3. Select the HCI or JDBC tab and the host/connection to be removed then click Remove.

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