HostDrive

Highlights

HostDrive - Automated multi platform file transfer

HostDrive is a multi platform queueing system enabling the automated exchange of files between different platforms whereat the IBM mainframe is specifically integrated.

HostDrive consists of two software components implementing the transfer and queueing functionality in cooperation. On the mainframe HostDrive/z is used which is based on the same kernel as PrintEx, the IBM mainframe print services extender from XPS. The network component is implemented by the Java server application HostDrive/J.

Of course HostDrive can be operated without integration of a IBM mainframe. In this scenario only one or more HostDrive/J server components will be needed.

The concept

The following image shows the basic HostDrive concept.

XPS Software GmbH

HostDrive/z - Mainframe component

On z/OS HostDrive/z will run in an own region and on z/VSE in an own partition respectively. Because TCP/IP as well as VTAM are supported, as a matter of principle HostDrive/z is able to communicate with arbitrary mainframe subsystems in order to send data to and receive data from the subsystems.

A set of APPC adapter programs for CICS is included in HostDrive/z. These adapter programs can be used without any programming to read data from and write data to CICS/TS, CICS/TD as well as VSAM/KSDS and VSAM/ESDS. In addition HostDrive/z provides a number of additional interfaces enabling e.g. access to MACLIB-members on z/OS and library members on z/VSE.

Furthermore data can be directly stored in the particular spool system (JES2/JES3, POWER). A complete integration of the mainframe spool systems can be achieved by additionally installing PrintEx from XPS for z/OS or z/VSE respectively. For this purpose, specific interfaces permitting the communication between HostDrive/z and PrintEx have been developed by XPS.

HostDrive/J - Java server component

HostDrive/J can be executed on any platform providing a Java virtual machine versioned 1.6 or newer. Besides this no other infrastructure is required. In particular no application server must be present in order to execute HostDrive/J.

Besides the possibility to communicate with a HostDrive/z installation on a mainframe HostDrive/J supports various standard technologies such as FTP, LPD, JMS and POP3. Specific installation requirements can be addressed running platform specific executables or Java programs.

Queueing

In order to support queueing functionality both components use technologies adapted to the underlying platform.

HostDrive/z stores data that can not be delivered because of a non reachable target system as long as necessary in an internal HFS file system until the target system is reachable again. Queued data will then be delivered to the target system for further processing.

For the same purpose HostDrive/J makes use of the file system of the underlying operating system as temporary storage.

HostDriveWorks

Besides the HostDrive server programs XPS offers an administration application implemented in Java called HostDriveWorks. HostDriveWorks can be run under the control of any Java runtime environment versioned 1.6 or better. In addition to the comfortable administration of HostDrive/J installations, HostDriveWorks can be used as a centralized monitoring tool for an arbitrary number of HostDrive/J servers.

Administrators will be notified in real time about important events in the monitored sysplex such as e. g. collapsed network connections or servers that are no longer reachable. A visual feedback about the state of a HostDrive/J installation is provided to the administrator through a graphical monitor panel in HostDriveWorks.

Observer

All file transfers executed by the HostDrive application system can be protocolled in detail. For this purpose unique data records are stored and maintained in a MongoDB data base. HostDrive/J administrators can observe the status of file transfers in real time using HostDriveWorks' observer panel.

Moreover HostDriveWorks offers the possibility to execute queries against the MongoDB data base in order to generate file transfer lists filtered by various criteria such as (among many others) date/time, TCP/IP address or Jobname.

Further information

Please contact us for further information and ordering of a free, full functional, time limited trial installation:

Telephone +49-(0)89-456989-0 / Contact via e-mail

Downloads

HostDrive_si.pdf => Booklet
HostDrive.pdf => Handbook