Configuring a Sterling Connect:Direct/Plex Environment

If an update of the global and local initialization parameter files is performed using Sterling Control Center and fails during the process, Sterling Connect:Direct will use the backup members to restore the parameters. Sterling Connect:Direct will never use the backup members to initialize the DTF unless you explictily instruct the system to do so by updating the JCL to use the backup members as the initparm members.

Global initialization parameters are stored in a file shared by all Sterling Connect:Direct/Plex members. In the EXEC statement (Sterling Connect:Direct Stand-alone Server and Sterling Connect:Direct/Plex), the PARM= keyword specifies the name and location of the global initialization parameters file.

The local initialization parameters of each Sterling Connect:Direct/Plex member are stored in a unique PDS member for each system (one for the Plex Manager and one for each server). The location of the local initialization parameters file is specified by the //CDPLEX DD in the startup JCL of each member.

In a Sterling Connect:Direct/Plex environment, you can override only the initialization parameters allowed in the local initialization parameters member by using the PARM= keyword in the EXEC statement at system startup.

In a Sterling Connect:Direct Stand-alone Server environment, however, you can override global initialization parameters with the PARM= keyword in the EXEC statement.

The following illustration shows how global and local initialization parameters are used in a Sterling Connect:Direct/Plex environment.

• VTAM APPLIDs

  A Sterling Connect:Direct Stand-alone Server obtains its VTAM APPLIDs from the network map.

  In a Sterling Connect:Direct/Plex environment, the Sterling Connect:Direct/Manager obtains its VTAM APPLIDs from the network map, but each Sterling Connect:Direct Server obtains its VTAM APPLIDs from its local initialization parameters file.

• TCP/IP addresses and ports

  A Sterling Connect:Direct Stand-alone Server obtains its TCP/IP listen ports from the global initialization parameters file.

  In a Sterling Connect:Direct/Plex environment, the Sterling Connect:Direct Manager and Sterling Connect:Direct Servers obtain their TCP/IP addresses and listen port numbers from their local initialization parameters members. However, if the TCP port number is not specified in the local initialization parameters member of the Sterling Connect:Direct Manager, the Sterling Connect:Direct Manager obtains its listen port number from the global initialization parameters member.

  Each server overrides the global initialization parameters by specifying those parameters in that server's local initialization parameters. The first address defined in the parameter becomes the local or default address. For more information about defining TCP/IP listening tasks, see TCP/IP Port Number.

  The CDPLEX.REDIRECT local initialization parameter is used by the Sterling Connect:Direct/Plex Manager in the Sterling Connect:Direct/Plex environment to determine the redirection address that is presented to the remote node. This parameter allows you to specify redirection addresses based on the security node type (internal or external) and session type (TCP/IP or UDT) of the adjacent node in the network map.

  When an address is specified, an internal address and external address is defined and each can have a specified redirection port defined. When the adjacent node entry is defined with the INT flag, the appropriate internal address is returned. Conversely, when the EXT flag is defined, the appropriate external address is returned.

  Note: If your environment requires additional external redirection addresses to enable a remote Sterling Connect:Direct server to run Processes, see the local initialization parameter, CDPLEX.REDIRECT.EXCEPTION = ((Mgr-IP, Ext_Svr-IP, Ext_Svr-port, Exception-IP, Exception-port),...).

  Up to eight different addresses or ports can be defined for each server. However, in the Sterling Connect:Direct/Plex server that defines CDPLEX.REDIRECT only two are effectively used when Process redirection occurs. To use the additional port in the Sterling Connect:Direct/Plex servers, those servers must be contacted directly by the remote node.

  Note: A special consideration exists if the Sterling Connect:Direct/Plex Manager is initialized on a system that is not IPv6 enabled, and one or more of the servers supports IPv6. When the Sterling Connect:Direct/Plex is the SNODE, the Sterling Connect:Direct/Plex Manager accepts connection requests for IPv4 only. However, if the Sterling Connect:Direct/Plex is the PNODE, the Sterling Connect:Direct/Plex Manager can assign outbound processes to a Sterling Connect:Direct Server that supports IPv6.

• System files

  In a Sterling Connect:Direct Stand-alone Server, the system files (network map, Statistics Pairs, CKPT, AUTH, Message, TCQ and TCX files) are stored in one location and apply to the entire DTF. If two Sterling Connect:Direct Stand-alone Server systems operate in a sysplex environment, each system must have its own system files.

  In a Sterling Connect:Direct/Plex environment, the system files are also stored in one location and are shared by all Sterling Connect:Direct/Plex members, as in the earlier illustration. Only one set of system files is needed for all Sterling Connect:Direct/Plex members.