CI Automation Basics

The CI facility uses a physical (cable) connection between the processor hardware (CPC) and the attached processor support element (SE) unit. With the CI, the message and command information is exchanged between a system image running on the CPC and its SE.

For automated operations, CI has an interface to the console application (HWMCA), running on each SE or HMC. If there is a ProcOps session to a HMC/SE, or a GDPS® session to a SE, the console application generates an event for each new CI message. This event is sent to all registered applications (ProcOps, GDPS), using the transport protocol configured in SA z/OS. This is SNMP for ProcOps or INTERNAL (BCPii) for GDPS.

Automation applications can send operating system console commands to a CI for execution. With SA z/OS this can happen either in response to messages that are received only over CI, or independent of that at any time. The only requirement is that a SA z/OS hardware session exists between the SE/HMC and the automation application (SA z/OS/ProcOps or GDPS). The advantage for automation of using the CI is that there is no 3270-specific information and screen formatting burden. This makes the interface robust and easier to use for automation purposes than 3270 console screen emulation and interpretation.