Defining switch data
Using HCD, you can define both ESCON switches (ESCON directors, such as 9032–5) and Fibre Channel (FC) switches. You can define an FC switch as a FICON® FC switch (type 2032) or as a generic FC switch (type FCS). The FICON FC switch supports an internal switch control unit and device whereas the generic FC switch does not.
- Switch ID, such as 01
- Switch control unit number and switch device number: You must define a switch control unit and device to be able to use HCD and the I/O operations component of System Automation for z/OS® (formerly known as ESCON Manager) to update the switch configuration and to validate the switch data. Also, a switch control unit and device may be used by RMF for measuring FICON director activities. When you specify a control unit number and device number in the HCD Add Switch panel, a control unit and device are defined to be the same type as the switch. Note that the FCS switch does not support a switch control unit and device.
- Description: text that you use to describe the switch
You also use HCD to define the connections of the switch ports
to channels or control units. You can use HCD to define a matrix
of all possible connections between any two ports as well. The matrix
information can be migrated into HCD from an ISPF table containing
a switch configuration from System Automation for z/OS, from an active ESCON director (ESCD), a FICON director, or from a saved
ESCD file. Use
the Migrate Switch Configuration Data
option on the HCD Migrate
Configuration Data panel.
Similarly, you can use HCD to generate a matrix containing the defined logical connections between channel paths and control units.
Defining switch data is optional unless a system running the I/O operations component of System Automation for z/OS must reconfigure the switch.