LU Pooling Feature

Overview

The BlueZone License Manager has an optional feature that can be used to manage IBM 3270 Mainframe Logical Unit names, referred to as LU names and IBM 5250 iSeries and AS/400 Device names.

NOTE  At the present time, support for IBM 5250 iSeries and AS/400 Device names has not been implemented.

This feature is intended to be used by Customers who need to manage specific ranges of LUs along with the End Users that have access to them.

As an alternative, the LU Pooling feature can also be used to assign specific LU names to specific End Users.

The LU Pooling feature provides a simple and easy way for the BlueZone Administrator to assign LU pools (an LU Pool is a range of LU names that are shared among multiple users) and or single LU names to specific users.

To use the feature, all that is needed is a good understanding of your LU requirements and proper LU name formatting and an installed and working copy of the BlueZone License Manager version 3.6 or higher.

How it Works

The License Manager Group feature and the LU Pooling feature work together to create a table that contains a range of LU names that are associated with a particular Group name.  In the BlueZone Emulation client, the BlueZone Administrator configures the IP address of the License Manager, and the desired Group name from which the End User will receive an LU.

Ranges of LU's are doled out in "round robin" order.  In other words, when a session is terminated and an LU becomes available, it is placed back into the pool for use by another End User but only after all the LUs that come after the recovered LU in that group have been used.  This prevents an inoperable or "hung" LU that appears early in the range from constantly causing problems for the next End User in turn.  Using round robin allows more time to pass before an LU is reused thus giving more time for the LU to be reset.

How to Configure LU Pooling

The LU Pooling feature works in conjunction with the Licence Manager Groups feature.  Configuration is accomplished by first creating a Group, then assigning the desired range of LU's to the License Manager Group.

Creating a Group

1. Select Options:Groups from the MenuBar.  The Group Name dialog will be displayed.

2. Click the Add button.  The New Group dialog will be displayed.

3. Enter the desired Group name and also the maximum number of licenses that you want associated with this group.

4. Click the OK button to create the Group.

NOTE  You can't assign LU/Devices to a Group until it is created.  That's why the Assign LU/Device Names button is grayed out during the creation of a Group.

5. To add LU/Device names to an existing Group, highlight the desired Group name and click the Edit button.

6. Now you can add LU/Device names by clicking the Assign LU/Device Names button.  This will bring up the LU/Device Name dialog.

7. Enter the desired range of LUs or a single LU name for this Group.

TIP  For Customers who are using the LU Pooling feature to create a table of individual LU names that are associated with an individual End User, you might find that using the End User's name for Group name is the best way to keep track of who is assigned to what LU, or you might find that simply naming the Group name the same as the LU name is a better way to keep track.

For example:

Group Name       LU Name

jsmith                  SYSA001

or

SYSA001             SYSA001

8. When you are finished, click the OK button, then OK all the way out of the dialogs.

9. You will receive a message that the License Manager will have to be restarted before the change will take affect.

10. To restart the License Manager, click the Stop Server icon on the ToolBar.

11. Start the server again by clicking the Start Server icon on the ToolBar.

NOTE  It is very important that you conform to the LU Range Specification specified by IBM.  For detailed information on LU Naming, click the following link for the IBM LU Naming and Range Specification Guide.