Defining file transfer requests

To transfer files to and from the host, you must configure a File Transfer Request that includes:

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where to find the files

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where to send them

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what is the format of each file

To start a file transfer, you need to open and connect a Display session to the host. You can start one IND$FILE File Transfer Request per connected Display session in your Workspace.

To define a File Transfer Request, follow the steps below:

Click the File Transfer icon

in the Display window.

The ActiveX File Transfer for Mainframe dialog opens. (The File Transfer button only appears on the toolbar when you are connected to a 3270 session.) An IND$FILE file transfer is activated from within an ActiveX Display session. The ActiveX File Transfer for Mainframe window opens.

Select a file in the PC Files section from which you are sending data or to which you are receiving data.

Select your mainframe environment as CMS, TSO, or CICS from the Environment panel. Each environment requires a specific configuration before you can begin sending and receiving files with the host.

The name field in the Host Files panel changes depending on which mainframe environment you have chosen in the Environment panel.

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Type the name of the data set from which you are receiving data or to which you are sending data in the Data Set Name field for a TSO environment. You can type a member name if the data set is partitioned, however, the member name must be enclosed in parentheses.

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Type the name of the file name from which you are receiving data or to which you are sending data in the CMS File Name field for a CMS mainframe environment.

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Type the name of the file name from which you are receiving data or to which you are sending data in the File Name field for a CICS mainframe environment.

Click the Transfer options button.

The same dialog box below opens for each separate mainframe environment (CMS, TSO, or CICS) that you selected. As the Host file format, Options, Conversion, Record Terminator, and Disk space allocation panels are identical for each mainframe environment, they need be explained below only once. When you select a CICS mainframe environment, the Host file format panel is disabled as those parameters are not necessary for a CICS file transfer operation. Follow the steps below to configure your particular mainframe environment.

Select your file format in the Host file format panel. This panel is grayed out if you are configuring a CICS File Transfer Request.

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Select the file format as Host Default, Fixed, or Variable from the Record Format drop-down list.

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Set the record length in the Record Length list box. This value ranges from 0 to 32767 bytes; the default is 0 bytes.

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This value specifies the number of bytes in each record. If you are sending variable records, the Record Length is the length of the longest record sent or the largest record that the host can accept.

Select how you want to update the PC file in the Options panel:

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Click the Append radio button to add the source file data to the existing target file data.

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Click the Replace radio button to overwrite the old target file with the new source file.

Select the Conversion type:

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None (binary) — no conversion is applied. When this option is selected the Record Terminator type is automatically set to None and is disabled.

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XBASIC/ASCII (NLS) — transfers characters from the XBASIC table to character from the ASCII (NLS) table.

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XBASIC/ANSI — transfers characters from the XBASIC table to character from the Windows ANSI table.

Select the Record Terminator type:

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CR/LF — each line is broken by a Carriage Return or Line Feed.

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None — no modifications are made to the data.

In the Character Mapping panel, select the Host Code Page from the drop-down list. The Host Code Page refers to the language-related EDSDIC table that is used to map characters on the mainframe. You'll have to determine what code page your host is presently using before selecting the Host Code Page. The PC Code Page refers to the language-related ANSI/ASCII table that is used to map characters on the PC.

When you select the XBASIC/ASCII (NLS) radio button, you have to choose a PC code page from the PC Code Page drop-down list that corresponds to language table that you are using on your PC.

When you select the XBASIC/ANSI radio button, the PC Code Page is automatically selected for you. The server performs the character mapping between the host and the PC on the fly using these code pages.

Type the amount of space required for a new data set in the Disk space allocation panel.

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Type the primary space you need to allocate for the data set in the Quantity field.

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Type the additional space you need to allocate to the data set each time the new data set exceeds the base quantity in the Increment field.

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Type the number of characters contained in a structured field record in the Packet Size field.

Note

Depending on your type of connection (SNA or TN3270E), the size of the packet may vary.

Select the size and type of storage units on the mainframe from the Units panel:

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Host Default — you are letting the host select the type of storage units it uses.

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Tracks — your host divides its storage space by tracks.

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Blocks — your host divides its storage space by blocks. When using blocks, you need to specify the length for an average block you are sending. Calculate this value as the average number of bytes for each record sent to the data set.

Select the Replace with blanks checkbox to convert a tab to blank spaces when uploading a file to the mainframe.

Click OK to close the Transfer options dialog box.

Once you have entered all the necessary information, save the File Transfer Request:

Click on the Save icon on the toolbar to open the Save profile dialog box.

Type a name for the File Transfer Request in the File name field and click Save.

You can save the file under different file types by selecting a file type in the Save as type drop-down list.

If the File Transfer Request already has a name and you want to save it under the same name, click the pre-existing file name and then click Save.