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Mail2ZOS. Presented by Robert LaBayne Product Development Manager rlabayne@casisoft.com. Mail2ZOS - Agenda. Overview The Problems Addressed The Mail2ZOS Solution Mail2ZOS Email Flow Summary of Benefits Some Examples A word about FTPSweeper Licensing. Overview.
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Mail2ZOS Presented by Robert LaBayne Product Development Manager rlabayne@casisoft.com
Mail2ZOS - Agenda • Overview • The Problems Addressed • The Mail2ZOS Solution • Mail2ZOS Email Flow • Summary of Benefits • Some Examples • A word about FTPSweeper • Licensing
Overview • Mail2ZOS is like giving your mainframe application an email address. • The user sends an email, with or without attachments, to the mainframe for processing. • Mail2ZOS then: • Receives the email • Stores attached files into MVS datasets • And based on the contents performs actions such as submitting jobs for execution. • Sends email notices to all
The Problems… • On Demand Jobs • Driven by end-user requests and requirements • Can have complicated request procedures • Or simply be a nuisance for ‘Operations’ Things can fall through the cracks at busy times. • Uploading Files and Processing Multi-step, jury-rigged procedures that can require costly human intervention and/or arcane knowledge
…On Demand Jobs • Some ‘traditional’ ways • The user calls up ‘operations’: “Hi George, this is Mary in accounting, can you run job AB023 for me and send the printout to my printer?” • Give the user a TSO account: • Train users in 3270 usage,TSO/ISPF for submitting the JCL and SDSF for output review • Manage TSO accounts for users • More ways than we can describe…
…Uploading Files and Processing • Some ‘traditional’ ways • TSO IND$FILE – requires TSO account, 3270 software and trained end-users • FTP - client connection to open port on host server • More methods than ways to describe them!
The Mail2ZOS Solution • Give your mainframe application an email address! • The user attaches the data to an email and sends it!
Mail2ZOS takes over: • Mail2ZOS: • Receives or retrieves the email • ‘Recognizes it’ by email address, sender address or subject, etc. • Parses the email and safely stores the attachments into mainframe datasets. • Composes and submits a job to process the newly stored data. • Sends email confirmation notices to all concerned (built-in to Mail2ZOS) • Sends job results via email (with JES2Mail)
The Mail2ZOS Solution • Email is the easiest, most reliable and universal method for interacting with end users • Everyone has access to email! • Natural queuing mechanism. • Email could be generated by any mechanism, ie. Web page • Users never ‘see’ the mainframe or require training – they simply send an email message with a proper subject to a proper address. • Mail2ZOS does (or at least invokes) the rest.
Configuration for Receiving File: Config Trace=full ListenPortNo: 25 OurDomainName: Mail2ZOS.Mainframe.com TempDirectory: /u/M2Z/Mail2ZOS ReceiverUserList: UserList
Configuration for Receiving File: Config Trace=full ListenPortNo: 25 OurDomainName: Mail2ZOS.Mainframe.com TempDirectory: /u/M2Z/Mail2ZOS ReceiverUserList: UserList File: UserList Domain: Mail2zos.Mainframe.com Domain: Mainframe.com ForUser: DepositReconciliation Subdir: MailboxDR1 ForUser: TimeSheets Subdir: MailboxDR2
Configuration for Receiving File: Config Trace=full ListenPortNo: 25 OurDomainName: Mail2ZOS.Mainframe.com TempDirectory: /u/M2Z/Mail2ZOS ReceiverUserList: UserList File: UserList Domain: Mail2zos.Mainframe.com Domain: Mainframe.com ForUser: DepositReconciliation Subdir: MailboxDR1 ForUser: TimeSheets Subdir: MailboxDR2 TimeSheets@mainframe.com /u/M2Z/Mail2ZOS/MailboxDR2
Processing the ‘raw’ Email • The ‘Process Mail’ task takes over: • Each ‘host mailbox’ has a corresponding Ruleset, or set of Rules. • A ‘Rule’ within the ruleset is determined by the email’s envelope, or so called ‘headers’. • Some of the envelope items we can look at are: • Sender address • Recipient address • Subject • The email’s body (‘cover page’) can be processed, just like an attachment • I.e. With a script it can ‘pick out’ data fields.
Ruleset for Timesheet Data File: TimeSht1 RULESET: TimeSheet RecognizeBy: &Subject; eq “TimeSheet*" Coverpage: Action: Ignore OBject: Where AttachmentFilename = "*.csv" Action: File StoreName: hlq.payroll.time###.dat StoreOpenOption: wb,type=record,lrecl=100,recfm=FB,blksize=10000,- DISP=(*,CATLG,DELETE) DeeditStyle: Comma DeeditMask: "11x,25x,7v2z,8v2z,8v2z" SubmitJobFilename: Job2
JCL to Process Timesheet Data File: Job2 //M2ZJOB2 JOB . . . //* //* *--------------------------*-- //* * SUBJECT: &Subject; //* * From: &From; //* *--------------------------*-- //STEP1 EXEC PGM=PAYROLL1 //TIMEIN DD DSN=&ZFULLSAVEFILENAME;,DISP=SHR //SYSPRINT DD SYSOUT=* //SYSIN DD * From: &From; Date: &Date;
Processing the Attachments • Attached files can be: • Translated from ASCII to EBCDIC if needed • De-edited into fixed field records (CSV files) • Parsed into records or treated as an undefined (Binary files ‘blobs’) • Stored into MVS dataset • Fixed or we’ll make a unique filename • Written to JES as a SYSOUT • ‘Wrapped’ with JCL and submitted • Any records with “//” are converted to “$$” to prevent any JCL to be submitted • Processed with the script language • Parse out data elements that might be used for table lookup or composing job stream parameters • Issue messages, compose JCL or email notices, etc.
Jobstream ‘JCL’ handling • JCL composition: • Can come from a library member. • Can be part of a script. • Cannot come from the email or its attachments. • Symbolic variables can be inserted. • Can have conditional logic to alter the composed JCL • Job submission: • Submitted via internal reader - or • Instead of immediately submitting jobs, they can be composed and stored in libraries for later submission - or • The script language can call a routine to schedule a job - or • The script language can issue master console messages (often used as ‘triggers’ by job schedulers)
More Features • Email Notices: • Notices can be emailed to the requester to confirm message has been received and is being processed • Notices of what was performed can be emailed to ‘operations’ to keep them informed • Script Language • Parse Cover page or text attachments files • ‘Pickout’ elements for JCL generation • Do table lookup
Some security features • We only accept emails addressed to ‘us’. • There can be separate email address for different ‘applications’. Their emails are stored in separate ‘mailboxes’ for specific processing. • We have to ‘recognize’ the email subject or other envelope info for processing selection. • JCL cannot be submitted directly • If we are ‘wrapping’ JCL, then any “//” in the data is converted to “$$” – not an option! • All JCL is predefined in host libraries, or host maintained scripts. • All rules of RACF or other host security still apply.
Summary of Benefits • Allows an end user to request a mainframe action without direct access to the mainframe. • Email is about the easiest way to upload data to the mainframe. • Intrinsic queuing of email insulates the sender from mainframe or network outages. • Automate more complicated procedures • Better audit trails on upload operations • Better audit of requests for on-demand jobs • Happy Users!
A Regional Bank • Retrieve archived customer statements: • A batch operation does the job, but • Someone with TSO knowledge and access is needed • To edit the required a parameter card • And submit the job • And monitor the job • And get the results back to the requester • Now the customer service user just emails the request with the customer ID and the job is submitted. • The results are emailed back to customer service for review and forwarding to the customer. • Results: Better customer service!
A Regional Bank • A department has PC software that creates large text files to be printed on forms. • The old way… FTP and phone calls • Now they simply email the text files. • The subject line is parsed to get the ‘form name’ the file is to be printed on. • Mail2ZOS submits a job to format the data for the printer with the appropriate form. • And sends out email notices to operations and the requesting department that the reports are ready for printing. • Results: Faster results with less steps!
A County Government • How to get Excel data into the mainframe. • The user now saves the spreadsheet as .csv (comma separated values) and emails the file to Mail2ZOS • Mail2ZOS ‘de-edits’ the .csv file into fixed (zoned) fields ready for mainframe application use. • Then it submits the job to process the spreadsheet data. • Results: Mainframe database updated faster!
Government Agency • How to get secure data from remote sites into the mainframe to update a database. • The ‘sender’ uses PKZIP to compress and encrypt the data file, with their assigned password. • They email the encrypted attachment to Mail2ZOS. • Mail2ZOS: • Stores the encrypted data file on the mainframe • Using the sender’s address, it does a ‘host’ look up to find their assigned password. • Submits a job that will invoke PKZIP on the mainframe and inserts the assigned password into the jobstream. • Email notices go out to all • Results: Database updated securely!
FTPSweeper Just a word about the companion
FTPSweeper • Instead of handling email, FTPSweeper: • Connects to any number of remote FTP servers • SSL/TLS secure transport is supported • Looks for files to upload • Uploads and stores them on the mainframe • Then deletes or renames them on the FTP server. • The rest of the functions of Mail2ZOS are then available: • Job submission, script, etc.
Licensing – North America • Annual License. • Not tier priced • 45 day free trial • No more than 5% per year increase • Perpetual License. • Not tier priced • 45 day free trial • Annual Maintenance after 1st year, 15% or price • 1st year of Annual License can apply towards perpetual purchase. Prices Subject to Change Without Notice
For a Free Software Trial • Contact: • Register and download Mail2ZOS from www.casisoft.com • Send a request for trial keys to: info@casisoft.com Attention: Ed Hollshwandner