Implementing APPC connection autoinstall

  1. Decide whether to use autoinstall for connections

    You are most likely to benefit from autoinstall for connections if you have large numbers of workstations all with the same characteristics. The main benefits of using autoinstall for connections are that cold, warm, and emergency restarts are faster, you have fewer CSD file definitions to manage, and less storage is taken up by unused definitions.

    However, some possible restrictions are discussed in Autoinstalling APPC connections and Recovery and restart for connection autoinstall.

  2. Decide which sessions to autoinstall

    You can use autoinstall for CICS®-to-CICS connections, but it is intended primarily for workstations.

  3. Create your model connection definitions

    A model definition provides CICS with one definition that can be used for all connections with the same properties. See Model definitions for connection autoinstall.

  4. Design and write an autoinstall control program

    The autoinstall control program provides CICS with the extra information it needs to complete an autoinstall request, such as the autoinstall model name.

    For programming information about the autoinstall control program, see the CICS Customization Guide and The autoinstall control program for connections.

  5. Enable autoinstall for connections

    Autoinstall for connections is enabled when you enable autoinstall for terminals; see Implementing VTAM autoinstall for information about the system initialization parameters and the CEMT and EXEC CICS INQUIRE and SET options used.

    If terminal autoinstall has been enabled but you want to prevent autoinstall for connections, set the model connection out of service by using the CEMT or EXEC CICS SET CONNECTION(connection-name) OUTSERVICE command. (See CICS Supplied Transactions for information about the CEMT commands, and the CICS System Programming Reference for programming information about the EXEC CICS commands.) When the model connection is out of service, the autoinstall control program cannot access it and copy it, so the autoinstall function for connections is effectively disabled.