IBM Systems - Connecting & File Transfer

To connect to MVS, you need special software that lets your workstation securely emulate a 3270 terminal.

 

• SSH
  
  
• QWS3270 for Windows
  
  
• Secure Mac Connections
  
  

MVS offers 2 methods for securely FTPing files to and from MVS when security and privacy are concerns.: SFTP and TLS. The pros and cons associated with each may make your decision simpler.

 

• Also known as SSL v.3
• More secure than SFTP.
• Allows you to FTP an MVS file (and translate if necessary) - sequential file, PDS member or entire PDS.
• The remote server must also 'talk' TLS.
• Since TLS operates on the MVS side of the system, you have the familiar and reliable utilities and return codes to help you ascertain the success or failure of your process.
• TLS Setup
• Secure Batch FTP under TLS

• Not as secure as TLS.
• The file that is SFTP'ed or SCP'ed will have to reside on USS as an HFS (Hierarchical File System) file because the SSH executable resides there.
• Your account will have to be configured under RACF to use the USS side of MVS.
• Unix is notorious for not communicating problems and failures so you need to test and verify your batch stream at every step to be sure it is bullet-proof before you put it into production. An OMVS/USS jobstep may get a zero return code even though a remote login or a copy failed and your job's SYSLOG provides no information....
• SFTP Setup for MVS
  
  

To move files between your PC and MVS or between the two physical partitions of MVS, you can use ftpb:

 

• Interactive FTP on z/OS