Data Source Wizard (Host Files)
You can use the Data Source Wizard to guide you through the steps to configure and save data source information that is required to connect the Data Provider for Host Files (Data Provider) to remote IBM host file system servers. Consumer Tools, such as Visual Studio and BizTalk Server, will load the Data Source Wizard for use in defining and re-configuring connections to IBM host file system servers. The Data Source Wizard helps to simplify configuring and testing network connections, working with packages, defining character string code page conversions, working with security and encryption, and validating and saving the configuration.
The following sections describe the Data Access Wizard screens and the actions that you can perform on each screen.
Welcome
Optionally, you can select the check box to omit displaying this welcome screen.
Data Source
You can use the Data Source screen to configure the host file system server platform.
Data Source Platform
Optionally, to increase performance and reduce impact to the remote database, select the data source platform on which the remote host file system is deployed. The Data Provider uses this value to convert data types to a format supported by this platform.
The default value is Mainframe file system (which refers to Distributed FileManager for z/OS). Other values include IBM i file system (which refers to IBM i) and Local file (which refers to a local Windows PC-based binary file).
Network transport library
The following two connectivity options are available:
SNA LU6.2 APPC (Advanced Program to Program Communications using Systems Network Architecture) network connections to remote IBM host file system servers that are running on IBM mainframe z/OS and midrange IBM i host computers.
TCP/IP network connections to remote IBM midrange IBM i host computers.
TCP/IP Network Connection
The TCP/IP Network Connection screen can be used to configure required and optional parameters.
Address or alias
You must enter a valid IP address or alias in either IPv4 or IPv6 format.
Port
You must specify an IP port number. For IBM i file system, the default value is TCP/IP port 446.
Certificate Common Name
Optionally, you can specify a server certificate common name to instruct the Data Provider to utilize Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) V3.0 or Transport Layer Security (TLS) V1.0 encryption. If you use SSL or TLS, it will improve security by encrypting authentication credentials and data. By default, this value is set to empty string (no SSL or TLS).
APPC Network Connection
The APPC Network Connection screen can be used to configure required and optional parameters.
Local LU alias
The Data Provider requires an APPC local LU alias, when you connect using SNA LU6.2. Select or enter the name of the APPC local LU alias configured in Host Integration Server.
Remote LU alias
The Data Provider requires an APPC remote LU alias, when you connect using SNA LU6.2. Select or enter the name of the APPC remote LU alias configured in Host Integration Server.
Mode name
The Data Provider requires an APPC mode name, when connecting via SNA LU6.2. Select or enter the name of the APPC mode name configured in Host Integration Server.
Mainframe File System
The Mainframe File System screen must be used to configure required host file system server parameters, including default host file library and Host Integration Designer XML (HIDX) metadata file.
Default library
You must specify a string to instruct the Data Provider to utilize default library, with which to inform the host file system server in which owner library to locate host file system objects. Mainframe file system data sets are identified with a unique name composed of one or more segment names (up to 22) joined by periods. The left-most segment is the high-level qualifier, or library name. A default library name for use with host file system on z/OS is an 8-byte string (library is also known as owner or project).
Metadata definition file
You must specify a string to instruct the Data Provider to load a Host Integration Designer XML (HIDX) metadata file for encoding and decoding records in mainframe z/OS, midrange IBM i and offline host files. .
IBM i File System
Optionally, when connecting to midrange IBM i host file system servers, the Data Provider can use this value to obtain schema information on DB2 for IBM i tables and columns, with which to provide automatic record data conversion without requiring Host Integration Designer XML (HIDX) metadata file. The location name is known as the DB2 for IBM i Relational Database Name (RDBNAME) and consists of an 18-byte string.
Location
Optionally, when connecting to midrange IBM i host file system servers, the Data Provider can use this value to obtain schema information on DB2 for IBM i tables and columns, with which to provide automatic record data conversion without requiring a Host Column Description (HCD) file. The location name is known as the DB2 for IBM i Relational Database Name (RDBNAME) and consists of an 18-byte string.
Default library
You must specify a string to instruct the Data Provider to utilize default library, with which to inform the host file system server in which owner library to locate host file system objects. Midrange file system files are identified with a unique name composted of a library name and file name separated by a forward-slash, with optional member name in parentheticals. A default library name for use with host file system on IBM i is a 10-byte string (library is also known as a LIB object).
Metadata definition file
You must specify a string to instruct the Data Provider to load a Host Integration Designer XML (HIDX) metadata file for encoding and decoding records in mainframe z/OS, midrange IBM i and offline host files.
Local File
The Local File screen must be used to configure required local Windows PC-based binary file parameters, including local folder and record conversion metadata schema.
Local File Folder
You must specify a path to a local Windows folder to instruct the Data Provider on where to read or write records to and from a local Windows PC-based binary file, when the ADO.NET Data Provider for Host Files or BizTalk Adapter for Host Files operates in off-line binary reader or writer mode.
Metadata definition file
You must specify a string to instruct the Data Provider to load a Host Integration Designer XML (HIDX) metadata file for encoding and decoding records in mainframe z/OS, midrange IBM i and offline host files.
Locale
Optionally, to increase performance and reduce the impact on the remote database, you can select the coded character set identifier (CCSID) for the remote IBM host file system server (host) and local data consumer (PC). The Data Provider uses these values to convert character strings to a code page supported by these databases. The Data Provider supports a combination of single byte character sets (SBCS), mixed-byte character sets (MBCS) double-byte character sets (DBCS), and Unicode - UTF8 [1208], which is an 8-bit Unicode transformation format. For more information, see SNA Internationalization Programmer's Reference (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=181017).
Host CCSID
The Data Provider requires a value for Host CCSID (Coded Character Set Identifier) with which to perform code page conversions on string data. The default Host CCSID value is EBCDIC – U.S./Canada [37]. Typically, IBM host file system servers for z/OS and IBM i utilize EBCDIC (Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code). For more information, see SNA Internationalization Programmer's Reference (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=181017).
PC Code page
The Data Provider requires a value for PC Code Page with which to perform code page conversions on string data. The default PC code page is ANSI – Latin I [1252]. Typically, data consumers use either ANSI (American National Standards Institute) or Unicode. For more information, see SNA Internationalization Programmer's Reference (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=181017).
Security
The Security screen enables you to configure one of two security methods: interactive sign-on, single sign-on.
Security method
The Security screen enables you to configure one of two security methods: interactive sign-on, or single sign-on.
Interactive sign-on
Interactive sign-on security relies on a user name and password that you enter at runtime or that is stored in a configuration file or data consumer configuration store, such as an Integration Services package.
User name
The following table lists the host file system platform and accepted string types.
| Host File System | String Type |
|---|---|
| Host file system for z/OS | An 8-byte string. |
| Host file system for IBM i | A 10-byte string. |
Password
The following table describes the host file system platform and accepted string types.
| Host File System | String Type |
|---|---|
| Host file system for z/OS | An 8-byte string. |
| Host file system for IBM i | A 128-byte string. |
Password confirmation
You must enter the same value as Password.
Save password
Optionally, you can save the password in the connection string text file by clicking the Save password check box. Choosing this option saves the user name and password in plain text. It is not possible to encrypt the user name or password using this method. Server security can be compromised if an attacker can gain access to the file share on which the connection string text file is located.
Single sign-on
Single sign-on uses a user name and password that are stored in an encrypted enterprise single sign-on database.
Affiliate Application
This property is required for use with Enterprise Single Sign-On.
Authentication Method
The Authentication Method option is not supported when using the Data Provider for Host Files.
Advanced Options
The Advanced Settings screen enables you to configure additional optional settings.
Connection pooling
Optionally, you can specify TRUE to instruct the Data Provider to use client-side connection pooling. The default is FALSE (no pooling).
Strict validation
Optionally, you can specify TRUE to instruct the Data Provider to verify and correct parameter lengths for character data types, on behalf of data consumers such as SQL Server Integration Services package designer and import/export wizard. The default is FALSE.
Validation
You can use the Validation screen to validate your configuration by testing the connection. You can also use it to execute a sample query.
Connect
Click the Connect button to perform a test connection.
Sample Query
Click the Sample Query button to retrieve a list of files in the default library.
Saving Information
Use the Saving Information screen to name and save your configuration. Configurations are saved in the following location.
C:\Users\<username>\Documents\Host Integration Projects\Data Sources\
Data source name
The data source is a parameter that can be used to describe the data source. When you create a data link by using the Data Source Wizard, the Data Source property is used to name the Universal Data Link (UDL) file or connection string file.
Managed group
Save the connection string as an initialization text string file for use in Data Consumers and Tools.
Finish
The Completing the Data Source Wizard screen displays a summary and status of your configuration. Click Finish to implement your actions.