Question

Anyone attempted to perform automated tasks through the PCOMM or x3270 using Perl? I am doing some operations on Mainframe through PCOMM and x3270. Since some tasks include many repeatable operations, I am trying to find an easy way to automate these tasks on Mainframe.

BTW, Perl is my favorite language, so just mentioned Perl here.

Answer 1

You should do some research on QUOTE SITE FILETYPE=JES. This allows you to FTP batch jobs straight into the JES Spool. I do this dozens of times a day (maybe hundreds) to get my PC to accomplish tasks on the mainframe. If it can be done in batch, then this is a great way to do it. And of course, Perl is an excellent way to create and manipulate the JCL before it’s submitted.

Another thing to look into, if you Telnet to the mainframe, it opens a TSO command dialog (just like option 6 in TSO). There are many things you can do there too. Of course, if you’re doing IPLs and the like, you already know this.

My trouble is that I am not a systems programmer so I cannot control the settings of the mainframe. There are many settings that my company’s systems guys are too lazy to look into, so they just shut them down out of hand. I discovered the Telnet thing about a year ago, which I was using to see if a job had finished (that’s the hard part of this… knowing when the job is done). Next thing I know, the Telnet access had been disabled.

I have tons of things that allow me to do things on the mainframe via Perl. Hit me up and I’d love to share them with you.