This section contains brief descriptions of the following features:
Access to MSO is available from any VTAM terminal by logging on to the MSO applid set up by a VTAM system programmer.
VTAM, CICS, and TSO users may use a single MSO region. The CICS users may reside in one or multiple CICS regions.
Multiple MSO regions can run simultaneously on a single OS/390 system. Users accessing MSO from VTAM, CICS, and TSO may choose which MSO region to use. VTAM users specify the appropriate LUname, CICS users run the appropriate transaction, and TSO users allocate the appropriate communications data sets. Each different MSO region must have different communications data sets, which are shared by all CICS regions and TSO users accessing that region.
MSO provides the facilities for a site to monitor and trap usage accounting information on a per-user basis by cutting SMF records from an exit supplied by MSO. Your site can modify this exit to suit any in-house accounting package. See MSO Usage Accounting for detailed information.
MSO provides a user exit that is invoked when MSO is brought up or terminated. This allows initialization or termination of any site-specific code when an MSO address space starts or ends. See Site-Specific Customization for detailed information concerning the MSUSRXT exit.
If multiple users in an MSO address space must communicate with each other or coordinate services between themselves, MSO provides common memory to use in conjunction with user-written subroutines. MSO provides eight bytes of memory, the address of which can be obtained in a variety of ways. The most common use of such memory would be to store the address of GETMAINed memory obtained by the MSUSRXT user-written exit. This memory can then be shared among all the users in the MSO address space. More information on user common memory and the MSODBLW subroutine is present in Site-Specific Customization.
In the event of a system failure, MSO provides the Snapshot Facility, MSO's own dump snapshot formatter, which enhances problem determination and serviceability by assisting dump interpretation by support personnel. This facility is automatic, and provides a clear record of a problem even when no dump is available.
MSO provides a full-screen real-time monitor console, accessed directly via VTAM. You can use the MSO Console to:
Display users, cancel sessions, and change priorities.
Display CPU, storage, and EXCP statistics.
Display the current contents of a user's screen.
Control the MSO address space via operator commands.
Display, browse, and control address space and user data set allocations.
All of these capabilities require the appropriate authorization, either in the MSO configuration file or from an external security package.
MSO provides the MVS operator with a STOP command to stop a given MSO address space, as well as MODIFY commands to cancel individual users, monitor CPU and EXCP statistics, control traces, and perform other tasks. See MSO Operator Commands for detailed information.
Security in MSO is implemented using IBM's System Authorization Facility (SAF), which allows a variety of security systems (RACF, CA-ACF2, etc.) to be employed transparently to MSO. A userid is obtained from the TSO userid, or the CICS signon ID (usually obtained from the CICS CSSN or CESN transaction), or the VTAM logon screen. This userid is then used for security purposes for the task assigned to the user.
This userid, when obtained from CICS or TSO, is assumed to be already authenticated. Because VTAM does not use CICS or TSO, SAF is used to authenticate the userid and password that come from the MSO VTAM logon screen. This VTAM-only first level authentication can be bypassed by using an MSO exit called MSIDVER, which allows an MSO site to do its own first level authentication for VTAM MSO users. A sample MSIDVER assembler program is available as member MSIDVER in the MSO.DATA partitioned data set. To implement this exit, you must create an OS/390 module called MSIDVER and put this module into the authorized MSO library.
Another MSO user exit allows a site to translate userids obtained by CICS, TSO, or the Information Builders VTAM logon screen to security userids known by MSO. To use this exit, you must create an OS/390 module called MSIDTR and put this module into the authorized MSO library. The exit accepts the original userid as input, and has as output the security ID by which the user will be known, and the prefix ID by which any dynamically allocated files will be allocated (such as dynamically allocated FOCUS files). A sample MSIDTR program is present as member MSIDTR in the MSO.DATA partitioned data set.
If external security is in effect, a userid that is not known to SAF will not be allowed to log on to MSO. The MSIDTR exit may be used in conjunction with the MSIDVER exit.
For information on how to implement MSO security with a particular security package, see MSO Security.
The MSO FastLoad Facility preloads a copy of any module, such as FOCUS, and eliminates further loads of the module. MSO provides a unique copy to each user as needed, greatly speeding up logon to MSO and startup of FOCUS applications.
The MSO Resource Manager balances the resources allocated to MSO users, and allows the assignment of relative priorities to users. This prevents a resource-intensive task, or a looping task, from monopolizing all resources available to the region, and allows all work in the region to proceed concurrently.
MSO provides tools to activate and manage the various traces that Information Builders products and options may generate. These tools are available to the OS/390 operator and users of the MSO Console.
You can view the output of your batch job from the SDSF main panel. From an MSO user standpoint this practically eliminates the need for TSO, ISPF and SDSF and provides an easy transition to MSO for TSO users.
Load Balancing allows MSO administrators to distribute FOCUS users across multiple MSO regions to reduce contention for system resources and provides a transparent and efficient way to distribute users across multiple MSO regions.
| Information Builders |