The Co:Z Co-Processing Toolkit for z/OS allows any z/OS batch job to remotely launch a process on a distributed system, redirecting input and output from that process to traditional z/OS datasets or spool files. Remote processes are securely launched using proven SSH (Secure Shell) technology to the target platform, which may be Linux, Windows, or other Unix/POSIX environments.
The Co:Z toolkit includes Dataset Pipes, a set of commands that allow local or remote systems to access MVS datasets.
The Co:Z toolkit also includes Co:Z SFTP, a port of OpenSSH SFTP with dataset and SMF record support.
The Co:Z toolkit can be used in one of three modes:
A z/OS unix process accesses local MVS datasets
The Dataset Pipes for z/OS commands, fromdsn and todsn allow for flexible conversion of record oriented MVS datasets to byte-stream unix pipes.
A z/OS jobstep launches a remote process on a target system
The Co:Z Launcher starts a shell process on a distributed system, redirecting its input and output to traditional z/OS datasets or spool files.
The remote shell is securely launched under the control of the Co:Z Agent, which provides a management interface to the remote shell from the MVS console.
The Dataset Pipes client commands can be used by the remote process to reach back into the launching jobstep to access MVS datasets.
A remote client initiates a connection to z/OS
A Unix, Windows or remote z/OS system can use the Dataset Pipes client commands to initiate an SSH connection to a z/OS server. In this mode, the Dataset Pipes SSH server subsystem (dspipes) is used to access MVS Datasets, much like the SSH sftp-server subsystem is used to access HFS/zFS files.
Securely launch and control remote processes (programs, scripts, etc.) from a z/OS batch job step or started task.
Redirect input and output of remote process to DDs in the launching job step.
Target process exit code is captured as job step condition code.
Co:Z Launcher job step acts as a server for z/OS dataset I/O.
z/OS console commands can be used to monitor, control, and send input to remote process.
Existing z/OS scheduling and automation facilities can be used to schedule, monitor, and control processes on all servers on the network.
Dataset Pipes client commands may be used in the target process to reach back and access datasets in the launching jobstep. These commands provide flexible conversion of z/OS datasets to streams for use in target applications. Options allow for control of line rules, translation, padding/truncation, dataset allocation and DCB processing.
Pipe input to an MVS dataset (todsn)
Pipe output from an MVS dataset (fromdsn)
Remote execution over an SSH connection
Supports any MVS dataset which can be opened in sequential, record mode
by the fopen() C-library routine. This includes:
MVS sequential datasets (QSAM, BSAM)
PDS and PDSE members
VSAM files (processed in sequential mode)
SYSOUT datasets, including the MVS internal reader
Supports text or binary conversion via flexible line-termination rules:
Cr, Lf/Newline, CrLf, Cr and/or Lf, RDW, none, user-defined-string
Supports flexible record padding / overflow rules:
wrap, flow, truncate, error
Codepage translation via high-performance z/OS conversion services
Can specify additional fopen() options and
dynamic allocation keywords
keywords supported by BPXWDYN can be used to customize dataset allocation
allows for SYSOUT, writers or MVS internal reader
User and/or system profile can be used to automatically supply conversion options based dataset name matching.
The Co:Z Toolkit consists of two packages:
Co:Z Toolkit for z/OS, which includes:
CoZLauncher
Dataset Pipes for z/OS
Dataset Pipes SSH server subsystem
Co:Z SFTP SSH server subsystem
DtlSpawn (a better BPXBATCH)
Sample JCL
Co:Z Toolkit for Target Systems, which includes:
CoZAgent
Dataset Pipes client commands
The Co:Z Toolkit supports a wide variety of distributed platforms, including Linux, Windows, or other Unix/Posix platforms. Co:Z is a particularly good fit for organizations that run both z/OS and Linux for System z connected via HiperSockets.
z/OS V1R4 or later
Supports 32-bit Windows environments (Windows NT, 2000, XP, Vista)
Requires the Cygwin environment.
See Section 2.4, “Windows Target System Installation” for more information.
Source code is distributed under the GNU Public License Section D.2, “Co:Z Toolkit for target systems”.
An SSHD server, compatible with OpenSSH.
Pre-built binary packages are available for many Linux distributions.
Source code is distributed under the GNU Public License Section D.2, “Co:Z Toolkit for target systems”.