This page provides details of what's new in HCD for z/OS V1R9.

New and enhanced profile options
There are several new keywords that you can specify in the HCD profile for the following purposes:

Allow or prohibit mixed esoterics:
In previous releases, HCD allowed a mix of DASD and TAPE devices under the same esoteric name. Though HCD continued to build the production IODF, it issued warning message CBDA332I. Starting with this release, using the new profile keyword MIXED_ESOTERIC, users can decide whether HCD should prohibit mixed esoterics by issuing CBDA332I as error message rather than a warning and thus stop building the production IODF.

Select a HLQ for exporting IODFs:
When exporting an IODF, the generated data set is normally written with the high-level qualifier of the user ID that issued the Export IODF function. To allow the specification of a different HLQ, you can use the keyword EXPORTED_HLQ in the HCD profile. The HLQ (up to 8 characters) specified with this keyword is used for the exported IODF data set name rather than the user ID.

This function is available as SPE and needs to be installed as APAR OA18724 starting with z/OS 1.4.

Import IODF in data space:
The setting of keyword IODF_DATA_SPACE is now also applied to the Import I/O definition file function. To avoid size restrictions imposed on large imported IODFs by address space limitations, the specification of IODF_DATA_SPACE=YES (which is the default) causes HCD to import the IODFs into a data space instead of importing them into an address space.

This function is available as SPE and needs to be installed as APAR OA16701 starting with z/OS 1.4.

Extend MCF data set to provide space for updates
The setting of keyword MCF_EXTENSION allows users to specify the percentage of additional space that is to be allocated when defining an MCF data set. Per default an MCF data set is allocated with 30 percent additional space than actually needed to hold the MCF data, thereby providing relief for updates that consume data space.

Select a volume for the HCM master configuration file
Keyword MCF_VOL lets you specify a volume serial number where to store the HCM master configuration file (MCF) if you want to exploit HCM’s MCF concept. For information on the MCF concept, refer to the z/OS and z/VM HCM User’s Guide .

Overwriting the default allocation for data sets allocated due to HCM requests
The new HCD profile option ALLOC_SPACE allows users to overwrite the default allocation for host data sets that are temporarily allocated due to HCM requests,
for example, HCDASMP, HCDRPT, HCDIN.

This function is available as SPE and needs to be installed as APAR OA19771 for z/OS 1.7 and 1.8.

Checking for multiple extents of production IODFs
A z/OS IPL using a production IODF with multiple extents results in a wait state. Starting with this release, HCD issues warning message CBDA009I, if dynamic
activation encounters an IODF with multiple extents.

This function is available as SPE and needs to be installed as APAR OA17546 starting with z/OS 1.4.

Filter for occupied ports
On the Port List for switches, you can now filter for occupied ports.

Show/Hide setting in the I/O Device List
The Show/Hide setting of parameters or features in an I/O Device List is now
saved across HCD sessions.

Enhancements for transmitting configuration packages
When defining a configuration package, the target user ID and node ID as well as the status of the receiving operating system (attended or unattended) are remembered in the IODF as part of the package definition. In earlier releases, you could not change the target during package submission.

Starting with this release, the Transmit Configuration Package dialog allows you to overwrite the target user ID, target node ID and transmission mode (attended or
unattended).

Removed support
Support for processor types 9021 and 9121 has been removed.

If you access processor support modules for these processor types, you get message CBDA046I during HCD initialization.