HCM master configuration file (MCF)
The HCM master configuration file (MCF) is a HCM configuration stored on the host. It provides a central shared repository, allowing several HCD/HCM users to work on a single configuration cooperatively and safely. This does not mean concurrent access to the configuration: the MCF enforces sequential access, one user (in connected mode) at a time.

When physical updates are applied to a shared configuration in stand-alone mode, MCF helps merging the changes into the master configuration later (using a mismatch resolution dialog).

Support of password phrases for HCM logon
As an alternative to a logon password, HCM now also lets you specify a password phrase for user logon. A password phrase is a sentence (including blanks) of at least 9 and up to 100 mixed-case characters.

Enhanced HCM and IODF reports
Besides printing HCM and IODF reports on paper, users can now select new formats for saving the reports in files:

• Providing reports in XML/HTML file format lets users view the contents using a web browser.
• Providing reports in CSV format saves all textual HCM reports as comma separated text files. This format allows users, for example, to load HCM reports into spreadsheet programs for further processing.

Notes:
1. These options are not available for HCM or IODF compare reports.
2. The HTML format is not available for IODF reports.

Additionally, HCM provides a new method to limit the reports to those objects which need to be included. From the modified printing dialog, users can select multiple objects of specific types, depending on the selected report(s). HCM will only include these selected objects into the limited reports.

Vertical processor view in the configuration diagram
In the existing horizontal view for XMP processors, the channel subsystems are shown from left to right, providing a logically oriented arrangement of spanned CHPIDs and PCHIDs shown multiple times. Optionally, users can now request a vertical view, where the channel subsystems are arranged one above the other, with spanned CHPIDs (and their PCHIDs) appearing only once, thus providing a physically oriented view of the processor.

This function is available as SPE:

• for z/OS 1.7 starting with service level 8 and for z/OS 1.8 starting with service level 4 as APAR IO04573

• for z/VM 5.2 starting with service level 10 as APAR VM63960.

Modify I/O subsystems
To ease the task of modifying an existing I/O subsystem consisting of many control units and devices, HCM offers a new Edit I/O Subsystem wizard which can be invoked from a controller’s context menu. This wizard supports users in efficiently performing actions that affect a large number of components when upgrading a controller, like for example, increase the number of control units and/or strings and devices or changing the object topology inside the I/O subsystem.

Applying default port names
You can automatically apply standard names to all ports of multiple or all switches with one action from the Edit a Switch dialog. For the selected switches, this action composes a default name for all involved ports, taking up to the first 24 characters of the corresponding connection information.

This function is available as SPE:

• for z/OS 1.6 starting with service level 12 and z/OS 1.7 starting with service level 6 as APAR IO02682 and for z/OS 1.8 starting with service level 2 as APAR IO03695
• for z/VM 5.2 starting with service level 10 as APAR VM63960.

Compressing HCM configuration files
HCM offers a new option to store the HCM configuration files in a compressed format. Compressed configuration files use less disk space. They cannot be opened with HCM versions prior to z/OS V1R9. However, at any time you can switch from compressed to uncompressed format.

Save As... behavior
The behavior of the Save As... function has been enhanced in a way that HCM now remembers multiple directories that you last selected depending on the file type you wanted to save.

Enhancements with importing/exporting data

New column ‘Position’ in PATCHPRT table
The Export Data function now exports the position of a cabinet patchport or general box port (needed for positioning in the diagram) in the new optional column ‘Position’ of the PATCHPRT table.

Restrictions

Label change for objects
Starting with z/OS 1.9 HCM, you can no longer create controller adapters and controller device adapters with a label containing a period (’.’). Also, if you edit existing objects of these types containing a period in their labels, HCM enforces a label change by issuing a corresponding message. The reason for this behaviour is that objects with a period in their labels cannot be imported.

Removed support
Starting with this release, support of APPC to establish the host connection is withdrawn.