What is the Open Communication Facility?

The Open Communication Facility (OCF) is an accessibility tool providing cross-system access to Beta product functions across multiple CPU platforms.

The Open Communication Facility enables quick and reliable access to data center information in a multi-CPU configuration.

Protocols

OCF provides cross-product communication between Beta products on different LPARs using the Advanced Program-to-Program Communication (APPC/VTAM) implementation of the SNA LU6.2 communications protocol. Optionally, OCF allows the APPC interface to be emulated across an LU2 VTAM link.

Alternatively, you can also use OCF via TCP/IP if you are using the BSA X‑System Router Beta 02 (see "Parameters for OCF via TCP/IP").

When to use

Use OCF if you want to provide a communications link between Beta products that are on different sysplexes.

Use XCF instead if you want to provide a communications link between Beta products that are on different LPARs within one sysplex.

Who should read this section?

This section is intended for the systems programmer responsible for installing and maintaining the Open Communication Facility functions.