Using Excel and SNACFG to Implement Batch Configuration Changes (185436)

SUMMARY

Snacfg.exe is a command-line tool used for adding the different SNA components found in the SNA Manager screen. A single SNA component can be added from each command line execution, or a command file can be created for adding multiple components to the SNA configuration file (Com.cfg). This can become tedious for adding hundreds of the same component; that is, 3270 LUs or connections. The necessity for changing a component parameter to be unique can make using a Snacfg.exe a tedious exercise.

By using Microsoft Excel, a single parameter can be typed and incremented easily by parsing the data and dragging down the cells. The steps below will walk through a scenario adding 3270 Display LU Sessions.

1. Create a single Snacfg.exe statement for adding the component you need in Notepad. Save the file as a text file with a .bat extension. Below is the statement for adding a 3270 Display LU to the SNA Server.

   snacfg #C:\sna\system\config\com.cfg lu DSPLU022 /add /connection:CONN1 /lunumber:22 /lutype:display

   NOTE: This statement modifies the Com.cfg file on C:\Sna\System\Config and adds an LU named "DSPLU022" to a connection "CONN1," gives "DSPLU022" an LU number of 22, and makes it a display LU. If you are using this snacfg command line, the parameters specified must match the SNA Server configuration being modified. For example, if the above LU was added to a connection called HostTX, then the parameter /connection:HostTX should be used instead of /connection:CONN1. For more information on using the Snacfg.exe command, go to the SNA Server Help files through SNA Manager or reference Part 5 of the "SNA Server Reference Guide."
2. The snacfg command above will appear as a single line of text in Notepad.
3. Copy the line by highlighting the text and then clicking Copy from the Edit menu.
4. Start Excel, select cell A1, and from the Edit menu, click Paste to paste the snacfg command into the first cell on the spreadsheet.
5. From the Data menu, select Text to Columns. This will start the Convert Text to Columns Wizard. Select the Delimited option for Original data type, and then click Next to continue.
6. Step 2 of the wizard allows adjustment of the columns so that each field can be put into a cell. Any component that needs to be unique or numerically incremented needs to be in its own cell or column. In the snacfg command line example above, both the "lu DSPLU022" and the "/lunumber:22" parameters must be in their own individual cells because each LU name and LU number must be unique.
7. Step 3 of the wizard allows the data format to be set for each column. Select General in the Column data format section, and then click Next. Click Finish to complete to conversion of text to columns.
8. The snacfg command should appear parsed into separate columns for each of the values above.
9. Right-click the row number that contains the snacfg command and click copy.
10. Select the next four rows, right-click the rows, and then click Paste. The snacfg command line should be replicated in the four additional rows. Notice that none of the parameters have incremented in value.
11. The "lu" and the "/lunumber:" parameters must be incremented by a value of one for each row. Click the lower-right corner of the first column to be incremented and drag down four rows. Repeat this for both the "lu" and the "/lunumber:" parameters. DSPLU022 will have incremented from to DSPLU023... and the "/lunumber parameter" will have incremented from /lunumber:22 to /lunumber:23. In this manner you can increment any column so that a unique parameter is entered.
    
    NOTE: These steps can be followed on most parameters of the snacfg command line. One exception of this is adding connections. If you are adding multiple connections with either a different Local SAP or Remote SAP value, these must be incremented in values of hex 0x04 each time. Therefore, these must be changed individually.
12. After the Excel spreadsheet has been completed, highlight the block of snacfg command lines and copy them into Notepad using a cut and paste operation. Save the file as a text file, such as Snachange.txt.
13. Create a batch file in notepad called Snabat.bat, and add the following line:

    snacfg #C:\sna\system\config\com.cfg @c:\snachange.txt /v

    NOTE: The above snacfg command line modifies the com.cfg file located in the C:\Sna\System\Config directory with the name of the command file created in step 12 and displays information on the changes in verbose mode [/v]. These parameters will need to be adjusted to reflect the location of the com.cfg if it is in a different location and/or the name and location of the command file. The proper syntax for this is:

    snacfg [#configpath] @commandpath [/v]

14. Run the Snabat.bat file from a command line. The Com.cfg file will be modified with the snacfg lines in the command file created in step 12 and these changes will show up in the SNA Manager once refreshed or re- opened. In the above scenario, clicking on the "CONN1" connection should show the 3270 Display LUs on the right side of the screen. NOTE: It would be best to test a single snacfg command and verify that it works before running a large configuration file change. This will avoid having to do multiple reconfiguration and tweaking of the command file.