Support: North Ridge Reports

Using Dynamic Groups in The Network Director

Originally published: Spring 1996

The Network Director (version 4.2.3) allows you to create and assign multiple GROUPs to USERs. This provides the following benefits:

• Users can dynamically change GROUPs during a single Network Director session by issuing the GROUP command.
• End users can issue the GROUP command to navigate easily amongst Application Selection Panels.
• Network Administrators can use the GROUP Configuration Parameter to subdivide complicated networks into flexible, logical groups, for example "Data Center applications", "Test vs. Production systems", "Program Development", etc.

Command Syntax

The command syntax for dynamically changing GROUPs is:

GROUP {desired-group}

• The "desired-group" may be any group name listed in the applicable USER or TERMINAL GROUPS= operand. When the user enters an authorized GROUP name, the Application Selection Panel refreshes with the new GROUP panel and the Network Director writes TND0833 to the LOG and the terminal device.
• If the user requests an unauthorized GROUP, the current GROUP remains unaffected and the Network Director issues TND0832.
• The user can return to the default GROUP by entering the GROUP command with no operand value.

Assigning User GROUPs

The GROUP Configuration Parameter defines the session attributes - including authorized applications - associated with a group of users who are referenced via the GROUP= operand on the TERMINAL or USER statements.

Subdividing Complicated Networks

The following example shows how dynamic GROUPs make your site easier to use.

Assume that you administer a large shop with several CICS and IMS systems spread across multiple processors. You could define the following Configuration Parameters to subdivide your network and provide dynamic GROUP logon:

APPLICATION CICS1,TARGET=CICS001,TITLE='CICS One'
APPLICATION CICS2,TARGET=CICS002,TITLE='CICS Two'
APPLICATION CICS3,TARGET=CICS003,TITLE='CICS Three'
APPLICATION TOCICS,TARGET=TOCICS,TITLE='To CICS Menu',
	INITIAL-DATA=('GROUP CICS')
*
APPLICATION IMS1,TARGET=IMS001,TITLE='IMS One'
APPLICATION IMS2,TARGET=IMS002,TITLE='IMS Two'
APPLICATION IMS3,TARGET=IMS003,TITLE='IMS Three'
APPLICATION TOIMS,TARGET=TOIMS,TITLE='To IMS Menu',
	INITIAL-DATA=('GROUP IMS')
*
GROUP IMS,APPLICATIONS=(IMS1,IMS2,IMS3,TOCICS)
GROUP CICS,APPLICATIONS=(CICS1,CICS2,CICS3,TOIMS)
GROUP USERS,APPLICATIONS=(CICS1,IMS1,TOCICS,TOIMS)
*
USERS ++++++++,GROUPS=(USERS,IMS,CICS)

When an end user successfully logs on by matching the USERS definition (in this example, everyone will match), he or she is immediately assigned to the default GROUP of USERS, which is the first GROUP in the operand list. The following figure shows the resulting Application Selection Panel:

The terminal user could then change to the CICS application menu by entering the command "GROUP CICS" or by pressing the associated function key (in this case, PF05). The CICS GROUP would include the three CICS systems and the IMS Menu choice: