Verify APPC Connection (APING)

The Verify APPC Connection (VFYAPPCCNN) command, also known as APING, exchanges data packets between the local location and the specified remote location using Advanced Program-to-Program Communications, and measures the round-trip time of each data packet exchange iteration.

For this function to work, the remote location specified must be running the target portion of this function, APINGD (APING daemon).

Parameters

Keyword	Description	Choices	Notes
RMTLOCNAME	Remote location	Character value	Required, Positional 1
MODE	Mode	Communications name, *NETATR	Optional, Positional 2
RMTUSER	Remote user ID	Character value, NONE, CURRENT	Optional
RMTPWD	Remote password	Character value, *NONE	Optional
MSGMODE	Message mode	VERBOSE, QUIET	Optional
PKTLEN	Packet length (in bytes)	0-32763, 100	Optional
NBRITER	Number of iterations	1-32767, 2	Optional
NBRPKT	Number of packets	1-32767, 1	Optional
ECHO	Echo	YES, NO	Optional
WAITTIME	Wait time (in seconds)	2-3600, 10, NOMAX, NOWAIT	Optional

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Remote location (RMTLOCNAME)

Specifies the remote location to connect with. Specify the remote location name using the format nnnnnnnn.cccccccc, where nnnnnnnn is the network identifier (ID) and cccccccc is the remote location name. If only the remote location name is specified, the local network ID (LCLNETID) network attribute is used as the value of the network identifier (ID).

Mode (MODE)

Specifies the name of the mode to be used for the APPC conversation.

The possible values are:

*NETATR: The mode in the network attributes is used.
mode-name: Specify a mode name. Specify BLANK for a mode name consisting of eight blank characters.

Note: SNASVCMG and CPSVCMG are reserved names and cannot be specified.

Remote user ID (RMTUSER)

Specifies the user identifier (ID) for the target system. If a user ID is specified for this parameter and password security is active on the target system, RMTPWD(*NONE) is not valid.

The possible values are:

*NONE: No user ID is sent. If security on the target system is configured to require a user ID, the command will fail.
*CURRENT: The user ID of the job (signed-on user) using this command is sent.
remote-user-identifier: Specify a user ID to use that exists on the target system. If a user ID is specified and password security is active on the target system, a password must be specified.

Remote password (RMTPWD)

Specifies the password sent to the target system.

The possible values are:

*NONE: The system does not send a password. If a user identifier (ID) is specified on the RMTUSER parameter and password security is active on the target system, the command will fail.
password: Specify a password sent to the target system to verify the sign-on of the user ID specified in the RMTUSER parameter. The password may or may not be substituted across the communication line depending on whether the remote system supports password substitution.

Packet length (in bytes) (PKTLEN)

Specifies the length (in bytes) of the packets that are exchanged between the local and remote systems.

The possible values are:

100: The packet length is 100 bytes.
packet-length: Specify the length of the packet. Valid values range from 0 through 32763 bytes.

Number of iterations (NBRITER)

Specifies the number of iterations. For each iteration, the specified number of data packets are exchanged between the local and remote systems.

The possible values are:

2: Two iterations are performed.
number-of-iterations: Specify the number of iterations. Valid values range from 1 through 32767.

Number of packets (NBRPKT)

Specifies the number of packets that are sent by the local system for each iteration before giving the target system permission to send.

The possible values are:

1: One packet is sent for each iteration.
number-of-packets: Specify the number of packets that are sent for each iteration. Valid values range from 1 through 32767.

Echo (ECHO)

Whether the remote location should echo packets back to the local location.

The possible values are:

*YES: Packets are echoed back from the remote location to the local location.
*NO: Packets are sent from the local location to the remote location only; packets are not echoed back to the local location.

Wait time (in seconds) (WAITTIME)

Specifies the time in seconds to wait for the return (echo) before declaring the remote location to be unreachable.

The possible values are:

10: The system waits 10 seconds.
*NOMAX: The system waits forever.
*NOWAIT: The system returns immediately if there is a connection ready and available.
time-to-wait-for-reply: Specify the length of time in seconds. Valid values range from 2 through 3600 seconds.

Examples

Example 1: Verify an APPC Connection

VFYAPPCCNN   RMTLOCNAME(RPCNET.CHICAGO)  NBRITER(3)  NBRPKT(4)
             PKTLEN(500)

This command exchanges four 500-byte packets in each of three iterations with remote location CHICAGO, network identifier RPCNET. The default mode used is taken from network attribute DFTMODE. Since the default MSGMODE(*VERBOSE) was taken, each iteration will result in an informational message in the job log indicating the elapsed time for the iteration.

Example 2: Using APING Alias Command

APING   RMTLOCNAME(RPCNET.CHICAGO)  NBRITER(3)  NBRPKT(4)  PKTLEN(500)

This command is equivalent to the command in Example 1 above.

Example 3: Using APING with a Wait Time

APING   RMTLOCNAME(RPCNET.CHICAGO)  WAITTIME(20)

This command will verify the connection with remote location CHICAGO, network identifier RPCNET. The maximum time to wait for a response from the remote location is 20 seconds.