Product Download Instructions
Product Download Instructions:
The VPARS, VTAPE, and ShadowDisk/z install and update files are available for download from our FTP site. The install files for each release of z/VM are packed into a single VMARC file. All VSSI customers have been assigned a userid and password for access to this facility. Upon receipt of customer contact, VSSI will provide the proper credentials in a secure manner.
| Method | Secure/Encrypted | Port | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| SFTP | YES | 22 | CLI |
| HTTPS | YES | 443 | WEB |
| FTP | NO | 21 | CLI |
VSSI supports both secure (recommended) and regular (available) FTP service via https://ftp.vsoftsys.com. In the past, we offered FTP on the z/VM platform. As of April 30, 2018, the FTP server will be hosted on a Unix platform, and will use Unix-oriented command semantics. Therefore, all remarks below refer to the Unix-hosted FTP server. Command semantics are as follows:
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Variable | (URL: ftp.vsoftsys.com) |
| FTP Port Number | FTP: Port 21 SFTP: Port 22 |
| User ID | Command-line clients can supply the userid in the FTP command stream (regular FTP), or on the command line (secure FTP), as follows:ftp myuserid@ftp.vsoftsys.com(This value is case-insensitive; the server converts it to lower case internally.) |
| Password | Case sensitive |
| Initial Directory | myuserid/ (chrooted as /) |
| Directory Names for CD command | /191, /192, /193, etc. |
| Private Directory for Customer-Specific downloads (private PTFs, etc) | /192 Private Customer Directory |
| Private Directory for Customer-Specific uploads (dumps, etc) | /292 Private Customer Directory |
Download Procedures
Download the product files from VSSI:
Use the sample command stream below to download the applicable packages
| FTP Command | Comments |
|---|---|
| ftp ftp.vsoftsys.com | Enter your credentials as shown above. |
| User: | Supply your VSSI-assigned user ID if not on command line |
| Password: | Supply your VSSI-assigned password |
| binary | BINARY mode must be set for all VSSI packages |
| cd /191 | The directory containing the VSSI product packages |
| ls | List the packages |
| get zvmvrm.ppppvvmm (e.g., zvm640.vpvt5524) | vrm = Your z/VM release (e.g., 640 = z/VM 6.4, 710 = z/VM 7.1, etc) pppp = VPVT for VPARS packages, VT for VTAPE-only packages, and VD for ShadowDisk/Z packages vvmm = The VSSI package version and release (e.g., 5524) |
| cd /192 | This directory contains your VSSI-generated license file. |
| get cnnnn.vmarc | Download your VSSI license file, where: c = Product type; P for VPARS customers, T for VTAPE-only customers, and D for ShadowDisk/Z-only customers nnnn = Digits 3-6 of your VSSI userid (e.g., a user ID of VP123401 corresponds to a license key file of P1234.vmarc). |
| cd /193 | This directory contains VSSI product updates. |
| get ppppvvmm.ptfcum | Get the latest service for package zvmvrm.ppppvvmm, as detailed above. |
| get vstools.vmarc | Download the latest VSTOOLS VMARC file |
| quit | End this FTP session. |
* Your Network/IT provider may block Active FTP connections. If this is the case you will need to use Passive or Extended Passive FTP. In that case the use of the PASV or EPSV commands may be needed.
** If you are experiencing FTP issues we strongly suggest the use of the HTTPS Web Interface here for your upload and download needs.
Once you have the VMARC files on your z/VM system, use the VSFMTARC utility (see Download VMARC and Related Utilities below), or the PIPE command to reformat the VMARC files to Fixed80 format so that VMARC can process them:
- VSFMTARC Command: VSFMTARC fn ft fm
- Pipe Command: PIPE < fn ft fm | FBLOCK 80 00 | > fn ft fm F 80
If you do not have VMARC available on your system, it can be downloaded from the VSSI FTP site (see Download VMARC and Related Utilities below).
To install your newly downloaded package and license, please follow the instructions contained in the VSSI Product Installation Guide.
Download VMARC and Related Utilities:
If you do not already have VMARC on your system, VSSI supplies VMARC files in CMS packed format on our FTP site at ftp.vsoftsys.com (the VMARC utility was originally written by John S. Fisher of Troy, NY). Feel free to download the following files from the VSSI FTP site:
| File | Disk | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| VMARC MODULEP | 191 | The VMARC executable module |
| VMARC HELPCMSP | 191 | The VMARC HELP file |
| VSFMTARC EXECP | 191 | A simple VSSI utility to reformat downloaded VMARC files to Fixed80 format so that VMARC can process the VMARCed file (included with all VSSI product packages at Build Level 5512 and higher) |
After you download these files, you need to unpack them to make them usable, as follows:
- Pipe Command: PIPE < VMARC MODULEP fmi | fblock 1024 00 | unpack | > VMARC MODULE fmo
- Pipe Command: PIPE < VMARC HELPCMSP fmi | fblock 1024 00 | unpack | > VMARC HELPCMS fmo
- Pipe Command: PIPE < VSFMTARC EXECP fmi | fblock 1024 00 | unpack | > VSFMTARC EXEC fmo
Where fmi represents the input filemode, and fmo is your target output filemode.
NOTE: VMARC is a public domain utility to store files in a compressed format.
You may use it at your site for other purposes as long as it meets and retains the Copyright notice found in the module.