Overview of Setting System Defaults: Application Manager

The Information Center Facility is made up of different services (products and application programs) that users can access. These services can be defined to the Information Center Facility by Application Manager. To be defined by Application Manager, a service must be broken down into parts called applications.

There are three kinds of applications; they are: environments, functions, and panels.

Environments

Support information for the service, such as:

Commands for setup, invocation, and termination
Libraries to be allocated
ISPF shared variables.

Functions

The CLIST, REXX exec, command, program, or menu panel that invokes the service.

Panels

The interface allowing users to select different services, tutorials, and HELP information.

Three levels of Application Manager definitions can be available during application invocation or run-time processing. The definitions available at the various levels allow departments, groups, and individual users, to create or tailor their own panels, functions, and environments. The three levels of application definitions are:

System level: Supported for applications that are defined for an entire system.
Group level: Supported for user groups to override system application definitions with definitions tailored to a specific group, and to provide access to applications that are unique to a specific group. (See z/OS TSO/E Primer for information about accessing application definitions tailored for a specific group.)
Private level: Supported for individual users to override their group and system application definitions with definitions tailored for their own use. The private level also allows users to create and access application definitions that are unique.

You can add a service to the Information Center Facility by loading installation files that define the service in terms of its applications (environment, function, and panels). You can also add a service by entering specific information on Application Manager panels. After the service is added, you can copy, modify, and delete its applications, and determine where the applications are used. You can also view, replace, and upgrade applications, and generate a hierarchy display for panel applications.

You can create an installation file from an existing application using the export function. This function copies an existing application into a data set that can be kept on the same system or sent to another system.

You can process multiple installation files with or without upgrade files, and export a list of applications without the use of Application Manager panels. See Mass Installation File Processing for more information.

Before You Begin

Before you begin maintaining Information Center Facility applications, read the online tutorial for Application Manager. The tutorial describes how to perform the tasks for maintaining Information Center Facility applications. To read the tutorial, select:

The SYSDEF option on the main menu panel for administrators
The TUTORIAL option on the System Defaults Menu panel
The Application Manager option on the Tutorial Menu panel.

To read the tutorial for group and private Application Manager, select:

The ICFUSER option on the main menu panel for administrators
The TUTORIAL option on the Programmer Services panel
The Application Manager option for either group or private administrators on the Tutorial Menu panel.

For detailed information about using a particular panel, press the HELP PF key while you are on that panel.

Note:

You cannot split the screen while managing applications under Application Manager. You can split the screen while using the other options in the Information Center Facility.
Sometimes required libraries for a service defined by Application Manager cannot be accessed and a user cannot invoke the service. The user might also receive a message, such as "Command not found.". When this situation occurs, see your system programmer. For more information about setting up libraries for invoking an application, see z/OS TSO/E Customization.