TSO/E Information Center Facility

The Information Center Facility contains two conversational, panel-driven interfaces.

The end-user interface enables users who have little or no knowledge of data processing to easily access and use products and services. With TSO/E, this interface also enables departments or user groups and experienced end-users to invoke group and private Application Manager dialogs to tailor Information Center Facility menus for their own use.
The administration interface enables system administrators to maintain the Information Center Facility. For information about administration tasks, see Administering the TSO/E Information Center Facility.

By accessing program products through the Information Center Facility, end users can generate reports, modify and manipulate data, perform business-related analyses, make spontaneous inquiries of the system, and perform other tasks that require the use of computing systems. Installations can customize the Information Center Facility by adding additional products or deleting references to products they do not have. In addition, the Information Center Facility also provides on-line tutorials and help panels for the end user and Information Center Facility administrator.

The Information Center Facility uses the Interactive System Productivity Facility (ISPF) dialog manager services.

The Information Center Facility end user interface begins with a main menu panel that displays a list of options with descriptions and characters for selecting the options. If your installation has not customized the Information Center Facility, your main menu panel for end user tasks will look something like the panel shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Information Center Facility User's Primary Panel

                                     
                    TSO/E Information Center Facility User Services
  OPTION===>_

  Select one of the following options.  To scroll, press UP or DOWN.

  0  DESCRIBE      - Read a short description of the options on this panel
  1  NEWS          - Obtain system news
  2  NAMES         - Find a name/phone number
  3  OFFICE        - Use mail/document/other office services
  4  PROGRAM       - Use program creation/execution services
  5  ANALYSIS      - Perform decision support/data analysis/
                     report creation
  6  CHART         - Create charts/graphs
  7  COURSES       - Use education services
  8  PDF           - Use ISPF/PDF services
  9  PROBLEM       - Report problems
 10  UTIL          - Information Center Facility Utilities
  I  INTRO         - Learn to use the Information Center Facility
  T  TUTORIAL      - Read a detailed description of the options on this panel
  X  EXIT          - Exit



To view PF key definitions, type KEYS on Command or Option line of any panel.

The Information Center Facility provides the following end use functions:

News service
Names directory
Conduit dialogs (options 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10)
Education services
Group and private Application Manager
Group specification
Print service
Tutorials and help information