Defining an EE connection network in the EE XCA major node

Perform the following steps to configure the EE XCA major node to include the definition of a connection network.

Use the PORT and GROUP definition statements to define a connection to a connection network virtual routing node. Following is a sample Enterprise Extender XCA major node GROUP definition for a local VRN:
```
      GRPEE1   GROUP  DIAL=YES,                          (a)
                      CALL=INOUT,                        (b) 
                      HOSTNAME=NETA.HOST1,               (c)
                      VNNAME=NETA.LCLVRN,                (d)
                      VNTYPE=LOCAL,                      (e)
                      CAPACITY=1000M,                    (f)    
                      AUTOGEN=(10,L,P)                   (g)
```
Perform the following steps to define the appropriate operands:
1. Code DIAL=YES on the GROUP statement that defines the virtual node or on the GROUP statement named on the VNGROUP operand of the PORT definition statement.
2. Code the CALL operand to indicate that lines are available for both dial out and dial in connections.
3. Code the HOSTNAME operand to specify the host name to be resolved to obtain this static VIPA address. Alternatively, code the IPADDR operand to specify the static VIPA address that Enterprise Extender connections will use to communicate with this host. Code the IPADDR or HOSTNAME on the GROUP definition statement, or it will default from the similarly named VTAM® start option.
  Tips:
  - If your environment requires multiple source VIPA addresses, or if your EE connections require different addressing protocols (IPv4 versus IPv6), code the IPADDR operand or the HOSTNAME operand on the GROUP statement. The IPADDR operand explicitly identifies the source VIPA address to be used for this EE connection. The HOSTNAME operand specifies the name to use for name-to-address resolution, at this node and at remote EE endpoints connected to this same VRN, for obtaining the source VIPA address representing this stack.
  - If your environment requires unique LDLC inactivity timer settings for different EE connections, then you can specify different LIVTIME, SRQTIME, and SRQRETRY values on the GROUP definition statements (for each unique local IP address).
4. Code the VNNAME operand to define the name of the virtual node. IPv4 or IPv6 protocols can be used for both local or global VRN definitions. Supply a different virtual node name (VNNAME) for connection networks using different addressing protocols.
5. Code the VNTYPE operand to indicate whether the connection network is allowed to span APPN subnetwork boundaries. The default for VNTYPE is LOCAL (the connection network cannot span subnetwork boundaries). If the connection network should be allowed to span subnetwork boundaries, specify a VNTYPE of GLOBAL. (A VRN defined with VNTYPE=GLOBAL can also be used locally.) Attempts to define the same VRN as GLOBAL in some nodes and LOCAL in others might not produce the results you want. If a VRN is to be used across subnetwork boundaries, then define it as VNTYPE=GLOBAL in all nodes.
6. Use the CAPACITY operand to specify the media speed for the connectivity to the partner. The previous example specifies 1000 Mb for a gigabit Ethernet infrastructure. See Advanced coding considerations for EE for more detail on specifying connection (TG) characteristics.
7. Coding AUTOGEN=(10,L,P) will automatically generate 10 lines and PUs for the group. The number of lines and PUs defined should be greater than or equal to the number of expected concurrent EE partners.
Define at least as many lines as the maximum expected concurrent connections. Because lines are associated with a specific GROUP statement, make sure that there are enough lines for that specific GROUP. For instance, a GROUP statement could be used for predefined EE connections (used for actual dialed EE connections) or for an EE connection network (either global or local). Make sure that there are enough EE lines for all GROUP statements defined in the XCA major node. These lines can be created manually or with AUTOGEN.
Define as many local or global connection networks as your configuration requires. By allowing multiple global and local virtual routing nodes, users can define VRNs based on link characteristics. For example, a subset of users might require secure links, while others might use unsecured links. Depending on the requirements of the sessions, users can connect to the z/OS® network using the appropriate VRN for the session characteristics. Definition of multiple local or global connection networks is necessary if both IPv4 and IPv6 protocols are to be used for local or global VRNs.
To maximize availability, consider EE connection network reachability awareness.
Activate the XCA major node if it is not already activated. Also activate the group by issuing VARY ACT, ID=GRPEE1.

You can verify that you have successfully defined a connection network in the EE XCA major node by looking for message:

IST1168I VIRTUAL NODE NETA.LCLVRN CONNECTION ACTIVE

which indicates that the connection network link is now active.

The following guidelines and restrictions apply.

Guidelines:

When a VNTYPE of GLOBAL is specified and a VNNAME value is not specified, the virtual node is assigned the name IP.IP.
The VNNAME/IPADDR pair (whether explicitly coded as an IP address using the IPADDR operand, or resolved from a host name using the HOSTNAME operand) must be unique. For example, if VRN1/HOST1 and VRN1/HOST2 are defined and if HOST1 and HOST2 resolve to the same IP address, then the first connection to be activated will succeed, but activation of the second connection will fail because these two definitions are not considered unique.
You can define local connection networks (used for sessions within a single APPN topology subnetwork) and global connection networks (used for sessions that span APPN subnetwork boundaries). You can define as many local or global virtual nodes as your configuration requires. When a virtual node is defined on the PORT definition statement, the GROUP statement referenced by VNGROUP cannot also define a virtual node.

Restrictions:

A local VRN cannot use the same name as a global VRN. A different VRN name (VNNAME) must be supplied for connection networks using different VNTYPEs.
If CP-CP sessions over EE are required between two nodes on the shared access transport facility, the dialing-out node must define the PU for every node that it will call. Routes traversing a virtual node cannot be used for CP-CP sessions.
The dial-out node can use only a dynamically defined PU for connectivity through a connection network. The dial-in node attempts to use a predefined PU, if one exists. Otherwise, it uses a dynamically defined PU or a PU allocated using the configuration services XID exit.
When a virtual node is defined on a GROUP definition statement, the TG characteristics for the link to that virtual node must also be specified on that GROUP definition statement.
When a virtual node is defined on a PORT definition statement, the TG characteristics for the link to that virtual node must also be specified on the PORT definition statement.