WebSphere Host Simulator

WebSphere Host simulator allows you to playback the interaction between the server and the client with out having to be connected to the server.    This tool resides between your Host Publisher Server or Studio and the host system and records TN3270, TN5250 or VT conversations between Host Publisher and the host, saving the conversation as a trace file. The tool is then able to replay the host's side of the conversation, allowing you to generate Integration Objects and run applications without having to have a live host system.  The trace file provided in the samples will allow you to see the steps taken to create the Integration Object in Host Access.

Host Simulator

Open the Host Simulator application.  Select Playback.  In the Input trace file enter the name of the trace file that you want to use.  In this example, we are using Looping_Example_Simulation.

From Host Access open the file that the simulation corresponds to.  In this example it is Looping_Example.hpi.  Click Open.

When the file opens choose Connection Pools.  Then click Connection Configuration and enter the name of your Host Simulator and port number that it is listening from.  The Host Simulator is the name of the machine that your Host Simulator resides on.  The port number that the Host Simulator listens from is 7021.  When you are done click Macros.

Now, you have to restart the connection, so that Host Access will connect to your Host Simulator instead of the University of Michigan's server.  Select from the pull down menu screen Terminal and then Reset Connection.  Make sure your Host Simulator has started to playback the trace file.

After Host Access establishes connection to your simulator, the University of Michigan's Library Database will appear.  You can now highlight each of the Macros on the left-hand side and click Play Macro to see how each Macro works.  Save these changes to the connection pool if you want to run your sample Web Application against the Host Simulator as well.