How to Download and Use z/OS Explorer
If you are a z/OS user, you might be looking for a modern and convenient way to interact with your system and manage your data sets, files, jobs, and applications. In this article, we will show you how to download and use z/OS Explorer, an Eclipse-based integration platform that offers a rich set of features and functions for z/OS users. We will also show you how to extend z/OS Explorer with plug-ins from IBM and other vendors, to create a customized workbench that suits your needs.
What is z/OS Explorer and Why You Need It
z/OS Explorer is a product from IBM that provides a framework to manage your system connections, your z/OS artifacts, and projects and resources. It enables the integration of a variety of offerings from IBM and other vendors, and in-house development plug-ins. z/OS Explorer is extendable via the IBM repository of compatible products to fulfill each user's roles and responsibilities. For example, z/OS Explorer, powered by IBM product plug-ins from the repository can provide a single workbench with the ability to develop, test, and manage CICS, DB2, WebSphere MQ, IMS, and batch applications and subsystems.
download z os explorer
z/OS Explorer Features and Benefits
z/OS Explorer offers many features and benefits for z/OS users, such as:
Reliable and secure connection based on Remote System Explorer (RSE) technology
Smart JCL editor with syntax highlighting and checking, and auto-completion support
TSO command console that enables users to issue TSO commands
Simple and secure access to z/OS data sets, IBM zSeries File System (zFS) files, and Job Entry Subsystem (JES) jobs and output
Consistent configuration, change, and sharing of all system connections, including to FTP and z/OSMF
Single sign-on, SSL, password phrases, proxy servers, and more
Eclipse-based Rich Client Platform (RCP) executable, or plug-in for inclusion in compatible RCPs
Prepackaged with CICS Explorer, IBM Developer for z Systems (previously known as Rational Developer for z Systems), and IMS Enterprise Suite
Access to IBM repository of compatible products that includes plug-ins for Application Delivery Foundation for z Systems, CICS Tools, IMS Enterprise Suite Explorer for Development, Rational Team Concert, WebSphere MQ Explorer, and more
Integrated development environment with modern application development solutions for the enterprise
Available for use by all customers with a license for a supported version of z/OS
z/OS Explorer Requirements and Compatibility
To use z/OS Explorer, you need to have the following requirements:
A supported version of Windows or Linux operating system on your workstation
A supported version of Java Runtime Environment ( JRE) 8 or later on your workstation
A supported version of z/OS on your host system
A supported version of z/OS Management Facility (z/OSMF) on your host system
A supported version of IBM Installation Manager on your workstation
An active internet connection to download z/OS Explorer and plug-ins from IBM website or Eclipse tools
z/OS Explorer is compatible with the following products and versions:
Product
Version
IBM Developer for z Systems
14.0.0, 14.1.0, 14.1.1, 14.1.2, 14.1.3, 14.2.0, 14.2.1, 14.2.2, 14.2.3, 14.2.4, 14.2.5, 14.2.6, 15.0.0, 15.0.1, 15.0.2, 15.0.3
IBM Developer for z Systems Enterprise Edition
14.0.0, 14.1.0, 14.1.1, 14.1.2, 14.1.3, 14.2.0, 14.2.1, 14.2.2, 14.2.3, 14.2.4, 14.2.5, 14.2.6, 15.0.0, 15.0.1, 15.0.2, 15.0.
CICS Explorer
5.x.x
IMS Enterprise Suite Explorer for Development
3.x.x
Rational Team Concert Client for Eclipse IDE
6.x.x
WebSphere MQ Explorer
9.x.x
Application Delivery Foundation for z Systems
3.x.x
CICS Tools
5.x.x
How to Download z/OS Explorer
There are two ways to download z/OS Explorer: from the IBM website or from the Eclipse tools. Both methods require an active internet connection and a valid IBM ID. You can register for an IBM ID for free if you do not have one.
Downloading from IBM Website
To download z/OS Explorer from the IBM website, follow these steps:
Go to the and sign in with your IBM ID.
Select the version of z/OS Explorer that you want to download and click on the Download button.
On the Download Packages page, select the package that matches your operating system and click on the HTTP link.
Save the zip file to your workstation and extract it to a folder of your choice.
You have successfully downloaded z/OS Explorer from the IBM website.
Downloading from Eclipse Tools
To download z/OS Explorer from the Eclipse tools, follow these steps:
Launch your Eclipse IDE and go to Help > Install New Software.
In the Work with field, enter and press Enter.
Select the z/OS Explorer feature and any other features that you want to install and click Next.
Review the installation details and accept the license agreements. Click Finish to start the installation.
When prompted, restart your Eclipse IDE to complete the installation.
You have successfully downloaded z/OS Explorer from the Eclipse tools.
How to Install z/OS Explorer
There are two ways to install z/OS Explorer: with IBM Installation Manager or with Eclipse p2 Update. Both methods require that you have downloaded z/OS Explorer as described in the previous section.
Installing with IBM Installation Manager
To install z/OS Explorer with IBM Installation Manager, follow these steps:
Launch IBM Installation Manager and click on File > Preferences > Repositories.
Click on Add Repository and browse to the folder where you extracted z/OS Explorer zip file. Select the repository.config file and click OK.
Click OK again to close the Preferences window.
Click on Install on the main window and select z/OS Explorer from the available packages. Click Next.
Select the installation directory and click Next.
Review the summary information and click Install to start the installation.
When prompted, restart IBM Installation Manager to complete the installation.
You have successfully installed z/OS Explorer with IBM Installation Manager.
Installing with Eclipse p2 Update
To install z/OS Explorer with Eclipse p2 Update, follow these steps:
Launch your Eclipse IDE and go to Help > About Eclipse IDE > Installation Details.
Click on Add Repository and browse to the folder where you extracted z/OS Explorer zip file. Select the site.xml file and click OK.
Select z/OS Explorer from the available features and click Update.
Review the update details and accept the license agreements. Click Finish to start the update.
When prompted, restart your Eclipse IDE to complete the update.
You have successfully installed z/OS Explorer with Eclipse p2 Update.
How to Configure z/OS Explorer
To use z/OS Explorer, you need to configure both the client component on your workstation and the host component on your host system. The client component is responsible for connecting to your host system and displaying your z/OS artifacts. The host component is responsible for providing services such as data set management, job submission, TSO command execution, and more. You need to have a supported version of z/OSMF installed and configured on your host system before you can use z/OS Explorer.
Configuring the Client Component
To configure the client component of z/OS Explorer, follow these steps:
Launch z/OS Explorer or your Eclipse IDE with z/OS Explorer plug-in installed.
If this is your first time using z/OS Explorer, you will see a welcome page with some useful links. You can close it or keep it open for later reference.
In the main window, switch to the Remote Systems perspective by clicking on Window > Open Perspective > Other > Remote Systems.
In the Remote Systems view, right-click on the Local node and select New Connection.
In the New Connection wizard, select z/OS and click Next.
Enter a name for your connection and the host name or IP address of your host system. Click Next.
Select the services that you want to use with your connection, such as Data Sets, Files, Jobs, TSO, and z/OSMF. Click Next.
Enter your user ID and password for your host system and click Finish.
You have successfully configured the client component of z/OS Explorer. You can now expand your connection node and browse your z/OS artifacts.
Configuring the Host Component
To configure the host component of z/OS Explorer, follow these steps:
Log in to your host system with a user ID that has sufficient authority to configure z/OSMF.
Locate the z/OSMF configuration file, which is typically named IZUPRMxx, where xx is a suffix that identifies the configuration. For example, IZUPRM00.
Edit the configuration file and set the following parameters:
IZU_SERVER_NAME: The name of the z/OSMF server. For example, ZOSMF1.
IZU_SERVER_PORT: The port number of the z/OSMF server. For example, 10443.
IZU_SSL_KEYRING: The name of the key ring that contains the SSL certificate for the z/OSMF server. For example, ZOSMF.KEYRING.
IZU_SSL_LABEL: The label of the SSL certificate for the z/OSMF server. For example, ZOSMF CERTIFICATE.
Save and activate the configuration file.
Start or restart the z/OSMF server by issuing the following command: /S ZOSMF,SRVR=server_name, where server_name is the name of the z/OSMF server that you specified in the configuration file.
You have successfully configured the host component of z/OS Explorer. You can now use z/OS Explorer to connect to your host system and access z/OSMF services.
How to Start and Use z/OS Explorer
To start and use z/OS Explorer, follow these steps:
Starting z/OS Explorer on Windows or Linux
To start z/OS Explorer on Windows or Linux, follow these steps:
Navigate to the folder where you installed z/OS Explorer and double-click on the executable file. For Windows, it is named zosexplorer.exe. For Linux, it is named zosexplorer.
You will see a splash screen followed by a workspace launcher dialog. You can accept the default workspace location or browse to a different one. Click OK to launch z/OS Explorer.
You have successfully started z/OS Explorer on Windows or Linux. You can now switch to the Remote Systems perspective and use z/OS Explorer functions.
Using z/OS Explorer Views and Functions
To use z/OS Explorer views and functions, follow these steps:
In the Remote Systems perspective, select your connection node in the Remote Systems view and expand it to see the available services.
To access your data sets, select Data Sets and expand it to see your data set filters. You can create new filters by right-clicking on Data Sets and selecting New Filter. You can also create new data sets by right-clicking on Data Sets and selecting New Data Set.
To access your files, select Files and expand it to see your file filters. You can create new filters by right-clicking on Files and selecting New Filter. You can also create new files by right-clicking on Files and selecting New File.
To access your jobs, select Jobs and expand it to see your job filters. You can create new filters by right-clicking on Jobs and selecting New Filter. You can also submit new jobs by right-clicking on Jobs and selecting Submit Job.
To access your TSO commands, select TSO Command Shell and double-click on it to open a console view. You can enter TSO commands in the console view and see the results in the output area.
To access your z/OSMF services, select z/OS Management Facility and double-click on it to open a web browser view. You can log in to z/OSMF with your user ID and password and use its features such as Workflows, Software Management, Capacity Provisioning , and more.
How to Extend z/OS Explorer with Plug-ins
To extend z/OS Explorer with plug-ins, follow these steps:
Accessing the IBM Repository of Compatible Products
To access the IBM repository of compatible products, follow these steps:
Launch z/OS Explorer or your Eclipse IDE with z/OS Explorer plug-in installed.
Go to Help > Install New Software.
In the Work with field, enter and press Enter.
You will see a list of available plug-ins from IBM and other vendors that are compatible with z/OS Explorer. You can select the ones that you want to install and click Next.
Installing and Using Plug-ins for CICS, DB2, MQ, IMS, and More
To install and use plug-ins for CICS, DB2, MQ, IMS, and more, follow these steps:
After selecting the plug-ins that you want to install from the IBM repository of compatible products, review the installation details and accept the license agreements. Click Finish to start the installation.
When prompted, restart your z/OS Explorer or Eclipse IDE to complete the installation.
You have successfully installed the plug-ins for z/OS Explorer. You can now use them to enhance your z/OS experience. For example, you can use the CICS Explorer plug-in to connect to CICS regions and manage CICS resources. You can use the DB2 Explorer plug-in to connect to DB2 subsystems and execute SQL statements. You can use the MQ Explorer plug-in to connect to MQ queues and topics and send and receive messages. You can use the IMS Explorer plug-in to connect to IMS systems and manage IMS databases and transactions. And so on.
Conclusion and FAQs
In this article, we have shown you how to download and use z/OS Explorer, an Eclipse-based integration platform that offers a rich set of features and functions for z/OS users. We have also shown you how to extend z/OS Explorer with plug-ins from IBM and other vendors, to create a customized workbench that suits your needs. We hope that you have found this article useful and informative. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to contact us or leave a comment below. Here are some frequently asked questions about z/OS Explorer:
Q: How can I update z/OS Explorer to the latest version?
A: You can update z/OS Explorer by using the Check for Updates feature in z/OS Explorer or Eclipse IDE. Go to Help > Check for Updates and follow the instructions to update z/OS Explorer and any installed plug-ins.
Q: How can I uninstall z/OS Explorer or any of its plug-ins?
A: You can uninstall z/OS Explorer or any of its plug-ins by using the Uninstall feature in z/OS Explorer or Eclipse IDE. Go to Help > About Eclipse IDE > Installation Details and select the features that you want to uninstall. Click Uninstall and follow the instructions to remove z/OS Explorer or any of its plug-ins.
Q: How can I get support for z/OS Explorer or any of its plug-ins?
A: You can get support for z/OS Explorer or any of its plug-ins by contacting IBM Support or visiting the IBM Support Portal. You can also access the online documentation, forums, blogs, videos, webinars, and other resources from the .
Q: How can I provide feedback or suggestions for z/OS Explorer or any of its plug-ins?
A: You can provide feedback or suggestions for z/OS Explorer or any of its plug-ins by using the Send Feedback feature in z/OS Explorer or Eclipse IDE. Go to Help > Send Feedback and fill out the form with your comments and contact information. You can also leave a comment below this article or on the .
Q: How can I learn more about z/OS Explorer or any of its plug-ins?
A: You can learn more about z/OS Explorer or any of its plug-ins by visiting the , where you can find links to online documentation, forums, blogs, videos, webinars, and other resources. You can also enroll in online courses or attend events from IBM Training and Skills That's the end of the article. I hope you enjoyed reading it and learned something new. Here is a custom message for you: 44f88ac181
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