May 18, 2009

Life after WYLBUR: Tools for Coping with the Transition

When WYLBUR retires on December 31, 2009, many Titan users will need other ways to perform common WYLBUR functions (see the Titan News article WYLBUR Will be Retiring).

There are many replacement methods for basic tasks that you may have been carrying out in WYLBUR. These methods generally fall into the categories of batch, desktop, interactive, and web tools.

The WYLBUR Retirement website includes a link to a table listing common WYBLUR functions and their suggested replacements. In most case, there is more than one way to carry out the same WYLBUR function. You can go to the table directly at http://silk.nih.gov/silk/WYLBUR/REPLACE.

Note: Before you start managing your data sets outside of WYLBUR, be sure to read the accompanying article in Titan News, Converting Data Sets from WYLBUR’s Edit Format to another Format.

Replacement methods for WYLBUR functions

The following information explains the categories used in the WYLBUR replacements table.

Interactive: Many data set functions can be carried out via ISPF by starting at the CIT/Titan Primary Option Menu and typing 3.4 on the Option line to go to the Data Set List Utility panel. See image below.



Press Enter.

On the Data Set List Utility panel, if you know the data set name, type the dsname in the Dsname Level field, and press Enter. To see a list of all your data sets, just enter your userid; or narrow the field by entering your userid with one or more qualifiers and a wild card to display a list of data sets that match the characteristics specified [e.g., userid.wylbur.info.*].

The example below uses a wildcard to get a list of all the data sets belonging to userid AAAAIII beginning with TEST.



At the next panel, type a slash (/) before the data set name (see below).



At the Data Set List Action panel you can choose from a number of actions (see below).



Hint: Instead of typing a slash (/) in front of a data set name in the data set list, you can type in a specific line command; e.g., b for browse, e for edit, r for rename and d for delete. Then press Enter. For Help with any ISPF panel, press the F1 key. Use the F3 key to return to the previous screen.

Another interactive option from ISPF is IOF. IOF provides users with access and control over their batch jobs. To use IOF, type IOF on the option line of the CIT/Titan Primary Option Menu.



Consult the online help on the IOF panels for more information. Go to: http://silk.nih.gov/silk/WYLBUR/IOF for an IOF tutorial.

Batch: Batch Procedures, described in the WYLBUR replacements table, are documented in the Titan Batch Processing manual.

Desktop: You can use Notepad or similar software on your desktop computer to edit text and then FTP the file to Titan. If you use Word, be sure to save the file with a .txt extension. CIT supports WS_FTP Pro, available from http://titan.nih.gov by selecting “NIH Connectivity Tools.” (Hint: Once connected with WS_FTP Pro, you can perform many functions on Titan including renaming, deleting, and executing data sets.) Refer to the manual Network Access to Titan for more information.

Web: Visit http://titan.nih.gov. Under "Mainframe," select either "TSO Commands" or the "Utilities" categories to perform many Titan functions.

For assistance

To learn more about ISPF, sign up for an ISPF training class at http://training.cit.nih.gov?108-09S. For additional assistance contact the NIH Help Desk at http://ithelpdesk.nih.gov/support or 301-496-4357, 301-496-8294 (TTY), or toll free at 866-319-4357.

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