Host Configuration Assistant for Z Development (HCA) V3.0 has been released.

The product page for HCA is now available in the IBM Explorer for z/OS Aqua Downloads site: https://ibm.github.io/mainframe-downloads/host-configuration-assistant.html

In V3.0, HCA is redesigned to extend its support for the host configuration of new products, host component, and the VS Code interface.

• New products
  • IBM Wazi for Red Hat CodeReady Workspaces: A single integrated solution that delivers a cloud-native developer experience for z/OS.
  • IBM Wazi Virtual Test Platform: Provides capabilities for developers and testers to perform transaction-level and batch testing in a stubbed environment.
  • IBM Z Open Automation Utilities: Provides the underlying runtime to support executing automation tasks on z/OS via Java, Python, and shell commands.
• New host component
  • Remote System Explorer API: Provides tasks to allow a client to work with various components on the z/OS host system, including MVS data sets, z/OS UNIX files and commands, JES jobs, and more. This component requires z/OS Explorer as the dependency and is an optional add-on to Z Open Editor in a VS Code client.
• New interface
  • VS Code: A set of Visual Studio Code (VS Code) extensions including Z Open Editor, Z Open Debug, and user build to provide z/OS developers with a familiar and straightforward edit, build, and debug experience. These VS Code extensions are available with IBM Wazi for Red Hat CodeReady Workspaces, IBM Developer for z/OS Enterprise Edition, and Application Delivery Foundation for z/OS.

HCA has been updated to support the most current release levels of the supported products. Below is a summary of updates to the host components:

• Remote System Explorer API
  • You can install and configure this new host component to enable users to access z/OS resources with RSET APIs, and ensure a seamless integration of z/OS for users when they use the code capabilities of Wazi Developer for Red Hat CodeReady Workspaces or IBM Developer for z/OS Enterprise Edition with VS Code.
• z/OS Debugger
  • Now provides VS Code extensions to enable remote debugging from a VS Code client. To use VS Code as the debugger interface, install and configure Remote Debug Service to enable interactive debugging of COBOL and PL/I applications.
• z/OS Dynamic Test Runner
  • Supports recording batch Db2 applications.
• Z Open Automation Utilities
  • When ordered from IBM Shopz, ZOA Utilities is available with optional IBM Software Subscription and Support (S&S). To set up for S&S, register as IBM Z Open Automation Utilities in IFAPRDxxx
  • You must add ZOA Utilities to the LIBPATH environment variable for all APIs including Shell commands.
  • You can enable logging to gather debug information for Java and Python programs.