BCAM supports generation of multiple hosts on the user’s own end systems (hosts) on one mainframe. The first host is known as the standard host; the second and every subsequent host are known as virtual hosts.
A virtual host must be defined with the CREATE-VIRTUAL-HOST command in a BCAM command file.
Each virtual host can be assigned any network addresses and network descriptions in the form of the definition of nodes, link aggregations, lines, VLAN devices and VLAN lines. In addition, processors and routes can be defined in an analogous manner to a standard host. The standard host is regarded as active if the BCAM assigned to it is active on a specific mainframe and can thus be reached from the network.
Virtual hosts, and consequently the network descriptions assigned to them, can, when necessary, also be placed in and taken out of service by means of a console command.
A dynamic configuration extension can be performed from the standard host as well as the virtual host.
Automatic end system creation is also possible on virtual hosts, provided routes between the virtual host and the corresponding router have been defined.
An example of how to define virtual hosts is provided in the section "Example of host redundancy" (Example of host redundancy).