The connection to $VMCONS is established by means of an appropriate DCAM application. OMNIS will usually be used for access from a terminal. A suitable network connection must be available to establish a connection.
Recommendation
Open a separate connection to $VMCONS for each ADMIN and VC dialog (see "Establishing multiple connections between OMNIS and $VMCONS").
Note
Note that each time a connection is set up to $VMCONS, a connection to $CONSOLE is also established implicitly. $CONSOLE permits up to 192 connections. Some connections may already be occupied or reserved by other applications.
Establishing a connection to $VMCONS via OMNIS
The connection to OMNIS is established at a terminal with the following OPNCON command:
O[PNCON] OMNIS [,<proname> bzw. <pp>/<rrr>][,PW=C'cccc' / X'xxxxxxxx']
The following OMNIS command is used to establish a connection to $VMCONS (for a complete description of the command, see the “OMNIS/OMNIS-MENU” manual [12]):
O[PNCON] <pac>,TYP=DCAM,PTNNAME=$VMCONS [,PRONAME=<proname>]
[,CPASS=<c-string 1..4>/<x-string 1..8>]
| <pac> | Freely-selectable OMNIS connection name. |
| PRONAME= | If OMNIS and $VMCONS are to run on different systems, the processor name of the system on which $VMCONS is running must be entered here. |
CPASS= | Password for establishing a connection to $VMCONS as specified in the parameter file of the VM2-MON subsystem or via /MODIFY-VMCONS-PARAMETERS (optional, see "Setting the VM2000 parameters in the parameter service"). |
OPNCON will be rejected by $VMCONS if specified with PROTOCOL=DSSIM.For VC dialogs whose connection is established with TYP=UCON, the OMNIS functions “color control” and “message tables” are available, see “OMNIS functions “color control” and “message tables” on page "Operating the guest systems (VC dialog via $VMCONS)".
After a connection has been established successfully, $VMCONS sends the VM2000 welcome screen as an OPNCON response (see note on the following page).
The OPTION command in OMNIS can be used to set a connection name prefixing for outputs (<pac>:):
OPTION PAC={STD / NO / LINE / PREFIX}
The OPTION command in OMNIS can be used to set screen overflow control options:
OPTION ACK={STD / NO / YES}
The CALL-KEY function in the OPTION command in OMNIS can be used to set up a function for interrupting the output of messages to allow input (“K2 function”):
OPTION BREAK-KEY=1,CALL-INF=YES,CALL-KEY=2
Since the BREAK function for $DIALOG is located on the 
key by default, this function must be relocated to another key (e.g. 
as in the example above). If the newly defined 
key is pressed, message output at the OMNIS terminal is interrupted to allow input.
A connection to OMNIS can be established via the communication network or locally (using the SE manager).
Note on output of the VM2000 welcome screen
$VMCONS recognizes OMNIS on the basis of its partner characteristic, provided this characteristic starts with OMS (default), and outputs the VM2000 welcome screen.
You can use the OMNIS start parameter APPLICATION PREFIX=xxx to set a different partner characteristic for OMNIS. You can also set a different partner characteristic for a connection using the APPNAME operand at connection setup with OPNCON:
O[PNCON] <pac>,TYP=<typ>,PTNNAME=$VMCONS,APPNAME=pppxxxxx,[PRONAME=<proname>][,CPASS=<c-string 1..4>/<x-string 1..8>]
In this case, ppp (not equal to OMS) is the optional specification of a partner characteristic, and xxxxx is an optional component of APPNAME, which must, however, be unique for each connection. The partner characteristic of OMNIS does not begin in this case with OMS, and $VMCONS does not output a VM2000 welcome screen.
Splitting the operating levels
The ADMIN dialog and the VC dialog are independent of each other, i.e. the connections can be opened on separate terminals.
The VC dialog can also be opened if no ADMIN dialog has yet been opened.
Combining operating levels
VM2000 provides the following options for combining operating levels:
Operation of a VM and the guest system on a VM via a connection to $VMCONS, combining ADMIN dialog and VC dialog by issuing the VM2000 command
/BEGIN-VM-DIALOG ..., TYPE=*BOTH.Operation of several VMs and several guest systems at a single terminal via several connections to $VMCONS (connections are controlled by OMNIS)
Operation of several VMs and several guest systems via a single connection to $VMCONS (multiple
/BEGIN-VM-DIALOG)
It is recommended, however, that you establish a separate connection to $VMCONS for each ADMIN dialog and each VC dialog (see the following section).
Establishing multiple connections between OMNIS and $VMCONS
Since OMNIS itself is responsible for merging a number of connections on a single terminal, a separate connection between OMNIS and $VMCONS should be established for each dialog (ADMIN dialog or VC dialog).
In this event, the OMNIS connection name <pac> should be chosen in such a way that it corresponds to the prefix of VM2000 outputs, i.e. VM01, VM02, ..., VMnn if an ADMIN dialog is to be conducted via this connection (see "Operating the virtual machines (ADMIN dialog via $VMCONS)") or GS02, GS03, ..., GSnn if a VC dialog is to be conducted via this connection (see "Operating the guest systems (VC dialog via $VMCONS)").
The OMNIS connection name <pac>: identifies the assignment of an input to a connection. OMNIS generally prefixes all output via this connection with <pac>.
If a number of connections to $VMCONS are established, the appropriate connection name (<pac>:) must be prefixed to the input if the assignment has not been carried out for the preceding input.
Program connection to $VMCONS via a DCAM application
In addition to terminal connection via OMNIS, a program connection to $VMCONS is also possible via suitable DCAM applications (PTNNAME=$VMCONS).
DCAM applications whose APPNAME does not start with OMS do not receive the VM2000 welcome screen as a response to OPNCON.
After a connection to $VMCONS has been established successfully, it is possible to open ADMIN and VC dialogs via the DCAM application.