PAM Session recordings are not viewable when a service is used to launch the PCOMM 3270 terminal emulator

Products

• CA Privileged Access Manager (PAM)
• CA Privileged Access Manager - Cloakware Password Authority (PA)
• CA Privileged Access Manager - Server Control (PAMSC)

Issue/Introduction

The PCOMM 3270 terminal emulator can be configured as a Mainframe Proxy service in PAM an be used with session recording.  When PCOMM is used with its default configuration the following error will appear when attempting to view one of these recordings:
Warning: EOR received when not in 3270 mode, ignored.

Environment

Release : 3.3.x and 4.0.x

Component : PRIVILEGED ACCESS MANAGEMENT

Cause

PAM uses a third party IBM access tool (c3270) to emulate the session and post-process the packets in order to create the session recording file. When PCOMM is used c3270 failed during the function negotiation phase.  As a result c3270 failed to emulate the session using pcomm client packet because the packet contained the CONTENTION-RESOLUTION function which is not supported by c3270.  C3270 it implements rfc2355,  but CONTENTION-RESOLUTION is in the RFC 2355 Extensions.

Resolution

The PCOMM client enables CONTENTION-RESOLUTION by default. It can be disabled by adding the following keyword to the .WS profile.
[Telnet3270]
TN3270EContentionResolution=N

Once TN3270EContentionResolution was disabled the PCOMM recordings will be viewable.