Overview

This two-day course introduces and explains CICS Transaction Server (CICS/TS) to those who have limited or no knowledge of CICS but who need a clear understanding of what CICS is, what it does and how it does it. The course describes and explains the main concepts and facilities of CICS, and introduces the growing family of CICS server and client products that are available. This course is the essential first step for anyone wishing to work effectively in a CICS environment, and forms a solid foundation on which future CICS education can be based.
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Prerequisites

A sound basic knowledge of IT. Attendance on the course IBM z Systems - Explained or equivalent experience is recommended.
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Delegates will learn how to

  • describe the basic concepts, facilities and terminology of CICS
  • describe the CICS functions available for program development
  • explain the role of CICS in a distributed environment
  • identify the major management modules and tables
  • trace and describe the flow of a CICS transaction
  • identify the CICS facilities used for accessing data.
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Outline

Introduction to CICS

CICS Transaction Server; What is CICS?; CICS terminology; What is a business transaction?; What is a CICS task /CICS transaction?; What is a CICS program?; CICS characteristics; On-line processing; IBM CICS Transaction Server for z/OS; Workload management; Access to CICS.

CICS Architecture

CICS organisation; Starting a CICS Region; Starting a transaction: Logging on, Message Input; Transaction validation; Program loading; Task execution; Program execution; Task Termination; Multi-tasking and multi-threading; The CICS Dispatcher; Multiple TCBs; Domains and components.

The Master Transaction CEMT

The functions of CEMT; CEMT Inquire menu; CEMT Inquire system; CEMT generic input; Inquiring on a resource specifying a property; Discarding a resource; CEMT I TASK.

Resource Definition

CICS resources; Resource Definition On-line (RDO); The CICS System Definition File CSD; The CICS Global Catalog; RDO Groups and Lists; Resource definition; Adding a GROUP to a LIST; The CSD Utility Program DFHCSDUP; Auto-installation of resources; Program Autoinstall; Terminal Autoinstall.

CICS Application Programming

Application services; EXEC CICS commands; Command Translation; Program preparation; Integrated translator; EXEC Interface Block EIB; Execution flow; Conversational and pseudo-conversational transactions; Conversational Design; Pseudo-conversational design; COMMAREA; Channels and Containers; API Commands; One program/one channel; One program/multiple channels; Program Logical levels; Three-tier application design; Basic Mapping Support (BMS); COBOL symbolic map; Command interpreter; CICS Messages and Codes Transaction (CMAC); Execute Diagnostic Facility (EDF); CEDF Working Storage; CEDF setting a Stop condition.

Java Support in CICS

Java Support in CICS; CICS and Enterprise Java Beans (EJBs).

File Access

CICS file control; The file definition; EXEC CICS file commands; Programming for file errors; Shared Data Tables.

CICS and External Resource Managers

CICS and DB2; CICS and IMS/DB (DL/1); CICS and Websphere Message Queuing Series (WMQ).

CICS Queuing Facilities

Transient Data; INTRAPARTITION Queues; EXTRAPARTITION Queues; INDIRECT Queues; The CICS Supplied TD Queue definitions; Temporary Storage; The Temporary Storage Browse Transaction; Using CEBR.

CICS Intersystem Communication

Introduction to Inter System Communications; Multi Region Operation (MRO); Inter Systems Communication (ISC); Inter System Communication over SNA; Intercommunication Using IP Interconnectivity; Transaction Routing; Function Shipping; Static Transaction Routing; Dynamic Transaction Routing with Cloned AORs; Distributed Program Link (DPL); Asynchronous processing; Distributed Transaction Processing (DTP); External CICS Interface (EXCI).

Introduction to CICSPlex System Manager

Terminology; CICS proliferation; CPSM components; Transaction Routing; Single-System Image (SSI); CPSM address space (CMAS); CMAS; Maintenance Point (MP); MAS; The Data Repository; Environment Services System Services (ESSS); Single Point Of Control (SPOC); CPSM major functions; CICSPlex SM summary.

Web Services

What is a web service?; Web Services Terminology; CICS Web Services; Creating a Web Service for an Existing CICS Application; Creating a Web Service from a Web Service description; The Web Service Binding File; CICS Web Support (CWS); CICS Transaction Gateway; CICS Universal Client (CUC).

CICS Storage

The CICS Region; Dynamic Storage Areas; Start-up Operands in the SIT; Subsystem Storage Protection; Transaction isolation.

Startup & Shutdown

CICS Initial and Cold Start; START=INITIAL; START=COLD; START=AUTO; Normal Shutdown; First Quiesce Stage; Second Quiesce Stage; Third Quiesce Stage.

Logging and Recovery/Restart

Concept of Data Integrity; Recoverable Resources; Defining the CICS System Log; Recovery After a Failure.

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Dates & Locations

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