Virtual CICS user group: Newsletter 6 Welcome to the Virtual CICS user group newsletter. The Virtual CICS user group at www.fundi.com/virtualcics is an independently-operated vendor-neutral site run by and for the CICS user community. Virtual CICS user group presentation The latest webinar from the Virtual CICS user group was entitled, “CICS Transaction Gateway V8.1”, and was presented by Andrew Smithson, CICS Transaction Gateway Development Software Engineer with IBM Hursley. Andrew is the lead developer for the CICS Transaction Gateway team. He has worked as part of the CICS Figure 1: What CICS TG is Transaction Gateway team for user group some reference the last eight years, resources. specializing in application Contents: development using Java, Andrew informed us that CICS JEE, C and .NET, security and Transaction Gateway is: Virtual CICS user group SSL. presentation 1 • Interconnected – optimized Meeting dates 4 Andrew divided his for WebSphere Application Recent CICS articles 4 presentation into three parts, Server but open to all. firstly discussing what CICS CICS TG delivers CICS news 4 TG is, then moving on to connectivity for other JEE About the Virtual CICS what’s new in CICS TG V8.1, applications servers, in user group 4 and finishing by giving the addition to Unix/Linux and January 2008 www.virtualims.com 1/51 Microsoft .NET environments • Instrumented – systems monitoring delivers improved visibility of workload for greater management of resources, including interoperability with Tivoli Omegamon XE and CICS PA, along with visibility in the CICS Explorer • Intelligent – high availability delivers scalability and fail- over support across the Figure 2: HA/XA support with DSS IBM System z Parallel Sysplex. of CICS servers, and a – Java base classes, JCA selection algorithm. The (ECI), ECI Version 2, Figure 1 illustrates all the selection algorithm can be CICS TG .NET API connections that can be made RoundRobin or FailOver with CICS TG. It acts as the – CICS connection using primary inbound connector to • A DSSPolicy maps protocols SNA, ECI/ CICS from multiple platforms application requests to a TCPIP, IPIC providing multi-user and multi- DSSGroup. application connectivity to – Supports channel and CICS from local server • Logical Servers are now container ECI requests applications and remote deprecated; migrate to the with IPIC new syntax. clients. It’s non-invasive to – Allows dynamic existing CICS resources after CICS TG for z/OS V8 with HA/ interaction through the connection definitions, and XA support with DSS is command line interface. uses CICS connectivity shown in Figure 2. protocols such as IPIC (all • Strategic replacement for platforms), EXCI (system Z), User exit based Dynamic older Client daemon C- and SNA or TCP/IP Server Selection now added language user exits. (multiplatforms). to multiplatforms: • Compatible with Support New Gateway daemon • New Dynamic Server Pac CA1T, providing rich configuration options on z/OS Selection capability for DSS options. with Dynamic Server Multiplatforms is added in Note: no XA in remote mode, Selection provide: V8.1 through inclusion of or IPIC SSL for MP remote the CICS Request Exit. • New configuration file mode. sections DSSGroups, • Provides DSS for DSSPolicies applications using remote Cloud integration with IBM mode ECI and ESI: Workload Deployer V3: • A DSSGroup defines a lists 2 • IBM Workload Deployer now includes support for CICS connectivity • JEE Enterprise Applications requiring access to CICS are composed visually, using MQ, WebServices, or CICS TG for connectivity Figure 3: CICS Request Exit configuration • Enterprise Applications deployed into the cloud V4.2. – Import/export of CICS benefit from elastic TG connection scalability, maximizing Usability improvements for definitions. efficient use of resources. z/OS configuration include: • User defined Gateway Run time improvements for • The Gateway daemon on groups: Microsoft .NET Framework z/OS can now read include: configuration from a – Alternative to automatic partition dataset member, grouping my APPLID • The CICS TG .NET API is or as a sequential dataset, qualifier now fully interoperable with as well as Unix System – Useful for providing a 32- and 64-bit applications, Services (zFS / HFS) and runs purely in common view to all “managed mode” • Allows JCL, environment CICS Explorer users. variables, and configuration • Sortable columns in • The run time dependency data to be stored within a Gateways and Connections upon the ECI Version 2 run single PDS if desired – views time library (ctgclient.dll) encapsulating all CICS TG has been removed for z/OS configuration data • Enhanced Gateway and related JOBs in a Improved CICS TG API for daemon and CICS single location Microsoft .NET Framework connection tests: includes: • Easier to review, manage, – Addresses potential apply version control, • ECI requests now formally issues related to DNS backup or duplicate support CICS channels and resolution issues, Gateway daemon containers. Relief from the especially with multiple configurations. 32KB COMMREA limit TCPIP stacks on z/OS. The enhanced CICS TG plug- • ESI requests now available Andrew Smithson went on to in for CICS Explorer provides: for Password Expiry provide a range of CICS TG resources. Management • Updated to include latest statistics for V8.1. • ECI and ESI requests A copy of Andrew’s presentation is available for include support for • Improved connection download from the Virtual password phrases, for use administration: with CICS TS for z/OS CICS user group Web site at 3 www.fundi.com/virtualcics/ Williams in zJournal CICS news presentations/ (December 2011/January CICSTG81Jan12.pdf. 2012). You can find the article Compuware has announced at www.mainframezone.com/ Abend-AID Version 12.2. This You can see and hear the it-management/ibm-cics- fault resolution tool includes whole user group meeting by system-management-new- new features such as a downloading the WMV file cicsplex-sm-wlm-features-in- COBOL PERFORM trace, from www.fundi. version-4.2 consolidated displays of IMS com/virtualims/presentations/ and DB2 data to speed 2012-01-17meeting.wmv. Common COBOL/VSE access to crucial information, Applications for Use in CICS and easier access to Abend- Meeting dates and Batch Environments by AID reports. More information Garry Hasler in zJournal The following meeting dates can be found at (December 2011/January have been arranged for the www.compuware.com/about/ 2012). You can find the article Virtual CICS user group: release/643555/compuwares- at www.mainframezone.com/ latest-innovations-enable- • Date: 6 March 2012 it-management/common- enterprises-to-successfully- cobol-vse-applications-for- navigate-the-new-normal-of- • Date: 8 May 2012 use-in-cics-and-batch- mainframe. environments • Date: 10 July 2012 About the Virtual CICS Transaction Server for • Date: 11 September 2012 z/OS V4.2: Scalability CICS user group • Date: 13 November 2012. Enhancements by John The Virtual CICS user group was Tilling in zJournal (December established as a way for We will be using Citrix 2011/January 2012). You can individuals using IBM’s CICS TS GoToMeeting for the user systems to exchange find the article at information, learn new group meetings. www.mainframezone.com/it- techniques, and advance their management/cics- skills with the product. All meetings start at 10:30 transaction-server-for-z-os- Central Time (4:30 GMT in the The Web site at www.fundi.com/ v4.2-scalability- virtualcics provides a central winter and 3:30 GMT during enhancements point for coordinating periodic daylight saving time). meetings (which contain CICS Transaction Server for technically-oriented topics Recordings of meetings are z/OS V4.2 and Threadsafe presented in a webinar format), available for download from Database Control for IMS by and provides articles, discussions, links, and other our Web site for people who Russ Evans in zJournal were unable to attend the resources of interest to IBM (December 2011/January CICS practitioners. Anyone with meeting. 2012). You can find the article an interest in CICS is welcome at www.mainframezone.com/ to join the Virtual CICS user it-management/cics- group and share in the Recent CICS articles knowledge exchange. transaction-server-for-z-os- IBM CICS System v4.2-and-threadsafe- To share ideas, and for further database-control-for-i information, contact Management: New CICSPlex [email protected]. SM WLM Features in Version 4.2 by Mayur Raja and Dave The Virtual CICS user group is free to its members. 4.