IMS DC

Objective:To provide an insight into the fundamentals of IMS DC

Course Details
No: Name:

IMS DC Fundamentals

Introduction: This material Explains Online processing that can be handled using IMS DC.

Course Details
Pre-Requisite Knowledge of IMS DB Target Audience Mode of Training Evaluation Criteria To be decided by the CR and SWS Class Room Attendance > 80 % and/or (Case study Completion or Test score > 70%)

Lesson Plan
M# 1 2 3 4 5 6 Topic Introduction IMS-DC processing MFS Facilities Advanced IMS-DC topic Error Handling in IMS Time(hrs) 2 3 2 2 2

Module 1- Introduction
An Introduction to IMS : IMS is a Hierarchical DBMS, supplied by IBM & runs on Mainframe Computers, has 2 main Functions: Data Base (DB) Processing Data Communication (DC) Processing.

 Interactive Programs
What is Online Processing Differences between Batch & Online Processing Major Kinds of Online Programs that can be written

IMS Data Communication(DC) Basic:

Input Message

Terminal
Output Message

IMS DC Program

Process

Database

 IMS/VS forms a layer in between the Terminal and the IMS-DC programs, this helps in asynchronous mode of communication. Message - is a unit of Data thats transmitted between a program and a Terminal The above type of program is called Message Processing Programs (MPPs)

Regions in IMS MPP Region

is where IMS schedules & executes Message Processing Programs. The Number of MPP Regions determines the number of MPPs that can be active at any one time. A program that occupies an MPP Region runs until it has processed all of the input messages that IMS has received for it. Then it ends, and the MPP region in which it was running is freed and made available for another Application Program.

 BMP (Batch Message Processing) Region

A BMP program is much like MPP, except terminal response is not required for each input Message, and the Database Processing an input message requires does not have to be done immediately. These are typically Batch Programs. The main Advantage is, it can access Data Bases that are allocated to the IMS Control Region for use by MPPs at the same time.

 Control Region
The main function of this region is that, all terminal, Database, and Logging Operations associated with IMS-DC programs are performed through this Region.

Module 2 - IMS-DC Processing

Programming Elements for DC Processing
DL/I Calls for DC Operation PCB mask for DC Operation Message Handling.

 DL/I Calls for DC Operation

Ex: CALL CBLTDLI USING DLI-GU
IO-PCB-MASK INPUT-MESSAGE-SEG

Just as in DB call, the first argument is the Function code value for the operation to be performed. The call functions basically used are get-unique (GU), get-next (GN) & insert (ISRT).

 Issue a GU call to retrieve the first segment of an Input Message. GN is issued to retrieve the subsequent Messages. One ISRT call is issued for each segment, to send an Output Message.

 PCB Mask for DC Operation

A DC call must specify a Linkage Section PCB Mask, which is a special one thats just for Message Processing. Its called I/O PCB. To provide addressability to this PCB, the program must name its Linkage section mask definition on the ENTRY statement at the beginning of the Procedure Division.

 I/O PCB Mask

01 IO-PCB-MASK. 05 IO-PCB-LOGICAL-TERMINAL 05 FILLER 05 IO-PCB-STATUS-CODE 05 IO-PCB-DATE 05 IO-PCB-TIME 05 IO-PCB-MSG-SEGMENT-NUMBER 05 IO-PCB-MOD-NAME 05 IO-PCB-USER-ID

PIC X(8). PIC X(2). PIC X(2). PIC S9(7) COMP-3 PIC S9(6)V9 COMP-3 PIC S9(5) COMP. PIC X(8). PIC X(8).

 Message Handling
When GU or GN calls been issued to retrieve an Input Message Segment, DL/I places the Message Segment data in the I/O Area the call names. When ISRT call is issued to send an output Message Segment, DL/I gets the Data from the I/O Area the call names.

 Retrieving An Input Message

Application Program issues either a Single GU call or a GU call followed by one or more GN calls. To retrieve retrieve single segment input message, One GU call need to be issued. When the Program gets QC status code ( Instead of Blanks), it should be noted that there is end of messages in the Queue.

 To retrieve Multiple segment input Messages, need to issue GU call first this retrieves the first Segment. Then, to retrieve subsequent message segments for that Message, it issues GN calls repeatedly until QD status code is encountered.

 To Send An Output Message

Issue ISRT calls that specify the I/O PCB. The Program issues a separate ISRT calls for each segment for Multiple Segments to be written. I/O Area to be build before you issue this call

 Input Message I/O Area Format

LL Data

ZZ
LL Length of Entire Segment Usage: S9(3) Comp
ZZ IMS Reserved Data Usage: S9(3) Comp

 Output Message I/O Area Format

LL Data

Z1 Z2
LL Length of Entire Segment Usage: S9(3) Comp
Z1 & Z2 IMS Reserved Data Usage: X(2)

Module 3, MFS Facilities

Message Format Services (MFS)
MFS, is an IMS feature that lets you used Formatted Display Screens. MFS Modules reside in the IMR Control Region, and they are invoked between IMS Communication Control Module and its Queue Manager.

 MFS Control Blocks :

To process a Transaction, MFS uses 4 Control Blocks.
Device Input Format (DIF) Mesg Input Descriptor (MID)

Applicati on Program

Terminal Device Output Format (DOF) Mesg Output Descriptor (MOD)

 For an Input Message, MFS uses a block called a Device Input Format (DIF) to interpret data as its received from a Terminal. It uses second Block called Message Input Descriptor (MID), to determine how that input Data should be formatted for presentation to the Application Program.

 For an Output Message, MFS uses Similar blocks, A Message Output Descriptor (MOD) is used to interpret Data Received from the Application Program. A Device Output Format (DOF), is used to determine how that Data should be formatted for Transmission to the Terminal. A group of Related all these four Control Blocks are called FORMAT SET.

 Format Set
Creating a Format Set MFS Language Utility is used to Translate the Format Sets to the Control Blocks. To run the Application /Format <MOD name>

Module 4, Advanced IMS DC Topics

Paging
The Facility that lets Messages to be Broken down into Components for display, for Processing or for both purpose. Advantage of Paging is that it facilitates to create Long & Complex output Messages.

 There are Two kinds of Paging

Physical Paging Logical Paging

 Alternate Destination Concepts :

The application Program thats processing a Single Input Message can send multiple Output Message to Multiple Destinations. ISRT call is issued but only difference is that the call specifies Alternate PCB instead of I/O PCB.

 Alternate PCB (ALTPCB), which are specified in the programs PSBGEN job, name the other terminals or transactions to which the program can send Messages.
Input Message
Terminal Output Message (IOPCB) Application Program

Data Base

Printer

 Batch Message Processing Application:

A BMP program, is a combination of an MPP and a Batch Program. A BMP program runs in a dependant Region under the control of IMS A BMP program is scheduled through JCL, its not automatically Scheduled by IMS.

 Conversational Application
There are three ways to maintain Data between Terminal Interaction.
Store Data in the Terminal Screen. Store Data in the Databases Store Data in the IMS provided Scratch Pad Area.

 Advantages & Disadvantages of these Techniques.

The First technique, is suitable only if the Data is Simple & Non-Critical. The Second Technique, makes your Program more complicated and less efficient. The Last Technique, is to use a special area IMS provides just for that Purpose : The Scratch Pad Area (SPA).

 Scratch Pad Area (SPA)

A conversational Program must use a SPA. A Unique SPA is associated with each terminal thats running a conversational transaction.

 Using SPA:
Define I/O Area for SPA :
01 SPA-IO-AREA. 05 SPA-LL 05 SPA-ZZ 05 SPA-CI 05 SPA-TRAN-CODE 05 SPA-USER-DATA PIC PIC PIC PIC PIC S9(4) COMP. S9(4) COMP. S9(4) COMP. X(8). X(---).

The area is much similar to the Message Segment

 In Addition to LL & ZZ fields, the SPA contains a Third binary halfword CI (Conversational Identifier) which IMS uses to keep track of SPA.

 IMS Calls in Conversational Programs :

In Conversational Programs, SPA should be retrieved first before retrieving Message Segments. This is done by issuing a GU call against I/O PCB.
CALL CBLTDLI USING DLI-GU IO-PCB-MASK SPA-IO-AREA.

 To save Data in the SPA, an ISRT call is issued against I/O PCB.
CALL CBLTDLI USING DLI-ISRT IO-PCB-MASK SPA-IO-AREA

You must not send an output Message Segment before youre saved the SPA. At the start of conversation, the SPA is set to Binary Zeros.

 Program Switching :
Switching from on Conversational Program to Another requires that both the SPA & Message to be processed by the second program be transferred. There are two kinds of Program-to-Program Message switches
Immediate Program Switching. Deferred Program Switching.

 Immediate Program Switching :

Application Program - 1

Terminal

Switch Message Segment

Application Program - 2

 The Program that receives the input Message is not the same one that responds to the Terminal. The First Program passes in SPA and other necessary data to the second Program, which does additional processing and respond to the originating terminal.

 Deferred Program Switching :

Application Program - 1

Terminal

Application Program - 2

 A single Conversation involves two different Application Programs, one for each of two terminal Interactions. The data stored in SPA is passed from the first program to the Second. The second program isnt invoked until the user sends the next input message This technique can impose less overhead on the IMS system & can result in faster response.

Module-5, Error Handling in IMS. Logging:

Records all Database Updates, all Message queued and all program scheduled. These Information can be used to restore the system if a failure occurs.

 Recovery:
IMS provides extensive facilities for Recoveries in the event of failure If an Application Program Abends, IMS automatically reverse or Rollback the changes it has made to the Databases and Message Queues.

 Checkpointing:
The checkpoints are taken automatically with each transaction a program processes. (This is called Single Mode Processing.) In Multiple Mode Processing, the only automatic checkpoint is at the End of the Program. However, the program can force a checkpoint by issuing CHKP call, which causes IMS to write a Checkpoint Record to the Log.

 The Checkpoint Call Syntax:

CALL CBLTDLI USING DLI-CHKP IO-PCB-MASK INPUT-MESG-IO-AREA.

 Batch Terminal Simulator (BTS)

It is an IMS-DC Program Development Tool. This tool lets you run DC Applications using real DL/I Databases, MFS Format sets, and IMS Modules. Apart from running the Application, this gives you lot of Information which could be used for Debugging Purpose. Should be run from Batch Environment.