Chapter 1

CICS concepts and terms

CICS, C1

2001, Mike Murach & Associates, Inc.

Slide 1

Objectives
1. In general terms, describe what CICS does. 2. Explain how CICS functions in an OS/390 environment. 3. List the programming languages that can be used to write CICS applications and identify the most popular one. 4. In general terms, describe what 3270 emulation software does. 5. Describe at least one of the alternate user interfaces you can use to develop the presentation logic for a program whose business logic is written in CICS. 6. Describe the most common way a task is started under CICS. 7. Distinguish between multitasking and multithreading. 8. Describe the function of the CICS API.

CICS, C1

2001, Mike Murach & Associates, Inc.

Slide 2

Objectives (continued)
9. Briefly describe the function of each of the following CICS services: terminal control interval control basic mapping support storage control file control task control program control dump control temporary storage control 10. Briefly describe the function of each of the following CICS tables: Program Control Table Processing Program Table File Control Table

CICS, C1

2001, Mike Murach & Associates, Inc.

Slide 3

A CICS interface
Operating system
Application programs Data access (VSAM,DB2,IMS) Disk storage

CICS

Communication access (VTAM, SNA, TCP/IP) User interface

CICS provides an interface between application programs and operating system services, such as data access and communication access.

CICS, C1

2001, Mike Murach & Associates, Inc.

Slide 4

CICS in an OS/390 address space

OS/390
Address space 1 Address space 2 Address space 3 Address space 4

CICS production region

Batch Job

CICS test region

TSO user

More than one CICS system (or region) can run on the same computer at the same time.

CICS, C1

2001, Mike Murach & Associates, Inc.

Slide 5

CICS transaction server platforms

Hardware IBM zSeries 900 IBM S/390 IBM AS/400 IBM RS/6000 PC server Operating system z/OS OS/390, MVS, VSE OS/400 AIX (UNIX) Windows NT, OS/2

CICS, C1

2001, Mike Murach & Associates, Inc.

Slide 6

CICS programming languages

Language COBOL Assembler language PL/I C and C++ Description The most used programming language for both batch and online applications in a mainframe environment. Assembler language is used mostly for special-purpose devices like ATM machines. You probably wont find any new program development being done in PL/I. Traditionally used in engineering and math environments. With C++, an object-oriented language, you can develop object-oriented classes that access CICS services. The newest language for writing CICS applications, Java can also be used for developing object-oriented classes that access CICS services.

Java

CICS, C1

2001, Mike Murach & Associates, Inc.

Slide 7

The 3270 information display system

3270 display

IBM 3x74 controller 3270 display S/390 mainframe

LAN/ WAN
3270 display

Internet/ Intranet

PC 3270 emulation

PC 3270 emulation

PC 3270 emulation

PC 3270 emulation

PC 3270 emulation

PC 3270 emulation

The 3270 information display system lets users connect from a 3270 terminal or a PC running 3270 emulation software.

Alternate user interfaces

OS/390 CICS address space

3270

Presentation logic

Business logic

PC 3270 emulation

HTTP

MQ Series

ECI

Web application

Front-end application

Visual Basic application

When CICS is used with alternate user interfaces, the front-end program provides the presentation logic, but the CICS application is still the backend program that provides the business logic.
CICS, C1 2001, Mike Murach & Associates, Inc. Slide 9

How multitasking works

CICS address space Task 1 Order entry program (user 1) Task 2 Customer inquiry program (user 2) Task 3 Master menu program (user 3) Task 4 Customer maintenance program (user 4) Task 5 Order entry program (user 5)

A task is the execution of an application program for a specific user. Within CICS, two or more tasks can execute at the same time using a CICS feature called multitasking. CICS handles multitasking internally, within its own address space.

CICS, C1

2001, Mike Murach & Associates, Inc.

Slide 10

How multithreading works

CICS address space User 1 Working storage

Order entry program

User 5 User 1 User 5 Working storage

With multithreading, two or more users can access the same copy of a program at the same time. CICS accomplishes this by providing a separate copy of working storage for each user running the program.
CICS, C1 2001, Mike Murach & Associates, Inc. Slide 11

How CICS invokes an application program

The user enters trans-id ORD1 ORD1

PCT Transaction CICS locates trans-id ORD1 in the Program Control Table DM01 DM01 MMA1 ORD1 ORD2 Program DMPGM01 DMPGM02 MMAPGM1 ORDPGM1 ORDPGM2

PPT CICS locates program ORDPGM1 in the Processing Program Table Program DMPGM01 DMPGM02 MMAPGM1 ORDPGM1 ORDPGM2 Location In storage On disk In storage On disk On disk

CICS address space

DMPGM01

CICS locates load module ORDPGM1 on disk, loads it into memory, and starts the task

Library DMPROG MMAPROG ORDPROG

Load module DMPGM01 DMPGM02 MMAPGM1 ORDPGM1 ORDPGM2

MMAPGM1

ORDPGM1

How a program accesses CICS services

OS/390

CICS
Data management services

CICS management services

Application Programming Interface

Application programs

Data communication services

CICS services are available to an application program through its Application Programming Interface, or API.
CICS, C1 2001, Mike Murach & Associates, Inc. Slide 13

How a program communicates with a terminal

OS/390

CICS Application Programming Interface Application programs

Terminal control

Basic mapping support

Maps

VTAM, SNA, TCP/IP

Terminal user

Terminal control provides the interface between CICS and the operating systems telecommunication access method. Basic mapping support (BMS) provides the interface between application programs and terminal control.
CICS, C1 2001, Mike Murach & Associates, Inc. Slide 14

Three ways a program can access disk data

Disk storage

OS/390
VSAM DB2 IMS

CICS
File control SQL DL/I

Application Programming Interface

Application programs

CICS services that help manage application programs

Management service Program control Temporary storage control Interval control Description Provides for calling or transferring control to other programs. Provides for storing data outside working storage in simple files called temporary storage queues. Provides time-related services, including services for getting the current date and time and scheduling tasks for execution. Provides for allocating main storage space outside of working storage. Provides for temporarily suspending a task that is monopolizing CICS resources or gaining exclusive control of a CICS resource.

Storage control Task control

CICS, C1

2001, Mike Murach & Associates, Inc.

Slide 16

CICS services that help manage application programs (continued)

Management service Dump control Description Produces a transaction dump when a fatal error is encountered during the execution of an application program. Maintains a trace table that indicates the sequence of CICS operations performed. Creates a record or journal that can be used to restore files in the event of a task or system failure. Provides a convenient way to use sequential files called destinations to store data.

Trace control Journal control Transient data control

CICS, C1

2001, Mike Murach & Associates, Inc.

Slide 17