CICS Concepts and Facilities

This course provides a detailed discussion of CICS concepts and features. Delegates' new knowledge is put into practice during several workshops throughout the course.

Topics include a review of the history, functional features and operational characteristics of the CICS product.

This course is perfect for any data processing personnel who are in need of a general introduction to the CICS product, including those with a background in applications, systems, operations or management.

There are no prerequisites for this course.

After completing this course, delegates will be able to:

• Describe the basic structure of CICS and it’s transaction processing facilities.
• Describe the principal functions and facilities provided by CICS.
• Understand how resources are defined to CICS.
• Understand the CICS application development process.
• Describe CICS recovery facilities.

Introduction to Online Systems
Online systems vs. Batch and PCs.
Personnel involved in support and use.

CICS Concepts
Brief history.
Supported platforms.
z/OS Environment.
CICS Function.
CICS Architecture.
Domains.
Storage Management.
Transaction isolation.

Functions and Facilities
Control Programs.
Resources.
Life of a task.
Inter-system Communication.
Work sharing capability.

Terminal Facilities
3270 Data Stream.
BMS Maps.
Map types.
Terminal operation.
IBM Supplied procedures.

WEB Facilities
CICS WEB support.
WEB-aware programs.
Non-WEB-aware programs.
BMS Implications.
VTAM vs. TCPIP.

Data Handling Facilities
File Control.
VSAM Support.
Data Tables.
Database support.
Temporary Storage.
Transient Data Queues.
Task initiation.

CICS and DB2
The CICS / DB2 Connection.
Types of thread.
How threads work.
Attachment Transactions – DSNC.

Resource Definition
Online via CEDA.
Batch via DFHCSDUP.
Auto-install.
System Programming Interface.
Resource packaging.
Groups and Lists.
Resource installation process.

Programming
Conversational vs. Pseudo-conversational.
Programming Interface.
Handling exceptions.
Programming aids.
Program control.
Data transfer.
DFHCOMMAREA.
Channels and Containers.

Recovery and Restart
System integrity.
Recoverable resources.
Dynamic Transaction Back-out.
Emergency restart.
Recovery options.

Supplied Transactions
CEMT.
CEBR.
CECI.
CEDA.
CEDF & CEDX.
CETR.
CMAC.

CICS/Batch Interface