GT05 - CICS Transaction Server Introduction - 1 Day

Course Description

This course provides the applications programmer or analyst with an overview of the CICS development process. It is aimed at programmers and analysts who need to understand the concepts and capabilities of CICS at a high level.

Pre-requisites

The delegate should be familiar with the z/OS host environment. A working knowledge of COBOL or PL/I program development using TSO / ISPF is recommended but not essential.

Objectives

The aim of this course is to provide the programmer or analyst, unfamiliar with CICS, with an overview of the concepts and capabilities of CICS applications.

On completion of this course the student will be able to:

  • describe the functions of a BMS Map
  • describe the main CICS statements required within a COBOL or PL1 program
  • use common CICS supplied transactions to view CICS resources
  • define resources to CICS using CEDA
  • describe how VSAM files can be accessed from CICS programs
  • describe the use of CICS Temporary Storage
  • describe the use of CICS Transient Data
  • describe how exceptional conditions are handled
  • describe how programs handle database backout and recovery
  • understand the concepts of Multi-Regional Operation
  • understand the concepts of the COMMAREA, CHANNELS and CONTAINERS

Customisation

For on-site courses (i.e. at your premises), we are more than happy to tailor the course agenda to suit your exact requirements. In many cases, we are able to build your in-house standards and naming conventions into the delivered course.

Course Details

INTRODUCTION
CICS Overview
What Does CICS Do?
The Operating System and CICS
Sharing Resources
Talking to Terminals
Online Programs
On-Line/Batch Comparisons
CICS Recovery
The CICS Pre-Processor (Translator)
Starting CICS

SCREEN HANDLING
Basic Mapping Support (BMS)
Writing a BMS Map
The BMS Symbolic Descriptor Map
Sending a BMS Map
Receiving a BMS Map
DFHMSD - Map Set Definition
DFHMDI - Map Description Init
DFHMDF - Map Description Field
Testing the User Response
Dynamic Attributes
Send Text

TRANSACTIONS AND TASKS
Transactions
Running Many Transactions between Screens
Starting a CICS Transaction
Tasks
Conversational Processing
Pseudo-Conversational Processing
Synchronous Tasks
Asynchronous Tasks

CONTAINERS AND CHANNELS
Commarea History
Why Change from using the Commarea?
Container and Channel Advantages
What are Containers and Channels?
Creating Containers and Channels
Reading Containers and Channels
Sending and Receiving Example
Container and Channel Rules
The Current Channel
Browsing All Container Names in a Channel
Summary Of Channel Commands
Migrating From Commarea To Channels and Containers

PROGRAM CONTROL
Passing Data between Programs - The COMMAREA
CICS Programming Commands
The LINK Command
The XCTL Command
The RETURN Command
The START Command
The RETRIEVE Command
CICS Exec Interface Block (EIB)

CICS TABLES
CICS Tables
The Program Control Table (PCT)
The Processing Program Table (PPT)
The File Control Table (FCT)
The Resource Control Table (RCT)
Resource Definition On-Line (RDO)
RDO Diagram
CEDA Commands

SUPPLIED TRANSACTIONS
CEDF - CICS Execution Diagnostic Facility
CECI - Command Interpreter
CEMT - Control Transaction
CEBR - Browsing Temporary Storage

VSAM DATASETS
Types of VSAM Dataset
How VSAM Files are accessed
Browsing a File
Batch and On-Line File Access

SCRATCHPAD FACILITIES
CICS Temporary Storage
CICS Transient Data
TS and TD comparisons

BACKOUT AND RECOVERY
The backout and recovery process

EXCEPTIONAL CONDITIONS
What is an Exceptional Condition
How Exceptional Conditions are handled

MULTI REGIONAL OPERATION
MRO Concepts

Course Format

The course is 90% lecture based. CICS can be used if available to demonstrate some of the topics discussed such as CICS Supplied Transactions. On completion of this course students will be able to describe the main features of CICS but will not have the required hands-on experience required to develop CICS application programs.

The comprehensive Student Guide supplied is fully indexed serving as a useful reference tool long after the course has finished. Delegates will also be able to access a free help-line with technical questions relating to topics covered on the course.

Course Enquiry