Using IBM CICS Transaction Server Channels and Containers
Using IBM CICS Transaction Server Channels and Containers

Author: Steve Burghard

Publisher: IBM Redbooks

Published: 2015-03-21

Total Pages: 276

ISBN-13: 0738440507

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This IBM® Redbooks® publication describes the new channels and containers support in IBM Customer Information Control System (CICS®) Transaction Server V5.2. The book begins with an overview of the techniques used to pass data between applications running in CICS. This book describes the constraints that these data techniques might be subject to, and how a channels and containers solution can provide solid advantages alongside these techniques. These capabilities enable CICS to fully comply with emerging technology requirements in terms of sizing and flexibility. The book then goes on to describe application design, and looks at implementing channels and containers from an application programmer point of view. It provides examples to show how to evolve channels and containers from communication areas (COMMAREAs). Next, the book explains the channels and containers application programming interface (API). It also describes how this API can be used in both traditional CICS applications and a Java CICS (JCICS) applications. The business transaction services (BTS) API is considered as a similar yet recoverable alternative to channels and containers. Some authorized program analysis reports (APARs) are introduced, which enable more flexible web services features by using channels and containers. The book also presents information from a systems management point of view, describing the systems management and configuration tasks and techniques that you must consider when implementing a channels and containers solution. The book chooses a sample application in the CICS catalog manager example, and describes how you can port an existing CICS application to use channels and containers rather than using COMMAREAs.

CICS Transaction Server from Start to Finish
CICS Transaction Server from Start to Finish

Author: Chris Rayns

Publisher: IBM Redbooks

Published: 2011-12-07

Total Pages: 410

ISBN-13: 0738436178

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In this IBM® Redbooks® publication, we discuss CICS®, which stands for Customer Information Control System. It is a general-purpose transaction processing subsystem for the z/OS® operating system. CICS provides services for running an application online where, users submit requests to run applications simultaneously. CICS manages sharing resources, the integrity of data, and prioritizes execution with fast response. CICS authorizes users, allocates resources (real storage and cycles), and passes on database requests by the application to the appropriate database manager, such as DB2®. We review the history of CICS and why it was created. We review the CICS architecture and discuss how to create an application in CICS. CICS provides a secure, transactional environment for applications that are written in several languages. We discuss the CICS-supported languages and each language's advantages in this Redbooks publication. We analyze situations from a system programmer's viewpoint, including how the systems programmer can use CICS facilities and services to customize the system, design CICS for recovery, and manage performance. CICS Data access and where the data is stored, including Temporary storage queues, VSAM RLS, DB2, IMSTM, and many others are also discussed.

ARCHIVED: Pooled JVM in CICS Transaction Server V3
ARCHIVED: Pooled JVM in CICS Transaction Server V3

Author: Chris Rayns

Publisher: IBM Redbooks

Published: 2015-06-17

Total Pages: 330

ISBN-13: 073844085X

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NOTE: This book contains information about technologies that have been superseded and it is retained for historical purposes only. IBM CICS Transaction Server (CICS TS) has supported the deployment of Java applications since the 1990's. In CICS TS V1.3 (1999), IBM introduced the 'Pooled JVM' style of JVM infrastructure within CICS TS. This infrastructure was designed to be similar in nature to that which a CICS application developer for a language such as COBOL would be used to. It brought the benefits of the new Java language to CICS TS, without a dramatic change to the way CICS users thought of core concepts such as re-entrancy and isolation. As enterprise usage of Java evolved it began to make more and more use of multi-threaded environments where isolation was not a desired characteristic. Additionally, technologies such as OSGi (Open Service Gateway Initiative) evolved to overcome some of the original disadvantages of applying Java to an enterprise environment. As such, the limitations of the 'Pooled JVM' approach began to outweigh the benefits. In CICS TS V4.1 (2009), IBM introduced the new 'JVM server' infrastructure in CICS TS as a replacement to the 'Pooled JVM' approach. This 'JVM server' infrastructure provides a much more standard Java environment that makes the writing and porting of Java applications for CICS TS much simpler. In CICS TS V5.1 (2012), support for the old 'Pooled JVM' infrastructure was removed. While there is a relatively simple migration path from 'Pooled JVM' to 'JVM server', applications should no longer be written to the 'Pooled JVM' infrastructure. There are a number of more recent IBM Redbooks publications covering the replacement 'JVM server' technology, including: IBM CICS and the JVM server: Developing and Deploying Java Applications, SG24-8038 A Software Architect's guide to New Java Workloads in IBM CICS Transaction Server, SG24-8225

IBM CICS and the JVM server: Developing and Deploying Java Applications
IBM CICS and the JVM server: Developing and Deploying Java Applications

Author: Chris Rayns

Publisher: IBM Redbooks

Published: 2013-07-15

Total Pages: 406

ISBN-13: 0738438332

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This IBM® Redbooks® publication provides information about the new Java virtual machine (JVM) server technology in IBM CICS® Transaction Server for z/OS® V4.2. We begin by outlining the many advantages of its multi-threaded operation over the pooled JVM function of earlier releases. The Open Services Gateway initiative (OSGi) is described and we highlight the benefits OSGi brings to both development and deployment. Details are then provided about how to configure and use the new JVM server environment. Examples are included of the deployment process, which takes a Java application from the workstation Eclipse integrated development environment (IDE) with the IBM CICS Explorer® software development kit (SDK) plug-in, through the various stages up to execution in a stand-alone CICS region and an IBM CICSPlex® environment. The book continues with a comparison between traditional CICS programming, and CICS programming from Java. As a result, the main functional areas of the Java class library for CICS (JCICS) application programming interface (API) are extensively reviewed. Further chapters are provided to demonstrate interaction with structured data such as copybooks, and how to access relational databases by using Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) and Structured Query Language for Java (SQLJ). Finally, we devote a chapter to the migration of applications from the pooled JVM model to the new JVM server run time.

DataPower SOA Appliance Administration, Deployment, and Best Practices
DataPower SOA Appliance Administration, Deployment, and Best Practices

Author: Gerry Kaplan

Publisher: IBM Redbooks

Published: 2011-06-06

Total Pages: 300

ISBN-13: 0738435708

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This IBM® Redbooks® publication focuses on operational and managerial aspects for DataPower® appliance deployments. DataPower appliances provide functionality that crosses both functional and organizational boundaries, which introduces unique management and operational challenges. For example, a DataPower appliance can provide network functionality, such as load balancing, and at the same time, provide enterprise service bus (ESB) capabilities, such as transformation and intelligent content-based routing. This IBM Redbooks publication provides guidance at both a general and technical level for individuals who are responsible for planning, installation, development, and deployment. It is not intended to be a "how-to" guide, but rather to help educate you about the various options and methodologies that apply to DataPower appliances. In addition, many chapters provide a list of suggestions.

IBM CICS Explorer
IBM CICS Explorer

Author: Chris Rayns

Publisher: IBM Redbooks

Published: 2010-12-17

Total Pages: 418

ISBN-13: 0738434973

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IBM® Customer Information Control System (CICS®) Explorer is the new face of CICS Integration point for CICS tooling with rich CICS views, data, and methods. Are you looking for new ways to accelerate the transfer of knowledge, skills, and best practices to the next generation of technical staff and experts? Do you need to maintain productivity and protect service-levels? CICS ExplorerTM and System z® lead the way to platform simplification. IBM CICS Explorer has a common, intuitive, Eclipse-based environment for architects, developers, administrators, system programmers, and operators. The task-oriented views provide integrated access to a broad range of data and control capabilities, and it also has powerful, context-sensitive resource editors. Integration point for CICS TS, CICS Tools, CICS TG, PD Tools, and Rational® Tools are extensible by independent software vendors (ISV), system integrators (SI), and customers who use our Software Development Kit. In this IBM Redbooks® publication, we focus on the new CICS Explorer. The first part of the book is an overview of the CICS Explorer along with all of the CICS Tools' plug-ins. In the second part of the book, we focus on several scenarios in which you can use the CICS Explorer with the CICS Tools plug-ins to resolve various problems.

Introduction to the New Mainframe: Security
Introduction to the New Mainframe: Security

Author: Rica Weller

Publisher: IBM Redbooks

Published: 2007-04-26

Total Pages: 550

ISBN-13: 0738489646

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This book provides students of information systems with the background knowledge and skills necessary to begin using the basic security facilities of IBM System z. It enables a broad understanding of both the security principles and the hardware and software components needed to insure that the mainframe resources and environment are secure. It also explains how System z components interface with some non-System z components. A multi-user, multi-application, multi-task environment such as System z requires a different level of security than that typically encountered on a single-user platform. In addition, when a mainframe is connected in a network to other processors, a multi-layered approach to security is recommended. Students are assumed to have successfully completed introductory courses in computer system concepts. Although this course looks into all the operating systems on System z, the main focus is on IBM z/OS. Thus, it is strongly recommended that students have also completed an introductory course on z/OS. Others who will benefit from this course include experienced data processing professionals who have worked with non-mainframe-based platforms, as well as those who are familiar with some aspects of the mainframe environment or applications but want to learn more about the security and integrity facilities and advantages offered by the mainframe environment.

Application Development for IBM CICS Web Services
Application Development for IBM CICS Web Services

Author: O'Grady James

Publisher: IBM Redbooks

Published: 2015-01-27

Total Pages: 552

ISBN-13: 0738440310

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This IBM® Redbooks® publication focuses on developing Web service applications in IBM CICS®. It takes the broad view of developing and modernizing CICS applications for XML, Web services, SOAP, and SOA support, and lays out a reference architecture for developing these kinds of applications. We start by discussing Web services in general, then review how CICS implements Web services. We offer an overview of different development approaches: bottom-up, top-down, and meet-in-the-middle. We then look at how you would go about exposing a CICS application as a Web service provider, again looking at the different approaches. The book then steps through the process of creating a CICS Web service requester. We follow this by looking at CICS application aggregation (including 3270 applications) with IBM Rational® Application Developer for IBM System z® and how to implement CICS Web Services using CICS Cloud technology. The first part is concluded with hints and tips to help you when implementing this technology. Part two of this publication provides performance figures for a basic Web service. We investigate some common variables and examine their effects on the performance of CICS as both a requester and provider of Web services.