CICS Transaction Server Systems Administration
This five-day course is the definitive administration course for all those who have responsibility for CICS administration on CICS/TS systems.
The course combines formal theory sessions with a series of challenging and progressive exercises. Over the course of the week attendees are given the opportunity to build and operate an actual CICS/TS system from scratch.
This course is also available for exclusive one-company presentations and for live presentation over the Internet, via the Virtual Classroom Environment service.
Virtual Classroom Environment dates - click to book!
UK Start Times
28 April 2025What is a 'Virtual Classroom Environment'?
What do I need?
- webcam
- headphones with microphone
- sufficient bandwidth, at least 1.5 Mb/s in each direction.
What you will learn
On successful completion of this course you will be able to:
- describe the CICS architecture, Domain and table structure
- understand the functions of the Dispatcher Domain and the terms multi-tasking, multi-threading and the importance of the CICS TCBs
- generate and tailor a CICS system from the supplied jobstreams and describe the function of the CICS system files
- understand and control the CICS storage layout and the use of the various DSAs
- describe the Resource Definition On-Line and auto-installation facilities and define and install transactions, programs, program libraries, terminals and files.
- describe and define Transient Data and Temporary Storage queues
- generate the System Initialisation Table and describe the major parameters that control the region's structure, performance and security
- use the CICS Intersystem Communication facility to define connections between CICS regions by MRO, ISC and TCP/IP
- use the transaction CEMT to inquire and modify table entries
- understand the functions of the CECI transaction
- describe the functions of the CICS Explorer and Event Processing
- describe the facilities of CICS Web Services
- define recovery facilities for the Log Manager to deal with transaction abends and CICS system abends
- Implement the problem analysis functions of CICS dump and trace.
Who Should Attend
Those with responsibility for, or interest in, CICS administration.
Prerequisites
Prior attendance on the course CICS/TS Concepts & Facilities or equivalent experience. Special Note: attendees are encouraged to bring along the System Initialization Table macros and Overrides for a couple of production CICS regions. If Transaction Routing and/or Function Shipping is being used then a SIT and Overrides for a TOR, AOR and DOR would be welcome.
Duration
5 days
Fee (per attendee)
£2625 (ex VAT)
This includes free online 24/7 access to course notes.
Hard copy course notes are available on request from rsmshop@rsm.co.uk
at £50.00 plus carriage per set.
Course Code
CSA
Contents
CICS/TS Review
Introduction & Objectives; What is CICS?; A Resource Manager; CICS Tables; CICS Information Center; CICS organisation; Application Support; Application Services; CICS Domains; The Dispatcher Domain (DS); CICS versions and releases; Main Tables; Creating the CICS datasets.
Architecture
Starting a transaction; Logging on; Message Input; Transaction validation; Program loading; Task execution; Program execution; Task Termination; Multi-tasking and multi-threading; The CICS Dispatcher; Multiple TCBs.
Table Generation
Resource Definition; Resource Definition macro; Using SIT parameters; RDO components; Generating Resource Definitions; The CICS System Definition file; The CICS Global Catalog DFHGCD; CSD definition; Resource Definition Groups; Group Lists; Resource commands; List commands; General commands; General Resource Definitions; Add; Remove; Append; Copy; Move; Rename; Display; Expand; Install; Single resource INSTALL; Check Group; DFHCSDUP: The CSD utility program, offline utility program; DFHCSD EXTRACT command; Accessing the CSD File from an application program; CREATing Resource Definitions.
CEMT and CECI Transactions
CEMT The Master Transaction; The Functions of CEMT; CEMT: Inquire Menu, CEMT Help; Syntax checking; Invoking CEMT from a console; CEMT Inquire System; CEMT Inquire Terminal; CEMT Inquire Task; Problem determination; Forcepurge; Purge; CEMT Inquire Program; CEMT Inquire File; Closed Attribute; CEMT Inquire TSQ; CEMT Inquire Tranclass; CEMT Inquire JModel; CEMT Inquire JOurnalname; CEMT Inquire UOW; CEMT SET; CEMT SET DUMPDS; CEMT P SHUT; CEMT P SHUT Immediate; CEMT P {DUMP|SNAP} [Title(Xxx)]; CEMT DISCARD options; The Command Interpreter CECI; Using CECI; Using Variables with CECI; Displaying Large Variables; Storing a command.
System Initialisation Table
SIT - introduction and objectives; CICS Initialisation; Assembling the SIT; SIT parameters; .1 Parameters that cannot be coded in the SIT; Supplied SIT DFHSIT6£ - CICS/TS 4.2.
Dispatching
Dispatcher Domain; Dispatcher; Maximum Task (MXT); Transaction Class (TRANSCLASS); CEDA View Tranclass; Group; Maxactive; Purgethresh (AKCC Abend); Tranclass(name); Task priority; Priority Age; Region Exit Interval (ICV); Terminal Scan Delay (ICVTSD); Runaway Task Timeout Interval (ICVR); TCB modes; Open Transaction Environment; MAXOPENTCBS MAXJVMTCBS MAXSSLTCBS; FORCEQR={NO¦YES}; SSLTCBS; OPENTCBS; DB2 OTE exploitation; Quasi-reentrant and threadsafe programs; TCB Switching; CICS TS 4.2 OTE enhancements.
Defining Transactions and Profiles
Transaction definition; CEDA define transaction; 1 The 'indoubt' Attributes; CEDA Define Profile.
Defining Programs, Mapsets and Libraries
CEDA Define Program; Mapset definition; Program Autoinstall; SIT parameters for Program Autoinstall; User-replaceable module COMMAREA; Program Autoinstall Models; Program Autoinstall Summary; Define Library.
Program List Table
Program List Table; DFHPLT Macro; 1 DFHPLT TYPE=INITIAL; DFHPLT TYPE=ENTRY; PROGRAM=DFHDELIM; PLTPI programs; PLTSD programs.
FILE and LSRPOOL Definition
File control terminology; File management; CEDA Define File; CEDA Define Lsrpool; 1 Number of Buffers for LSR and NSR; Number of Strings for LSR and NSR; LSRPOOL attributes; Data Tables; CICS Maintained Data Table (CMDT); User Maintained Data Table (UMDT); Coupling Facility Data Table (CFDT); Defining Pools and Starting Servers; IXCMIAPU CFRM policy definition; VSAM Record Level Sharing (RLS); CEDA File Definition for RLS files; Read Integrity with RLS files.
Storage
The CICS Region; Read Only DSAs; CICS DSAs; Shared DSAs; User DSAs; DSA limits; Improved Storage Management; DSALIM; EDSALIM; MEMLIMIT; Short on Storage (SOS); Specifying DSA Sizes in the SIT; Transaction Isolation; DSA extents; CEMT Inq system; Storage parameters; CEMT Inq DSAs.
Terminal and Typeterm Definition
Terminal Autoinstall; Autoinstall SIT parameters; CEDA Define Terminal; CEDA Define TYPETERM.
Intersystem Communications
VTAM; SIT parameters; MRO/ISC overview; An implementation; CEMT Inquire VTAM; Inter System Communication; Multi-Region Operation /EXCI; LU 6.2 / MRO connection parameters; Sessions parameters; CEMT Inquire Terminal Session; Inquire Connection; CEMT Inquire Modeset; External CICS Interface (EXCI); TCPIP connections; TCPIP connection resources; CEDA Define IPCONN; IPCONN Mirror Life; IPCONN and TCPIPSERVICE; Connections as seen from both sides.
TCP/IP & Web Services
What is a Web Service?; Terminology; Service requesters and providers; A provider example; Overview of service provider; SOAP; Web Services Description Language (WSDL); CICS Web Services Assistant; Resources for Web Services support; CICS Web Services resource definition; TCPIPSERVICE definition; URIMAP; URIMAP definition; URIMAP: - general options, - server options, - client options, - pipeline options, - Atom options, - JVMserver options; URIMAP validity matrix; PIPELINE definition; Web Services - define WEBSERVICE; Document templates; CEDA define DOCTEMPLATE; Securing Web Services; Sample analysers; SSL SIT parameters; Connection Security and SSL; The SSL Handshake; SSL encryption; SSL authentication; SSL SIT parameters; Configuring CICS to use SSL - DFH$RING; Final review of CICS Web Service.
CICS Explorer
Administrative interfaces to CICS; Objectives; Administrative interfaces; CICS Explorer introduction; How to get the CICS Explorer; Using the CICS Explorer in 'Single Server' mod; Setting up an SMSS; First start of CICS Explorer; Connecting to CICS; When connected to CICS; The CICS Explorer screen.
Event Processing
Event Processing; Event Processing support; Event Processing terminology; Event Processing architecture - an overview; Events - the big picture overview; CICS bundles; Resources for EVENTs; More resources for EVENTs; Yet more resources for EVENTs; What needs to be done to 'capture an event'; Terminology; What is a bundle?; More, what is a bundle?; What is a manifest?.
Transient Data
Transient Data overview; Transient Data SIT parameters; TD=({3|decimal_value}[,{ 3|decimal_value}]); TDINTRA={NOEMPTY|EMPTY}; Intrapartition Transient Data Queues; Extrapartition Transient Data Queues; Automatic Transaction Initiation (ATI); CEDA Define TDQUEUE; Extrapartition parameters; Extrapartition queues; Intrapartition parameters; Indirect parameters; IBM-supplied TD Queues.
Temporary Storage
Temporary Storage overview; SIT parameters for Temporary Storage; Temporary Storage Coupling Facility Pool; CFRM policy; MAIN vs AUX vs CF Temporary Storage; CICS TSQs; TSMODEL attributes; Temporary Storage Browse Transaction (CEBR); CEBR Help; CEBR commands.
Security
Security overview; Security SIT parameters; The sign-on transactions; CESN; CESL; Sign off transaction CESF.
Initiation and Termination
CICS datasets; CICS initial start; CICS cold start; CICS Normal Shutdown; CICS warm start; DFHRMUTL utility program; CICS EMERgency restart.
Log Manager Domain
CICS system log; Defining logstreams; Creating a logstream; Shunting; Log Manager; CICS autojournaling; CICS user journaling; Logging for multiple CICS Regions; Coupling Facility logging; IXCMIAPU utility; DASD-only logging; Log streams; SIT parameters for logging; Log Tail Trimming; Offloading.
CICS Problem Analysis
CICS Messages; Transactions useful in problem analysis; CSFE; CICS Dumps; Transaction Dumps; Transaction Dump utility DFHDUvrm; System Dumps; Interactive Problem Control System (IPCS); CICS660 components; CICS tracing; CETR Transaction; Trace Utility Program.
Db2
CICS External Resource Management; Starting the CICS Db2 Attachment Facility; Db2 threads; Defining Db2 Resources; DB2CONN Resource; DB2ENTRY Resource; DB2TRANS Resource.
CICS-DBCTL
DBCTL introduction; Database Resource Adapter; DBCTL TCB support; DBCTL Virtual Storage requirements; Defining DBCTL to CICS; SIT parameters for DBCTL; RDO resources.
What the students say
The course was excellent and certainly covered the topics that I needed to understand as part of my role and more.
Solution Architect
Lloyds Banking Group