Verhoef Training, Inc.

P.O.Box 1515, West Caldwell, NJ 07006
Phone:(800)631-0410 Fax:(973)403-3468



CICS Fundamentals




SUMMARY:   This course will provide a detailed discussion of CICS features, including workshops. Class topics will include an examination of the history, internal structure, functional features, and operational characteristics of the CICS product.

AUDIENCE:   This course is designed for any data processing personnel who desire a general introduction to the CICS product, including those with a background in applications, systems, operations, or management.

PREREQUISITES:   This class has no prerequisites.

DURATION:   3 Days

APPROACH:   Instructor led with some exercises. Hands-on exercises could be substituted if the client is a licensed user of CICS.

OBJECTIVES:   After completing this course, the student should be able to understand:

  • Application support through API features.
  • The internal components and features of the CICS product, and how they work together to expedite the needs of business applications.
  • How to start and stop a CICS system, and how to interpret and react to problems and messages encountered in the production CICS environment.
  • How to use the family of CICS supplied utility transactions.
  • Data Integrity
  • Flow of Transations

COURSE CONTENT:  
  1. EVOLUTION OF THE CICS PRODUCT
    • An overview of the history of CICS up to and including Transaction Server v3.2
    • CICS and its place in the Business Environment
    • The role of a real-time transaction monitor
    • CICS terminology:
      Define interrupt-driven, table-driven, transaction, task, domains, multi-threading, multi-tasking, quasi-reentrancy, etc.
  2. CICS DEFINITION AND INITIALIZATION
    • Defining CICS resources
      CICS tables and the RDO utility
      Overview on:
      definition of terminals (TCT)
      definition of datasets (FCT)
      definition of transactions and programs (PCT, PPT)
    • The CICS execution jobstream
      Setting JCL parameters and overrides
    • The Initialization Phases
      Start-up Options: COLD, AUTO, EMERGENCY, RESTART, and STANDBY
      The System Initialization Table (SIT) and parameters
      PLTPI programs
      Events and console messages during start-up
    • The Termination process
      Events and console messages during shutdown and restart and recovery
    • How CICS interfaces with other CICS regions
      Overview of interregion and intersystem communication
  3. CICS APPLICATIONS SUPPORT
    • The Command-level Interface
    • Applications Domain and Application Facilities
      Logging and System-level Recovery
      DTB and Task-level Recovery
      Terminal-initiated transactions
      Pseudo-conversational transactions
      Automatic Task initiation
      Basic Mapping Support
      Terminal Control
      Program Control
      Execute Interface block
      Transient Data
      Temporary Storage
      File Control
      Error Handling
      Trace Facilities and debugging
      New Trace features of CICS/ESA
    • Client Server Solutions (DPL/EXCE)
    • Sample CICS application programs
  4. CICS OPERATIONS
    • Interpreting console messages and abend codes
    • In-depth study of IBM-supplied utility transactions
      CEDA (and CEDB, CEDC) - Using the RDO (Resource Definition Online) facility. Defining transactions, programs, terminals, datasets.
      CEMT - Master Terminal operations.
      How to perform various OPERATIONS functions:
      Printing dumps, purging locked tasks, opening/closing datasets, invoking trace facilities, bringing terminals in/out of service, shutting down the CICS system, etc.
      CECI - Using the on-line Command Interpreter to execute CICS commands.
      CETR - Invocation and use of Trace Facilities
      CEBR - Browsing and manipulating the CICS queuing facilities.
      CEDF - Execution Diagnostic Facility.
      CMSG - Message Routing.
      CWTO - Write To Operator.
      DSNC - Controlling the CICS/DB2 Attachment Facility.

BM/08

© 2007 Verhoef Training, Inc.