Transaction Servers and Tools eNews - November 2005
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CICS Scene – Richard Thomas
We've made a big thing of SOA in the last two issues of the newsletter, and I make no excuse for referring to it again - SOA is huge! This month's lead article is about composing new applications from Web services that you can generate from your existing CICS® applications, among others. It refers to an important tool for all you zSeries® developers, IBM® WebSphere® Developer for zSeries (WDz) and, in particular, the new CICS Service Flow Feature, recently announced (see below).
You're very much aware that one way of reacting quickly to new business demands is to leverage your existing applications. A SOA approach enables you to create new services through the composition of these existing proven assets.
It wasn't just CICS that added a shine to the SOA-readiness of the platform. WebSphere® Application Server for zSeries ® announced V6.0.1 and WebSphere Developer for zSeries announced V6 with important capabilities for wrappering existing applications as services, and composing them graphically into service flows.
CICS Service Flow Feature is a business service integration adapter for all CICS applications, with both tooling and run-time components. If you're an enterprise solution architect, an enterprise integration developer, or a CICS application specialist, you can create CICS business services for integration in an SOA business process collaborations. You'll be able to unlock critical IT assets - applications and data - and re-purpose them into assets for a SOA. Naturally, the process of transforming existing applications is far more efficient than creating new applications.
The Service Flow Feature is a no-charge feature with entitlements to use WDz. You can start straightaway to model new business processes, which can be deployed as CICS applications or as Web services - give it a try!
Richard Thomas, Program Director, CICS Marketing
The view from Development - Dibbe Edwards
CICS has always evolved to align with the newest technologies around - that was one of the reasons why I was so excited to join the CICS team here in Hursley. And now I'm feeling even more excited - I have a real sense that CICS is moving into one of the most significant phases of its respected history.
As you'll read elsewhere in this newsletter, we've just announced the CICS Service Flow Feature. I think there's no doubt that service-oriented architectures will continue to be a highly significant model for computing for a long time, so it's even more important that CICS is aligned perfectly with this model.
The CICS Service Flow Feature extends the important SOA capabilities we announced in CICS Transaction Server V3.1 (CICS TS). It makes it straightforward for you to build new applications using your existing CICS applications. It's likely that your CICS applications perform the absolutely vital business functions in your enterprise - your core business. Now, using the CICS Service Flow Feature and the Web services capabilities of CICS TS V3.1, you can compose those core functions into new applications.
It's worth repeating why this is so important. Your CICS applications are tried and trusted, reliable and high-performance. If you tried to develop new applications with same the capabilities, you'd incur high costs, high risks, and a long time to deployment. It's a no-brainer! You integrate your CICS applications as new services into your new business processes, carrying over those all-important qualities of service. Now, with CICS Service Flow Feature and CICS TS V3.1, you have the tools that you need to do just that.
So now you'll understand why I'm so excited. Your CICS applications are entering possibly the most productive period in their history. And to help you to win some of that productivity, we've included an article on composing CICS applications into new processes. Read it, and reap the benefits!
Dibbe Edwards, Director, CICS Development
New manager for CICS 390 Service/Change Team
Meet Josh Sampays, recently appointed manager of the CICS TS L3 Service Group in Hursley Labs. His team is the Level 3 support organization for the various releases of CICS Transaction Server and CICSPlex SM.
Josh says "We work closely with the product development and test teams and other support teams around the world to ensure our customers get the best possible support from IBM. We provide worldwide customer support for CICS to produce high quality defect fixes, which must be production ready in all customer environments. I'm keen to maintain the proud reputation that my team has earned for the speed and quality of its response."
You'll find a useful source of support information in the IBM support page where you can also find pointers to other relevant zSeries information.
Composing the future of CICS
Steve Wood, CICS Transaction Server Product Line Manager.
Reusing your CICS applications in newly composed applications and processes is a vital part of realizing the benefits of SOA, and the key to a move towards an On Demand model of IT. We use the term composition to describe the ability to build new or different processes by reusing proven sub-processes, and to aggregate different components into new applications. Read more...
Announcing CICS Service Flow Feature
The CICS Service Flow Feature is a business service integration adapter for all CICS applications. It delivers the tooling and runtime to build CICS business services to help you create new services more quickly and easily by composing a sequence of CICS application interactions. The high-level business function interfaces to the services allow you to integrate them in many modern styles of solution, including SOA. The feature includes a graphical integrated development environment for composing the CICS application interactions, a generation facility for creating a run-time application, and a CICS run-time component to support the service flow.
The feature includes the CICS Service Flow Runtime, plus ten entitlements to WebSphere Developer for zSeries (WDz) for composing CICS Business Services. The entitlements allow the user to install and run WDz functions, including Service Flow Modeler, XML Services for the Enterprise (XSE) and XML tools, and Web services capabilities.
The CICS Service Flow Feature is planned to be available on December 16, 2005. You can read more about it in the announcement letter .
CICS Transaction Gateway V6.1 GA
In the last issue of the newsletter, we told you about the new release of the CICS Transaction Gateway and its support for two-phase commit with IBM WebSphere Application Server. It is now generally available and, to explain how to use it to extend your CICS applications in a SOA, you can listen to a webcast that also covers the major functional enhancements in versions 6.0 and 6.1, (in particular full two-phase commit with distributed WebSphere) and it discusses how this new function can be used to create real business value.
You can view the webcast in your own time by visiting this link , and clicking on the replay (originally broadcast on 11/16/2005). CHANGE "VISITING THIS LINK" TO "VIEWING THE REPLAY" AND LINKING THE NEW TEXT TO THE SAME LOCATION AS THE OLD TEXT.
OS/VS Cobol Programs
When we announced CICS Transaction Services 2.2 (CICS TA) in 2001, IBM stated that translator support for the earlier (pre-Language Environment (LE)) compilers would be withdrawn: "It is planned that run-time support for OS/VS COBOL programs, regardless of run-time library used, and for any other programs running under pre-Language Environment run-time libraries will be withdrawn in the next release.
With CICS TS V3.1, we removed the CICS interfaces for the VS COBOL II, OS PL/I and C/370 runtimes. Customers need run-time libraries distributed with LE to run current load modules. CICS interfaces to OS/VS COBOL were removed causing abends in transactions that attempted to run an OS/VS COBOL program.
If you want to identify OS/VS COBOL programs, IBM has provided the following:
- CICS Load Module Scanner distributed as part of CICS TS for static analysis
- APAR PK10480 for releases prior to V3 enables runtime analysis causing CICS to generate a message during load, which is sent to TD Queue. Refer to SupportPac CH1A.
Additionally, the IBM Debug Tool Utilities and Advanced Functions for z/OS (DTU) is available for purchase and is used for source code debugging to improve development productivity. It also contains Cobol CICS Command Level Conversion Aid (CCCA). The CCCA can be used to upgrade OS/VS COBOL programs to supported levels.
CICS Interdependency Analyzer (IA) is a valuable tool for improving CICS systems and application design and minimizing the impact of routine application maintenance. It can be used to find the language type, and determine if you can run the program under LE/370. The IA scanner will identify OS/VS COBOL programs and inform you whether they have been linked with LE..
If you're considering a fee-based service for this migration, you should contact your IBM representative.
IBM Redbooks: Using the Web User Interface in CICSPlex SM
With the CICS TS 3.1 level of function, it is possible to perform all the tasks historically performed via the CICSPlex Systems Manager (CPSM) Time Sharing Option (TSO) interface, through the Web user interface (WUI). The TSO interface is no longer fundamentally required. This IBM Redbook looks at all the system management disciplines from setup, configuration, and migration of a CPSM environment to the various runtime tasks of resource definition, operations, dynamic routing, and automation. The first part of this book concentrates on utilizing the shipped views and menus, with a step-by-step guide to migrating your system to CICS TS V3.1. The second part of this book looks at how you can use the WUI for problem determination. Finally you'll learn how to implement security in the WUI, and finish with a chapter on hints and tips.
New banking white paper
Read our new white paper titled "Why the IBM mainframe is an effective choice for banks". Retail banks around the world are faced with a growing set of challenges. Competition is intense, managing risk is more challenging than ever and responding quickly to change is a necessity. The paper reflects IBM's general view of the forces affecting the banking industry and their relationship with IT investment. It was produced and developed by members of IBM's Global Banking community, and includes research conducted by the IBM Institute for Business Value and from a variety of non-IBM resources.
Web services compliance
CICS Transaction Server V3.1 conforms with the August 2005, version of Web services standard WS-I Basic Profile 1.1 , and Simple SOAP Binding Profile 1.0. It also conforms to August 2005, levels of Web Services Atomic Transaction and Web Services Coordination .
Complimentary IBM Redbook excerpt
Receive a complimentary chapter from the IBM Redbook Parallel Sysplex Application Considerations. This chapter provides best practices and technical tips to tune CICS applications for optimal exploitation of sysplex environments. This chapter will help you understand how CICS commands cause affinities, detect affinities using the CICS Transaction Affinities Utility (included with CICS TS), and master the implications of programming facilities and techniques.
Complimentary performance white paper
Receive a complimentary white paper, "CICS Transaction Server V3.1: A Performance Report" to learn more about the performance tests run by IBM Hursley labs to evaluate the impact of the new CICS transaction server, and its functions, on various workloads. You can't compare workload performance from one day to the next - there are too many variables. But you can estimate performance impact, and plan for it, from one software release to the next. That's what the IBM Hursley lab has done for the new CICS Transaction Server V3.1, and the results might surprise you.
Announcing WebSphere Developer for zSeries V6.0.1 In previous newsletters we've told you about the value of WebSphere Developer for zSeries for CICS developers - in particular, the Service Flow Modeler, which was a Technology Preview. Now, with the announcement of WebSphere Developer for zSeries V6.0.1 , this tool brings even more value, with a host of significant new features and feature enhancements.
With IBM WebSphere Developer for zSeries V6.0.1, you can:
- Accelerate the development of many different types of Web applications
- Generate Enterprise COBOL XML adapters and Web Services Description Language (WSDL) for CICS and IMS Web service-based applications
- Generate WSDL and JavaBeans used to test and deploy Web services
- Visually compose CICS business services by using Service Flow Modeler to:
- Develop flows that drive both CICS COMMAREA and CICS 3270 transactions
- Adapt and extend the development environment with a wide range of plug-ins, such as change management
- Visualize and graphically edit J2EE code through the UML Visual Editor
The release also includes two new technology previews: a zSeries Application Pattern Generator, and a Windows-based Asset Analyzer component.
You can read the full story of the enhancements and technology previews in the data sheet (PDF, 80KB).
PD Tools GA
The problem determination tools that were announced in September - Fault Analyzer for z/OS V6.1 , Debug Tool for z/OS V6.1 plus Debug Tool Utilities and Advanced Functions for z/OS V6.1 are now generally available.
Stop press for UK customers: CICS seminar
It's still not too late to enroll for the CICS Seminar to be held at Bedfont Lakes near London on 29 November 2005. The program shows how you can harness the latest version of CICS TS and its run-time ecosystem of tools to integrate your CICS applications in a service-oriented architecture. You can enroll here .
SOA Webcast with Q&A
IBM invites you to a complimentary online seminar: Five SOA Projects that Can Pay for Themselves in Six Months", to showcase on Wednesday, December 14, 2005 at 9:00AM Pacific, 12:00PM Eastern, and 6:00PM European (5PM GMT).
In this complimentary webcast, you'll learn about five projects (including a CICS project) that are excellent examples of how organizations can use a service-oriented approach to solve immediate business challenges, and at the same time, lay the groundwork for flexible IT systems that can provide competitive advantage in the years ahead. Register for the webcast here .
IBM on-site training
Do you need affordable group training? IBM can provide you with convenient, cost-effective and customized training for groups as small as three people to groups as large as 14 or more. You get the same quality education that we deliver in our classrooms, brought right to your own site or one that IBM arranges for you. And we can record our standard classroom offerings or your own custom ones in a rich, digital video format for distribution via CD or network download. Save money, enjoy greater flexibility, gain more control and achieve stronger results with IBM on-site training .
New - CICS Transaction Server for z/OS Basic Tailoring
Join us on December 12, 2005 in Chicago for the first offering of CI200, CICS Transaction Server for z/OS Basic Tailoring , based on TS V3.1. Are you new to the CICS system programming job and ready to install and tailor CICS Transaction Server for z/OS? Learn how to tailor the system to support a basic online application. Practice these skills on an IBM system in this lab-intensive course. Define transactions, programs, files, and other resources used by online applications. Lectures include problem determination tools, intersystem communication, CICS DB2®, Database Control (DBCTL), and IBM MQSeries interfaces. This class is also scheduled on 20 March in Atlanta.
