Migrating off of
CICS/VSE 2.3 to CICS/TS
Last Call !
Karl DeVore
kdevore@lakecountyil.gov
Martin Trübnermartin@pi-sysprog.de
Agenda
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Lake County & Pi-Systemprogrammierungs-GmbH
Reasons to stay with CICS/VSE 2.3 so long
What can be gained by the move to CICS/TS
NOT: CICS/VSE 2.3. to CICS/TS migration
Possible problems
Migration suggestions and considerations
Suggested Reading
Lake County
Demographics
A Chicago “Collar” County
Population:
644,356 (2000)
702,120 (2012)
Median household income:
Lake County
79,085 (2012)
Illinois
56,853 (2012)
Median home value:
Lake County
267,700 (2012)
Illinois
190,800 (2012)
Reasons for staying with
CICS/VSE 2.3 so long
• The mainframe is perceived as being antiquated
• Gray hair phobia, skill set and market availability
• Development continuing on other system
platforms
• The mainframe applications would be “going
away”
• Personnel assigned other responsibilities, lack of
time, complacency, the unknowns, lots of
excuses.
Reasons for staying with
CICS/VSE 2.3 so long
• Lack of support for a specific package or
function
• Macro level coding
• Control block manipulation (even R/O)
• Maybe assembler considerations (!!!)
• Lack of resources (ranging from money to
manpower)
Gains from the move by Lake County
The success (or lack thereof) of other major systems that formerly resided on
the mainframe, which were moved to alternate platforms with dismal results
Consistent reliability of the mainframe
The need for CICS/TS Web Services
To support access (inquiry/update) capabilities from off platform systems that
interface with Lake County’s Integrated Justice System
To query and update data (systems) on foreign platforms from the Integrated
Justice System (CICS/TS)
Information consolidation
What can be gained from
“around the world”
CICS 2.3 does not work in z/VSE 5.1.x
CICS 2.3 has major restrictions in z/VSE 4.3 and is not supported by IBM
CICS/EXPLORER introduces a GUI that only functions with CICS/TS (See
Agenda: CICS Explorer Demo - Wednesday at 4:00)
Improvements in CEDA –
Comments are now allowed in a resource definition
Single items in a Group may now be installed
User Interface(UI) and Application Programming Interface(API) enhancements
for Admins & Sysprogs CEMT
What can be gained from
“around the world”
New options/features of compilers only support CICS/TS
New “Connectors” enhancements only supported with CICS/TS (i.e. IESHTTPC)
Products that have a z/OS counterpart do not support CICS/VSE – only CICS/TS
VSCR (Virtual Storage Constraint Relief) enhanced with CICS/TS versus
CICS/VSE 2.3
What can be gained from
“around the world”
Additional Advantages – courtesy Mike Poil, Level 3 CICS:
• Web service creation and use via VSE SOAP, including an XML parser
• HTTP Client
• CTG (CICS Transaction Gateway) and ECI (External Call Interface) support
provides calling capabilities to a CICS program on a CICS server over TCPIP
• Supports EZA socket programming and TCP/IP API
• FEPI (Front End Programming Interface) EXCI (External Call Interface)
• Automated Journal Archiving
• Various Storage Protection mechanisms
What can be gained from
“around the world”
Additional Advantages – courtesy Mike Poil, Level 3 CICS:
• 31- bit DSA support without using inefficient GETVIS services
• Extended resource definitions in the CSD – VSAM FILES and LSRPOOLS
• Better VSAM tuning – separate Index and Data Buffers, enhanced Shared
Data Tables
• Better deadlock and transaction timeout handling
• Improved CICS statistics
• Major enhancements to CICS trace and better CICS system dump
formatting
• Actual Support !
CICS/VSE 2.3 to CICS/TS
migration problems
open list – please add more
Problems encountered:
1. DB2 Resource Adapter would not enable (Storage)
2. Tried implementing TCPIP(for web services) in the SIT without
defining a TCPIPSERVICE definition
3. Inactivity timeouts in CICS (RDO Terminal characteristics verses
external security manager)
4. Extended Attributes with shipped default “typeterm” RDO
definitions
5. Forced Uppercase translation requirements for transactions
CICS/VSE 2.3 to CICS/TS
migration problems
open list – please add more
Problems encountered:
6. CICSKEY verses USERKEY
7. SEARCH chain: sublibrary 4 TCPIP must precede LE Runtime
8. CICS – MCT is in error for remote DB2
9. RPG – fix for SOS since August 2013
10. Wrong SIT settings because a CICS/VSE 2.3 SIT was copied and
used with CICS/TS
11. ???
12. ???
Migration suggestions and
considerations
Reviewed the shipped default IBM DFHSIT for CICS/TS
Used the new CICS/TS default SIT as a model for Lake County
Reviewed the list of obsolete “SIT” parameters under CICS/TS
Specifically reviewed these SIT parameters for Lake County’s usage
CSDACC= (READWRITE/READONLY)
CSDRECOV
CWAKEY
DFLTUSER
DSALIM
EDSALIM
Migration suggestions and
considerations
Specifically reviewed these SIT parameters for Lake County’s usage… cont.
GRPLIST
ICV
ICVR
ISC (for DB2)
LEVSE
OPERTIM
PRGDLAY
PRTYAGE
RAPOOL
Migration suggestions and
considerations
Specifically reviewed these SIT parameters for Lake County’s usage… cont.
RENTPGM
RMTRAN
SEC
SECPRFX
TCPIP
TRTABSZ
TS
XPCT (for External Security Manager)
Migration suggestions and
considerations
If your migrating from MACRO table entries - Decide how resource groups should
defined: FCT entries
PCT entries
PPT entries
TCT entries
TYPTERMS
Device types:
3270
LU2
LU3
SCS Printers (different definitions)
Migration suggestions and
considerations
Decisions made:
Tried to keep “groups” small per recommendations
PCT & PPT Groups – based on application
FCT Groups – based on application
TCT – based on Departments and Branches
Attempted to keep Resources defined within a group to around 200 or
less (some exceptions)
Migration suggestions and
considerations
Used the batch utility DFHCSDUP
Due to the number of CICS systems that were being converted
Because we had used a standardized pattern in coding our MACRO tables
CICS systems were not all identical
Could easily write a VM REXX EXEC(s) to parse MACRO tables and create
standardized RDO entries
Self documenting RDO entries for conversion
Migration suggestions and
considerations
Used the batch utility DFHCSDUP
Relied heavily on Appendix C in the Resource Definition Guide:
Macro operand to RDO keyword
RDO keyword to Macro operand
Attempted to try and put as many standardized Lake County
requirements in the TYPTERM definitions, PROFILE definitions,
etc…
Used standard IBM definitions as models whenever possible
Migration suggestions and
considerations
Sharing a CSD
The Test z/VSE system supports 3 CICS/TS partitions
3 GRPLIST are specified in each CICS startup
VSELIST
(IBM supplied – unmodified)
LCLSTCOM
(Common Lake County)
LC….
(Unique to each CICS at Lake County)
Migration suggestions and
considerations
Sharing the CSD
Samples:
// EXEC DFHSIP,SIZE=DFHSIP,PARM='SIT=T5,APPLID=A05TCICS,START=AUTO,
*
DSALIM=7M,EDSALIM=68M,SI',DSPACE=2M,OS390
GRPLIST=(VSELIST,LCLSTCOM,LCTST5),
(DFHSIT CODING: CSDACC=READWRITE)
// EXEC DFHSIP,SIZE=DFHSIP,PARM='SIT=D3,APPLID=A03DCICS,START=AUTO,
*
DSALIM=7M,EDSALIM=68M,SI',DSPACE=2M,OS390
GRPLIST=(VSELIST,LCLSTCOM,LCDEV3),
(DFHSIT CODING: CSDACC=READONLY)
// EXEC DFHSIP,SIZE=DFHSIP,PARM='SIT=T6,APPLID=A06TCICS,START=AUTO,
*
DSALIM=7M,EDSALIM=175M,SI',DSPACE=2M,OS390
GRPLIST=(VSELIST,LCLSTCOM,LCTST6),
(DFHSIT CODING: CSDACC=READONLY)
Migration suggestions and
considerations
Constructed my own CICS/TS without ICCF pointing to the unique CSD, basically using
the recommendations in the Migration Guide for setting up a second CICS (unique
datasets, etc…)
Eliminated the BSM totally
Implemented our External Security Manager
Brought up my own CICS/TS
Migration suggestions and
considerations
Virtual Storage is cheap – roughly triple the size of your existing CICS/VSE 2.3 to start
Review all the SIT parameters
Review all MACRO definitions and new RDO keywords
Figure out the defaults and what’s required
Code requirements at the highest level possible
Standardize your RDO entries
Look at the shipped IBM entries and use as models
A CICS monitoring product helps and/or DFH0STAT
Become familiar with the additional facilities/transactions in CICS/TS
Recommended reading and
additional references
CICS TS Release Guide - GC33-1645-03
CICS TS Migration Guide – GC33-1646-02
CICS TS Resource Definition Guide – SC33-1653-06
CICS TS System Definition Guide – SC33-1651-05
CICS TS Customization Guide - SC33-1652-10
CICS TS Operations and Utilities Guide - SC33-1654-09
CICS TS Supplied Transactions - SC33-1655-04
Migration to VSE/ESA 2.4 and CICS Transaction Server for
VSE/ESA 1.1 – SG24-5595 and SG24-5624
Security on IBM z/VSE – SG24-7691
New Redbook (February 2014):
Enhanced networking on z/VSE – SG24-8091
Presentations from prior WAVV and IBM Tech Conferences
Questions / Fragen ?
We would like to thank the audiance for making it a memorable event
and our grandpas for making it possible ! *
*) during WWI one was reconnaissance and the other artillery