Master CICS with Cics Handbook by Yukihisa Kageyama: A Comprehensive and Practical Guide (PDF)
Cics Handbook Kageyama Pdf: A Comprehensive Guide for CICS Programmers
If you are a CICS programmer, application programmer, or system analyst, you probably know how complex and powerful CICS is. CICS stands for Customer Information Control System, and it is a transaction processing system that runs on IBM mainframes. CICS allows you to create and manage online applications that can handle thousands of transactions per second, interact with multiple databases, and communicate with other systems.
Cics Handbook Kageyama Pdf
But how do you master CICS? How do you learn all the facets of this system and use them effectively in your projects? How do you keep up with the latest developments and best practices in CICS?
One way to answer these questions is to read Cics Handbook by Yukihisa Kageyama. This book is a comprehensive reference for CICS programmers that covers every major concept in CICS and illustrates it with usable programs or subroutines. It is the most complete reference available to programmers who want to understand and use CICS.
In this article, we will give you an overview of what Cics Handbook by Yukihisa Kageyama covers, and how you can get the PDF version of this book for free. We will also explain some of the basic concepts of CICS, such as its architecture, commands, program structure, application development, system administration, and more. By the end of this article, you will have a better understanding of what CICS is and how to use it effectively.
CICS Basics
Before we dive into the details of Cics Handbook by Yukihisa Kageyama, let's review some of the basic concepts of CICS that you need to know as a programmer.
CICS architecture and components
CICS is a complex system that consists of several components that work together to process transactions. The main components of CICS are:
CICS region: A logical unit of work that runs one or more CICS applications. A region can be divided into multiple tasks that execute concurrently.
CICS terminal: A device that allows users to interact with CICS applications. A terminal can be a physical device (such as a keyboard or a printer) or a logical device (such as a web browser or a mobile app).
CICS transaction: A unit of work that performs a specific function in response to a user request. A transaction consists of one or more programs that execute in sequence or in parallel.
CICS program: A set of instructions that performs a specific task within a transaction. A program can be written in various languages, such as COBOL, PL/I, Assembler, Java, or C.
CICS resource: An entity that is used by or managed by CICS, such as files, databases, queues, web services, terminals, transactions, programs, etc.
CICS uses a client-server architecture, where the CICS region acts as the server and the CICS terminal acts as the client. The communication between the client and the server is based on messages that contain information about the user request and the transaction to be executed. CICS also uses a modular architecture, where each component has a specific function and can be replaced or updated independently.
CICS commands and syntax
As a CICS programmer, you need to know how to use CICS commands to interact with CICS resources and perform various functions. CICS commands are statements that follow a specific syntax and can be embedded in your program code or entered interactively from a terminal.
The syntax of a CICS command consists of three parts:
Command name: A keyword that identifies the function to be performed, such as SEND, RECEIVE, READ, WRITE, etc.
Option list: A list of parameters that specify the details of the function, such as the name of the resource, the mode of operation, the error handling, etc.
End-of-command indicator: A character that marks the end of the command, such as a period (.) or a semicolon (;).
For example, the following command sends a message to a terminal:
SEND TEXT FROM (MESSAGE) ERASE END-EXEC.
In this command, SEND is the command name, TEXT FROM (MESSAGE) ERASE is the option list, and END-EXEC. is the end-of-command indicator. The option list indicates that the message to be sent is stored in a variable named MESSAGE and that the terminal screen should be erased before displaying the message.
CICS program structure and logic
A CICS program is a set of instructions that performs a specific task within a transaction. A CICS program can be written in various languages, such as COBOL, PL/I, Assembler, Java, or C. However, regardless of the language used, a CICS program follows a common structure and logic.
The structure of a CICS program consists of four parts:
Identification: A section that identifies the program name, author, date, description, etc.
Data division: A section that defines the data items used by the program, such as variables, constants, arrays, structures, etc.
Procedure division: A section that contains the executable code of the program, divided into paragraphs or sections.
End-of-program indicator: A statement that marks the end of the program code.
The logic of a CICS program consists of three steps:
Initialization: A step that performs any necessary initialization tasks before processing transactions, such as allocating memory, opening files, setting variables, etc.
Transaction processing: A step that performs the main function of the program in response to user requests. This step usually involves receiving input from terminals or other programs, processing data using CICS commands or other logic, and sending output to terminals or other programs.
Termination: A step that performs any necessary termination tasks after processing transactions, such as releasing memory, closing files, logging errors, etc.
The following is an example of a simple CICS program written in COBOL that displays a greeting message to a terminal:
IDENTIFICATION DIVISION. PROGRAM-ID. GREETING. AUTHOR. YUKIHISA KAGEYAMA. DATE-WRITTEN. 1989-12-01. DATA DIVISION. WORKING-STORAGE SECTION. 01 MESSAGE PIC X(20) VALUE 'HELLO WORLD'. PROCEDURE DIVISION. INITIALIZATION-PARAGRAPH. EXEC CICS HANDLE CONDITION ERROR(ERROR-PARAGRAPH) END-EXEC. TRANSACTION-PROCESSING-PARAGRAPH. EXEC CICS RECEIVE MAP('GREETING') END-EXEC. EXEC CICS SEND TEXT FROM (MESSAGE) ERASE END-EXEC. EXEC CICS RETURN END-EXEC. TERMINATION-PARAGRAPH. STOP RUN. ERROR-PARAGRAPH. DISPLAY 'AN ERROR OCCURRED'. GO TO TERMINATION-PARAGRAPH. END PROGRAM GREETING.
CICS Application Development
CICS Application Development
Now that we have covered some of the basic concepts of CICS, let's see how Cics Handbook by Yukihisa Kageyama can help you with CICS application development. CICS application development involves designing and programming online applications that can handle user requests and transactions using CICS resources and commands.
CICS application design and programming techniques
One of the most important aspects of CICS application development is the design of the application. A good design can make your application more efficient, reliable, secure, and user-friendly. Cics Handbook by Yukihisa Kageyama provides you with various techniques and guidelines for designing CICS applications, such as:
Modular design: A technique that divides your application into smaller and independent modules that can be reused and maintained easily.
Top-down design: A technique that starts with defining the overall objectives and functions of your application, and then breaks them down into smaller and more detailed tasks.
Structured design: A technique that organizes your application into a hierarchy of levels, where each level performs a specific function and communicates with other levels using well-defined interfaces.
Pseudo-conversational design: A technique that simulates a conversational interaction between the user and the application, where the application releases the control after each user request and regains it when the user responds.
Screen design: A technique that designs the layout and appearance of the terminal screens that display the input and output of your application.
In addition to design techniques, Cics Handbook by Yukihisa Kageyama also provides you with various programming techniques for writing CICS programs, such as:
Error handling: A technique that detects and handles any errors or exceptions that may occur during the execution of your program, such as invalid input, resource unavailability, system failure, etc.
Synchronization: A technique that ensures that multiple tasks or programs that access the same resource do so in a consistent and orderly manner, without causing any conflicts or inconsistencies.
Recovery: A technique that restores your program or application to a consistent state after an error or failure occurs, without losing any data or transactions.
Auditing: A technique that records and tracks the activities and events that occur during the execution of your program or application, such as user requests, transactions processed, errors encountered, etc.
Testing: A technique that verifies and validates the functionality and performance of your program or application, using various tools and methods such as debugging, tracing, monitoring, etc.
CICS file handling and database access
Another important aspect of CICS application development is the file handling and database access. File handling and database access involve reading and writing data from various sources such as files, databases, queues, web services, etc. Cics Handbook by Yukihisa Kageyama provides you with various commands and techniques for file handling and database access in CICS, such as:
CICS file commands: A set of commands that allow you to access files in various formats such as sequential, relative, indexed-sequential, etc. using CICS file control facilities. Some of these commands are READ, WRITE, REWRITE, DELETE, STARTBR (start browse), READNEXT (read next), READPREV (read previous), ENDBR (end browse), etc.
CICS database commands: A set of commands that allow you to access databases in various formats such as VSAM (Virtual Storage Access Method), DB2 (Database 2), IMS (Information Management System), etc. using CICS database control facilities. Some of these commands are EXEC SQL (execute SQL statement), EXEC DLI (execute DLI statement), EXEC DL/I (execute DL/I statement), etc.
CICS queue commands: A set of commands that allow you to access queues in various formats such as transient data queues (TDQs), temporary storage queues (TSQs), intrapartition queues (IPQs), etc. using CICS queue control facilities. Some of these commands are WRITEQ TD (write to TDQ), READQ TD (read from TDQ), DELETEQ TD (delete from TDQ), WRITEQ TS (write to TSQ), READQ TS (read from TSQ), DELETEQ TS (delete from TSQ), etc.
CICS web service commands: A set of commands that allow you to access web services in various formats such as SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol), REST (Representational State Transfer), JSON (JavaScript Object Notation), etc. using CICS web service facilities. Some of these commands are INVOKE SERVICE (invoke a web service), INVOKE WEBSERVICE (invoke a web service), RECEIVE CONTAINER (receive a container), SEND CONTAINER (send a container), etc.
CICS intercommunication and web services
A third important aspect of CICS application development is the intercommunication and web services. Intercommunication and web services involve exchanging data and messages between different CICS regions or systems, or between CICS and other platforms or applications. Cics Handbook by Yukihisa Kageyama provides you with various commands and techniques for intercommunication and web services in CICS, such as:
CICS intercommunication commands: A set of commands that allow you to communicate with other CICS regions or systems using CICS intercommunication facilities. Some of these commands are LINK (link to another program), XCTL (transfer control to another program), RETURN TRANSID (return with a transaction identifier), START TRANSID (start a transaction identifier), RETRIEVE (retrieve data from another region or system), etc.
CICS web service commands: A set of commands that allow you to communicate with other platforms or applications using CICS web service facilities. Some of these commands are INVOKE SERVICE (invoke a web service), INVOKE WEBSERVICE (invoke a web service), RECEIVE CONTAINER (receive a container), SEND CONTAINER (send a container), etc.
CICS intercommunication techniques: A set of techniques that allow you to design and implement intercommunication solutions using CICS intercommunication facilities, such as distributed program link (DPL), distributed transaction processing (DTP), intersystem communication (ISC), etc.
CICS web service techniques: A set of techniques that allow you to design and implement web service solutions using CICS web service facilities, such as SOAP over HTTP, RESTful web services, JSON web services, etc.
CICS System Administration
The final aspect of CICS that we will cover in this article is the system administration. System administration involves defining, configuring, managing, and monitoring the CICS system and its resources. Cics Handbook by Yukihisa Kageyama provides you with various commands and techniques for system administration in CICS, such as:
CICS system definition and configuration
System definition and configuration involve defining the characteristics and parameters of the CICS system and its resources, such as regions, terminals, transactions, programs, files, databases, queues, web services, etc. Cics Handbook by Yukihisa Kageyama provides you with various tools and methods for system definition and configuration in CICS, such as:
CICS resource definition online (RDO): A tool that allows you to define and update the CICS resources using online screens or batch jobs.
CICS system definition facility (SDF): A tool that allows you to define and update the CICS system using online screens or batch jobs.
CICS configuration manager: A tool that allows you to manage the configuration of the CICS system and its resources using online screens or batch jobs.
CICS parameters: A set of parameters that specify the characteristics and behavior of the CICS system and its resources, such as region size, storage limits, security options, performance options, etc.
CICS resource management and security
Resource management and security involve managing the availability and accessibility of the CICS resources, such as regions, terminals, transactions, programs, files, databases, queues, web services, etc. Cics Handbook by Yukihisa Kageyama provides you with various commands and techniques for resource management and security in CICS, such as:
CICS resource control facility (RCF): A tool that allows you to control the status and operation of the CICS resources using online screens or batch jobs.
CICS resource management and security
Resource management and security involve managing the availability and accessibility of the CICS resources, such as regions, terminals, transactions, programs, files, databases, queues, web services, etc. Cics Handbook by Yukihisa Kageyama provides you with various commands and techniques for resource management and security in CICS, such as:
CICS resource control facility (RCF): A tool that allows you to control the status and operation of the CICS resources using online screens or batch jobs.
CICS resource security facility (RSF): A tool that allows you to define and enforce the security rules and policies for the CICS resources using online screens or batch jobs.
CICS resource management commands: A set of commands that allow you to manage the availability and accessibility of the CICS resources using CICS resource management facilities. Some of these commands are ENABLE (enable a resource), DISABLE (disable a resource), SET (set a parameter or an attribute), INQUIRE (inquire about a resource), etc.
CICS resource security commands: A set of commands that allow you to define and enforce the security rules and policies for the CICS resources using CICS resource security facilities. Some of these commands are PERFORM SECURITY (perform a security function), SIGNON (sign on to CICS), SIGNOFF (sign off from CICS), VERIFY PASSWORD (verify a password), etc.
CICS performance tuning and troubleshooting
Performance tuning and troubleshooting involve monitoring and improving the performance and reliability of the CICS system and its resources, such as regions, terminals, transactions, programs, files, databases, queues, web services, etc. Cics Handbook by Yukihisa Kageyama provides you with various tools and methods for performance tuning and troubleshooting in CICS, such as:
CICS performance analyzer: A tool that allows you to collect and analyze the performance data of the CICS system and its resources using online screens or batch jobs.
CICS trace facility: A tool that allows you to record and display the trace data of the CICS system and its resources using online screens or batch jobs.
CICS dump facility: A tool that allows you to capture and display the dump data of the CICS system and its resources using online screens or batch jobs.
CICS performance tuning techniques: A set of techniques that allow you to improve the performance of the CICS system and its resources using various methods such as tuning parameters, optimizing code, balancing workload, etc.
CICS troubleshooting techniques: A set of techniques that allow you to identify and resolve the problems or errors that may occur in the CICS system and its resources using various methods such as checking logs, analyzing dumps, tracing events, etc.
Conclusion
In this article, we have given you an overview of what Cics Handbook by Yukihisa Kageyama covers, and how you can get the PDF version of this book for free. We have also explained some of the basic concepts of CICS, such as its architecture, commands, program structure, application development, system administration, and more.
If you are