CICS Transaction Servers

CICS Transaction Server is IBM's general-purpose transaction processing software for z/OS. It is a powerful application server that meets the transaction-processing needs of both large and small enterprises. It builds on z/OS and System z facilities to provide high availability and scalability at a low cost per transaction; it supports large transaction volumes with a fast and consistent response time.
CICS Transaction Server provides these features and benefits:

• An environment for running transactions; CICS transaction server manages concurrency, sharing of resources, integrity of data, and prioritization of work.

• Support for business applications written in COBOL, C, C++, PL/I, Java, and Assembler, using an application programming interface that provides access to CICS services.

• Access by applications to data stored in DB2 and DL/I databases and in VSAM and BDAM data sets.

• Interoperation with WebSphere MQ and access to the Message Queue Interface from CICS application programs.

• Distribution of work between multiple CICS regions in a z/OS sysplex.

• Connectivity with non-CICS systems in client/server and peer-to-peer configurations.

• Interfaces for configuring and managing your CICS regions.

• Aids for debugging application programs, and for diagnosing problems in your system.

• Access to external data
  CICS supports access to external data in DB2 and DL/I databases and in VSAM and BDAM data sets.

• Access to external resource managers
  CICS applications can include commands that are processed by resource managers that are external to CICS. CICS uses an adapter to provide the connection between the application program and the resource manager.

• CICS topology
  You can distribute CICS applications and the resources they use between interconnected CICS regions. You can group CICS regions into CICS system groups and CICSplexes, and distribute regions across the z/OS systems in a sysplex.

• Connectivity with non-CICS systems
  CICS applications can communicate with non-CICS systems in peer-to-peer and client/server configurations, using industry-standard networking protocols.

• CICS configuration interfaces
  You can configure your CICS region and control its behavior by specifying system initialization parameters, by creating and installing resource definitions, and by writing user exits and user-replaceable programs.

• The IBM CICS Explorer
  The CICS Explorer™ is a system management tool that is designed to provide a simple, easy to use way of managing one or more CICS® systems. Based on an Eclipse platform, it provides functions to view and manage CICS Transaction Server regions and a platform for the integration of CICS Tools. CICS Explorer also provides an intuitive and secure way to view and edit z/OS® data sets and zFS files, submit JCL, and view output and job logs.

• Systems management programming interfaces
  CICS Transaction Server provides a family of programming interfaces that you can use to develop programs that manage your CICS regions and resources.

• Security
  CICS uses the services provided by an external security manager, such as RACF, to control access to application and system resources.

• Aids for debugging and troubleshooting
  CICS provides a number of aids for debugging your application programs, and for diagnosing problems in the system. These aids include support for workstation-based debugging tools, the execution diagnostic facility (EDF), messages, trace, and dump.

• Accessibility of CICS Transaction Server
  Accessibility features help a user who has a physical disability, such as restricted mobility or limited vision, to use software products successfully.