CS1N: IBM CICS tools plug-ins for use with the IBM CICS Explorer
Downloadable files
Abstract
Provides unsupported CICS tools plug-ins for the CICS Explorer, to support application configuration, application structure, and both performance and inter-dependency analysis.
Download Description
IBM recommends that you use the latest General Availability (GA) version of the CICS Explorer and CICS tools plug-ins for the CICS Explorer, available from the CICS Explorer Home page.
This SupportPac supports only CICS Explorer release V1.0.0.1, dated 31 July, 2009, available by clicking Continue on the IBM Support Fix Central Web site.
IBM CICS Explorer The IBM CICS Explorer is a new graphical tooling interface for CICS, providing significantly enhanced levels of usability and integration. The CICS Explorer enables you to create customizable task-oriented views. It is intended to act as the tooling integration point for the CICS runtime and to provide a rich set of CICS views, data, methods, and features that are easily extensible by IBM, vendors, and clients.
The CICS Explorer is available for use with both Microsoft Windows and Linux operating systems, and connects to CICS TS V3, and CICS TS V4.1.
Support from IBM CICS tools Selected IBM CICS tools complement and enrich the base data and tasks provided by the CICS Explorer with their own views, tasks, and data to support disciplines. These disciplines include things such as CICS performance analysis, application configuration, application structure, and inter-dependency analysis. IBM CICS tools support the CICS Explorer in the form of plug-ins and are available for the following CICS tools:
CICS Explorer SDK
A Software Development Kit (SDK) is available for the CICS Explorer. This SDK allows you to build plug-ins for the CICS Explorer to satisfy your own systems management and monitoring needs. The CICS Explorer SDK is available for use with CICS TS V3 and CICS TS V4.1. See http://www.ibm.com/software/htp/cics/explorer/
Following is an example of CICS tools plug-ins in use with the CICS Explorer:
The following image shows how the layout of the CICS tools plug-ins, integrated with CICS Explorer, can be customized to suit your requirements:
Example task-oriented layouts
Perform CSD Clean-up task, using CICS IA, CICSPlex Systems Management (SM)*, and CICS CM
Identify Business applications using CICS IA
Migrate to new regions using CICS CM
Perform governance operations using CICS PA, CICSPlex SM, and CICS CM
*Note: CICSPlex SM functionality is provided by the CICS Explorer.
Java™ Support
Each version of the CICS Explorer comes with an appropriate version of the IBM Java Runtime Environment:
IBM 32-bit Runtime Environment for Windows, Java 2 Technology Edition, V5
IBM 32-bit Runtime Environment for Linux on Intel architecture, Java 2 Technology Edition, V5
CICS Explorer Community and Forum
To find out more about the CICS Explorer and the community built around it, visit the following Web pages:
CICS Explorer Feedback
IBM would like to hear your views about the CICS Explorer and what you would like to see it deliver in future versions. To tell IBM about yourself and let IBM know what you think, contact the CICS Explorer team by e-mail.
Possible Uses
Enables broadly skilled technical staff to develop and manage CICS system configurations effectively.
Skill Level Required
Some knowledge of CICS Systems Administration is required.
Details of version 1.5
Version 1.5 of this SupportPac contains the latest set of fixes to reported problems since the last update at version 1.4. No new functionality is provided with this version. IBM recommends that you use this latest version.
Details of version 1.4
Version 1.4 of this SupportPac contains fixes to the latest set of problems reported to the CICS Explorer development team. No new functionality is provided with this latest version, over and above that already provided in earlier versions (see Detains of version 1.2 and 1.3 below).
Details of version 1.3
Version 1.3 of this SupportPac contains fixes to problems with functionality and performance that have been reported to the IBM CICS Explorer team over time. No new functionality is provided with V1.3, over and above that already provided in version 1.2 (see Details of version 1.2 below).
Details of version 1.2
Ability to create Resource Group definitions. A new Wizard dialog allows you to select a Resource Group definition from a pre-populated list, enter some basic details, then create that new resource. Additional information can be added using the supplier resource editor. New resources can be installed in one or more active CICS systems.
Ability to delete resources. A simple right-click is required to be offered the choice to delete the resource.
Performing actions against CICSPlex SM resources. For CICSPlex SM resources, the following actions can be performed: Install, Add to group, and Remove from group.
Ability to show orphaned groups. Orphaned groups can be searched, where the results are shown in the Search Results view. A right-click on a group will enable further options for querying the group.
New search options. A number of additional search options have been added, such as: The search tool can now be driven from the menu bar. A new menu option Show All Resources has been added. For CICSPlex SM configurations, a menu option is provided that displays searched resources found in more than one resource group. You can now search for similar resources in all resource definitions. You can now search for similar resources in all configurations for all resource definitions. You can now search for transactions using program for Program definitions.
New filter attributes. If you are connected to CICSPlex SM, then you can now choose how you want to filter your resources.
Provision of Command Flow Queries. The Command Flow Table can now be queried.
Provision of Natural Queries. New provided EXITs enable the capture of Natural program calls and ADABAS calls within the Natural environment. The data is then written to a new IBM DB2 table CIU_NATURAL_DATA.
Improvements to the Query editor filter. When creating or editing a query, the results can be filtered.
Details
Author: CICS Development, Hursley
Category: 2
Released: 5Nov08
Last updated: 31Jul09
Current Version: 1.5
Prerequisites
The following IBM products are required by this SupportPac, where multiple versions of each product listed below are compatible:
Licensees of CICS CM V1.2, CICS IA V2.2, and CICS PA V2.1 with a Service and Support subscription are entitled to download and use the most recent version of the CICS Explorer plug-in for each of the CICS tools listed above. Further details are available here: http://www.ibm.com/software/htp/cics/explorer/
Sample CICS PA data is shipped with this SupportPac (CS1N) permitting the CICS Explorer to demonstrate some CICS PA function. CICS PA is not required to be installed in order to use this sample data. However, if performance data is to be represented in the CICS Explorer, then CICS PA is a prerequisite.
The latest version of the CICS Explorer is incompatible with CICS IA V2.2, unless APAR PK87202 is applied, resulting in new database table formats. To use CICS IA V2.2 without the new database table formats you will have to use version V1.0.0.1 of the CICS Explorer and plug-in for CICS IA, available by clicking Continue on the IBM Support Fix Central Web site.
If you wish to connect theCICS IA V3.1 GA plug-in for the CICS Explorer todata captured byCICS IA V2.2, you should apply the PTF associated with APAR PK90803 to CICS IA V2.2. Note that when PTF for APAR PK90803 has been applied and the associated actions performed, you will not be able to use the stand-alone CICS IA Explorer that was originally supplied with CICS IA V2.2.
You can apply the PTF for OPEN APAR PK89809 (when available) to CICS IA V2.2 to provide DB2 jobs enabling CICS Explorer users to connect to a CICS IA V2.2 database. After this PTF has been applied and the CICS IA V2.2 database converted, then it will no longer be possible to use the stand-alone CICS IA Explorer provided with CICS IA V2.2. It will only be possible to connect using the CICS Explorer for CICS TS and the CICS IA V3.1 GA plug-in.
The stand-alone CICS IA Explorer should not be confused with the CICS Explorer that is supplied with CICS TS V3.x and CICS TS V4.1.
Installation Instructions
To download the SupportPac:
Click on the FTP link below and save the compressed file to your local machine.
Extract the saved file to a temporary directory on your target machine. This will create the necessary installation files.
Do not extract further the CICS tools plug-ins installation files, as these are used directly by the CICS Explorer installer.
Consult the CICS Explorer ReadMe document (link below) for details on how to install the plug-ins in the CICS Explorer.
Note: The CICS tools plug-ins support both the Microsoft Windows and Linux versions of the CICS Explorer.
The
CICS Explorer Forum provides a way of posting queries and raising problems related to this SupportPac. The forum can also be used to review information posted by other forum users. Before posting a query, you are encouraged to look through these previous postings.
Terms and Conditions
SupportPacs in this category are available at no charge to all licensees of the CICS family products on the platforms specified in the SupportPac description. These SupportPacs are provided "AS-IS" (under the terms and conditions of the IBM International License Agreement for Non-Warranted Programs and of the associated License Information and other documentation). The terms and conditions of this license DO NOT provide for any entitlement to defect correction.
To determine if you want to use this SupportPac, read the accompanying license file.
Other CICS SupportPacs
To view the complete portfolio of CICS SupportPacs, go to the
CICS SupportPacs Home Page
Cross Reference information
Segment
Product
Component
Platform
Version
Edition
Host Transaction Processing
CICS Configuration Manager
Capability
z/OS
2.1, 1.2
Host Transaction Processing
CICS Interdependency Analyzer
Capability
z/OS
2.2, 3.1
Host Transaction Processing
CICS Performance Analyzer
SupportPac
z/OS
3.1, 2.1
Copyright and trademark information
IBM, the IBM logo and ibm.com are trademarks of International Business Machines Corp., registered in many jurisdictions worldwide. Other product and service names might be trademarks of IBM or other companies. A current list of IBM trademarks is available on the Web at "Copyright and trademark information" at www.ibm.com/legal/copytrade.shtml.
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