Introduction

This article is part of a series of IBM ® VisualAge® for Java™ CCF to WebSphere® Studio J2C migration articles that describe the typical activities for migrating CCF CICS® ECI, IMS™, or WebSphere MQ into J2C applications. This series includes the following articles:

• CCF to J2C migration: Part 2: Overview of migrating VisualAge for Java CCF applications into WebSphere Studio J2C applications
• CCF to J2C migration: Part 3: Migrating VisualAge for Java CCF CICS-ECI applications into WebSphere Studio J2C CICS-ECI applications
• CCF to J2C migration: Part 4: Migrating VisualAge for Java CCF IMS applications into WebSphere Studio J2C IMS applications
• CCF to J2C migration: Part 5: Migrating of VisualAge for Java CCF MQ applications into WebSphere Studio J2C JMS applications

Back to top

WebSphere Application Server V5.1 CCF announcement

As described by this IBM announcement, the VisualAge for Java Common Connector Framework (CCF) has been replaced by the industry-standard Java Connector Architecture (J2C) in WebSphere Application Server V5.1. CCF support will remain in WebSphere Application Server for migration purposes only until the end-of-service date for V5.1. CCF support in WebSphere Application Server V5.0 and V5.1 is intended to ease migration for customers moving from earlier WebSphere versions and is subject to the following conditions:

• The CCF support will not be enhanced in any way.
• Although CCF applications are supported in WebSphere Application Server V5, that does not imply any extension to the VisualAge for Java CCF tool end-of-service date of Dec. 31, 2003.
• Customers should migrate to J2C connectors at their earliest convenience.
• Customers should review the following support statements and development practices to determine the best migration approach.

Back to top

CCF support and development practices

• CCF support is intended for use in Web applications. Use of CCF in Enterprise JavaBean (EJB) applications has not been tested and is not supported.
• CCF is non-managed application code and is unknown to WebSphere Application Server:
  • WebSphere Application Server provides no support for recovery and cleanup of CCF-related resources.
  • There is no transactional coordination between CCF+CICS+CTG provided by the run time.
  • There is no transactional coordination between CCF+IMSConnect+IMS provided by the run time.
• z/OS® considerations:
  • z/OS CTG is in local mode. All CCF requests must be non-extended (that is, ECIInteractionSpec property CICSELUW=False).
  • WebSphere Application Server z/OS, V5 does not provide the support to manage run-time context that was provided with WebSphere Application Server z/OS, V3.5 SE. As is the case for WebSphere Application Server V5 Distributed, you must create and manage you own run-time context.
  • z/OS security identity and system identity behavior changed between V3.5 and V5, and applications must change accordingly (this is not CCF-specific). z/OS may provide a synch-to-thread capability similar to V3.5 to help address this difference.
• Building CCF applications within VisualAge for Java -- only Enterprise Edition V3.5.3 or V4.0 are supported:
  • Application source code must have the correct connector framework import statements (CCF=com.ibm.connector.*, JCA=com.ibm.connector2.*)
  • Applications must build using the latest CCF library JAR files (eabl*ib.jar, recjava.jar, ccf.jar) shipped with VisualAge for Java.
  • Applications must build using the latest connector library JAR files (imsconn.jar, ctgclient.jar, hod50connector.jar) shipped with VisualAge for Java.
  • Importing CCF-generated source code into WebSphere Studio and rebuilding (with the newer JDK level compiler) usually works, but it has not been tested and is not supported.
• Running deployed CCF applications on WebSphere Application Server V5:
  • Each deployed CCF application must have the supported CCF library JAR files and any required connector library JAR files in its run-time classpath.
    • The CCF library JAR files must be the versions shipped with WebSphere Application Server V5.
    • Applications must not package the connector library JAR files from VisualAge for Java within the deployed application.
    • The run-time connector library JAR files must match the supported versions listed below, and come from their connector product.
  • CICS CTG CCF applications must connect to CTG V5 at the same or higher level. Only CTG V5.01 or V5.1 (when available), are supported. Only ECIRequest is supported, not EPIRequest.
  • IMS CCF applications: only IMS Connect V1.2 or later is supported.
  • HOD CCF applications: only HOD V5.0.4 is supported.
  • SAP CCF applications: only Versions 3.1i up to 4.6a (except 4.0a) are supported.
• Running CCF applications within the VisualAge for Java WebSphere Test Environment (WTE):
  • It is best to run CCF applications on WebSphere Application Server V5, but you may continue to run (unit test) them within the VisualAge for Java WTE.
  • If you have problems connecting or executing using the older WTE connector libraries, you may need to debug the application on a WebSphere Application Server V5 staging server, using the WebSphere Studio Application Developer Integrated Edition V5 remote debugger to attach and debug the application on that staging server.
• Any application migrating from older versions to WebSphere Application Server V5 may require non-CCF changes due to J2EE (JSP, servlet, EJB) or server API changes.

Back to top

CCF and J2C enterprise application (EAR) limited coexistence

• On WebSphere Application Server z/OS, CCF applications and J2C applications must run on separate WebSphere Application Server z/OS servers. You can run two WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment servers (one CCF, one J2C) in the same z/OS LPAR.
• On WebSphere Application Server Distributed, independent CCF application EAR files and J2C application EAR files can run on the same WebSphere Application Server machine.
• Do not mix CCF and J2C within the same enterprise application (EAR file) or Web application (WAR file). Mixing CCF and J2C in the same application (EAR or WAR file) has not been tested and is not supported.

Back to top

Conclusion

The CCF support on WebSphere Application Server V5.0 and V5.1 is intended to ease migration from earlier WebSphere Application Server versions. Many CCF applications should continue to run without any CCF changes (although other J2EE or API changes may be required), but you should migrate them to J2C applications as soon as possible.

About the authors

Ellen Matheson McKay is an Information Developer for IBM Canada Ltd. She writes online help and publications for WebSphere Studio Application Developer.

Barry Searle is the Migration Team Leader for WebSphere Studio Application Developer. He is a Professional Engineer who has worked at the IBM Canada Lab for over ten years on various application development tools. Prior to that he had many years of industry experience developing command and control systems and leading communications development projects.

Comments (Undergoing maintenance)

Back to top

Trademarks  |  My developerWorks terms and conditions

Table of contents

• Introduction
• WebSphere Application Server V5.1 CCF announcement
• CCF support and development practices
• CCF and J2C enterprise application (EAR) limited coexistence
• Conclusion
• About the authors
• Comments

Next steps from IBM

• Try: WebSphere Application Server
• Webcast: Using Rational Application Developer with WebSphere Application Server to increase productivity
• Briefing: Building SOA solutions and managing the service lifecycle
• Buy: WebSphere Application Server

My developerWorks community

Dig deeper into WebSphere on developerWorks

Rate a product. Write a review.

Write a review for Rational products today!

Special offers