XCFGROUP

The XCFGROUP system initialization parameter specifies the name of the cross-system coupling facility (XCF) group to be joined by this region.

XCFGROUP={DFHIR000|name}

The group name must be eight characters long, padded at the end with blanks if necessary. The valid characters are A-Z 0-9 and the national characters $ # and @. To avoid using the names IBM uses for its XCF groups, do not begin group names with the letters A through C, E through I, or the character string SYS. Also, do not use the name UNDESIG, which is reserved for use by the system programmer in your installation.

It is recommended that you use a group name beginning with the letters DFHIR.

You can specify XCFGROUP on the SIT macro or as a SYSIN override. You cannot specify it as a console override.

Each CICS region can join only one XCF group, which happens when it signs on to CICS interregion communication (IRC). The default XCF group is DFHIR000.

XCF groups allow CICS regions in different MVS images within the same sysplex to communicate with each other across multi-region operation (MRO) connections.

Note: Regions in the same MVS image too, can communicate with each other using MRO, but this does not require a coupling facility. The only situation in which CICS regions in the same MVS image cannot communicate via MRO is when they are members of different XCF groups.

For introductory information about XCF/MRO, and instructions on how to set up XCF groups, see Cross-system multiregion operation (XCF/MRO).

For information on how resource security can provide a further level of security to transaction security, see Resource security for transactions.