Sharing the CSD between different releases of CICS

You can share the CSD between different releases of CICS® so that common resource definitions are shared. When you update resource definitions, you must update the CSD from the highest release level, and you must consider the effect on obsolete resource attributes. Resource attributes become obsolete when they are not relevant to a new release of CICS.

You can find out changes to resource definitions, including in which release resource attributes are made obsolete, across in-service CICS TS releases in the Upgrading section in the CICS TS Knowledge Center for the most current CICS release. Navigate to Changes between releases > Changes to resource definitions.

You can also find out obsolete resource attributes on CEDx panels. Such attributes are displayed on CEDx panels as protected fields, which indicates that they are not supported by this release.

When you update resource definitions by using the ALTER command, any obsolete attributes on definitions are kept, so you can update resource definitions by using the current release without affecting obsolete attributes.

If you are sharing the CSD with CICS regions that are at an earlier release, you can update the obsolete attributes by removing the protection from the protected fields when in ALTER mode. To do this, use the F2 function key, which is the compatibility key (COM) on the CEDA or CEDB display panels. The F2 function key converts protected fields to unprotected fields that you can modify. If you want to use this protection removal facility to share common resource definitions between different release levels of CICS, you must update the CSD from the highest release level.

For information about using the CEDA and CEDB ALTER commands to update resource definitions in compatibility mode, see Resource management transaction CEDA commands.

You can also use the CSD utility program, DFHCSDUP, to update resources that specify obsolete attributes. You must specify the compatibility option, COMPAT or NOCOMPAT, on the PARM parameter of the EXEC PGM=DFHCSDUP statement. The default is NOCOMPAT, which means that the program does not update obsolete attributes. For more information, see Entry parameters for the DFHCSDUP program.