Association data
Association data is a set of information that describes the environment in which user tasks run and the way that user tasks are attached in a region. User tasks are tasks that are associated with user-defined transactions or with transactions that are supplied by CICS®. CEMT is an example of a user-initiated task that is typically started by an operator, and CSMI is an example of a task that is started by the system on behalf of a user-initiated transaction.
Association data is built during task attach processing and represents context information specific to the task itself; for example, the task ID, the user ID relating to the task, and the principal facility of the task. Association data can also include details about the origin of the task and the way it was started.
You can use CICS Explorer®, the CICSPlex SM WUI, or the INQUIRE ASSOCIATION and INQUIRE ASSOCIATION LIST commands to view association data. You can use the CICS Performance Analyzer (CICS PA) and the sample monitoring data print program, DFH$MOLS to report on association data. See Viewing association data for examples of the data.
- Adapter data
- Adapter data is a part of the origin data section of association data and can be defined and provided by an adapter from other software that introduces work into CICS. This data can include, for example, data to identify which adapter started the task. The adapter data can then be used to track the transactions started by the adapter. For information about using adapter data for tracking transactions, see Adapter tracking sample task-related user exit program (DFH$APDT).
- ApplData
- Association data uses socket application data (ApplData) for the socket that received the request to start the task. You can use the ApplData to correlate TCP/IP connections with the CICS regions and transactions that are using them. In TCP/IP, the ApplData information is available on the Netstat ALL/-A, ALLConn/-a, and COnn/-c reports, and can be searched with the APPLD/-G filter. See z/OS Communications Server: IP System Administrator's Commands for additional information about using ApplData with Netstat. The ApplData information is available in the SMF 119 TCP Connection Termination record. See z/OS Communications Server: IP Configuration Reference for additional information. The ApplData information is also available through the Network Management Interface. See z/OS Communications Server: IP Programmer's Guide and Reference for more information.
- Application context data
- Application context data is provided for CICS applications that are deployed on a platform. Application context data identifies the application, operation, application version, and the platform in which the application is running. To generate application context data, the application must have a declared set of application entry points, which define how other applications and users enter the application. CICS then adds application context data to each task at the point the application is entered. For information about using application context data, see Application context.
- Origin data
- Origin data is a section of association data that describes where the task was started (the point of origin). Origin data is created by a user task that is started when an external request arrives at a CICSplex. For information about origin data, see Origin data characteristics.
- Previous hop data
- Previous hop data is a section of association data that describes the remote sender of the request so that the request can be tracked back into the previous system. For information about previous hop data, see Previous hop data characteristics.
- Previous transaction data
- Previous transaction data is a section of association data that describes the local or parent task of a request to attach a task by a RUN TRANSID or START TRANSID command (when a new point of origin is not created). For information about previous hop data, see Previous transaction data characteristics.
- Task context data
- Task context data is a section of association data that provides information about the specific context of the user task that is being referenced.
- User correlation data
- User correlation data is a part of the origin data section of association data and is added by the XAPADMGR global user exit program. You can use the XAPADMGR exit to add user information at the point of origin of the interrelated transactions. For further information about using user information for tracking transactions, see Application association data exit in the AP domain (XAPADMGR).
Figure 1 represents how association data passes between tasks. Both previous hop counts and previous transaction counts are represented, with previous hop counts flowing horizontally between CICS regions, and previous transaction counts flowing vertically down within a CICS region. In this example, association data moves between regions using a combination of distributed program link (DPL) and function ship (FS).
