Verifying the operation of CICS web support

Sample programs DFH$WB1A (Assembler) and DFH$WB1C (C) help you to test that CICS® web support is working. The sample programs use EXEC CICS WEB and EXEC CICS DOCUMENT commands to receive your request and construct and send a simple response.

About this task

You can access DFH$WB1A or DFH$WB1C using the supplied sample URIMAP resource DFH$URI1. The URIMAP resource points to DFH$WB1A, so to access DFH$WB1C, modify the resource to point to DFH$WB1C. You can also access DFH$WB1A or DFH$WB1C using the CICS-supplied sample analyzer program DFHWBADX.

If you plan to use CICS as an HTTP client, the CICS-supplied sample programs for pipelining client requests work with a CICS region that has DFH$WB1A and DFH$URI1 set up.

The sample programs construct HTTP responses in this way: 
DFH$WB1A on system applid successfully invoked through CICS web support
where applid is the applid of the CICS system in which CICS web support is running.

To run the sample programs:

Procedure

  1. Modify and install the sample TCPIPSERVICE definition HTTPNSSL, which is provided in group DFH$SOT. The CICS-supplied sample analyzer program DFHWBADX is specified in the TCPIPSERVICE definition. You might have to change the following options:
    1. PORTNUMBER: HTTPNSSL uses port 80, the well-known port number for HTTP. If port 80 is not reserved for the use of CICS, specify another port belonging to z/OS® Communications Server that you have reserved for the use of CICS.
    2. HOST or IPADDRESS: HTTPNSSL does not specify an IP address, so this option defaults to the IP address corresponding to the default z/OS Communications Server TCP/IP stack. This situation is the most typical. If you have multiple TCP/IP stacks in your z/OS image, and you want to use a nondefault stack, specify the IP address corresponding to that stack.
  2. Optional: If you want to use the sample program DFH$WB1C:
    1. Install the PROGRAM resource for DFH$WB1C, which is provided in the DFH$WEB resource definition group.
      The PROGRAM resource definition for DFH$WB1A is in the DFHWEB resource definition group, which is already installed as part of DFHLIST.
    2. If you want to use a URIMAP resource, modify the sample URIMAP definition DFH$URI1 to point to DFH$WB1C and install the resource.
      The sample resource is in the DFH$WEB group.
  3. At a web browser, enter a URL that connects to CICS web support, using the following URL components:
    Scheme
    HTTP
    Host
    The host name assigned to the z/OS image. If you do not know the host name, you can use the dotted decimal IP address from the HTTPNSSL TCPIPSERVICE definition. If you do not specify the IP address explicitly, it is filled in by CICS, and you can view it in the installed TCPIPSERVICE definition.
    Port number
    The port number specified in the TCPIPSERVICE definition. If the number is 80, you do not have to specify it explicitly.
    Path
    • To access DFH$WB1A, use the path /CICS/CWBA/DFH$WB1A
    • To access DFH$WB1C, use the path /sample_web_app, if you have installed the sample URIMAP definition, or the path /CICS/CWBA/DFH$WB1C, if you want to use the sample analyzer program instead.
  4. Optional: When you are satisfied that CICS web support is working, you can discard the sample TCPIPSERVICE definition HTTPNSSL and disable the URIMAP definition DFH$URI1.
    You can replace HTTPNSSL with your own TCPIPSERVICE definition later on.