Setting up CICS ONC RPC

CICS®ONC RPC allows client applications to access CICS programs by calling them as remote procedures using the ONC RPC format. Follow this information to set up CICS ONC RPC.

Clients

Clients must access servers on CICS ONC RPC over a TCP/IP network.

Client systems must use a library compatible with the library for ONC RPC Version 3.9, as this is the ONC RPC version supported by TCP/IP for MVS™ (Versions 2.2.1 and 3.1). To communicate over a TCP/IP network, appropriate hardware and software must be in place.

MVS
The following items are prerequisite, that is, must be installed on the MVS system for CICS ONC RPC to run.
  • TCP/IP for MVS Version 2.2.1 or above. TCP/IP for MVS ports must be made available for use by the CICS region involved.
  • Language Environment. This provides the C runtime libraries that are a prerequisite for running CICS ONC RPC.
  • If you are using RPCGEN, or writing your own XDR routines, you need a C compiler to compile RPCGEN output and your XDR routines.
CICS

CICS must be set up for Language Environment support.

Note: TCP/IP for MVS CICS Sockets is not a prerequisite for CICS ONC RPC.
TCP/IP for MVS

CICS ONC RPC and TCP/IP for MVS CICS Sockets Version 2.2.1 cannot operate together from one CICS region to one TCP/IP for MVS region. You are advised to run CICS Sockets and CICS ONC RPC in different CICS regions.

TCP/IP for MVS Version 3.1 users do not have this problem; CICS Sockets and CICS ONC RPC can both be run from the same CICS region.

TCP/IP for MVS 2.2.1

There are no prerequisites for running CICS ONC RPC.

Note: CICS ONC RPC and TCP/IP for MVS CICS Sockets Version 2.2.1 cannot operate together from one CICS region to one TCP/IP for MVS region. You are advised to run CICS Sockets and CICS ONC RPC from different CICS regions.
TCP/IP for MVS 3.1
The following PTF is a prerequisite for running CICS ONC RPC:
  • A PTF, number UN79963, related to the use of the xdr_text_char XDR library function.
Note: CICS ONC RPC and TCP/IP for MVS CICS Sockets Version 2.2.1 cannot operate together from one CICS region to one TCP/IP for MVS region. You are advised to run CICS Sockets and CICS ONC RPC from different CICS regions.
Storage requirements

Except where otherwise noted, the storage used by CICS ONC RPC is obtained from CICS subpools.

When CICS ONC RPC is enabled, its storage requirements are as follows:
  • 40 KB base storage
  • 100 bytes for each registered 4-tuple.
For each client request being processed the following storage is required:
  • MVS-controlled storage used by the inbound XDR routine for internal data structures
  • Storage used by the inbound XDR routine for the data structure it builds for the Decode function
  • Storage for the CICS program communication area
  • Storage used by the alias transaction while running the CICS program
  • Storage used by the Encode function to create a data structure for the outbound XDR routine
  • MVS-controlled storage used by the outbound XDR routine