Setting up the EXCI channel and containers sample programs

The sample external CICS® interface programs are included on the CICS Transaction Server for z/OS® distribution tape. Resource definitions that support the EXCI sample programs are included in the CICS system definition file (CSD) in groups DFH$EXCI.

About this task

The sample programs, shown in Table 1, in source form in the version.CICS.SDFHSAMP library, where version is your version of CICS. For example, for CICS Transaction Server for z/OS, beta, this is CICSTS64.CICS.SDFHSAMP.

The sample assembler server program is also supplied in executable form in version.CICS.SDFHLOAD library, where version is your version of CICS. For example, for CICS Transaction Server for z/OS, beta, this is CICSTS64.CICS.SDFHLOAD.

The assembler client program is supplied in version.CICS.SDFHEXCI library, where version is your version of CICS. For example, for CICS Transaction Server for z/OS, beta, this is CICSTS64.CICS.SDFHEXCI.

Note: The resource definitions for the EXCI sample programs are included in the CSD but they are not included in the IBM®-defined group list DFHLIST. If CICS is initialized with GRPLIST=DFHLIST, you must install the EXCI resource definition groups before using the samples. Alternatively, you can add the sample groups to your startup group list, so that they are installed automatically at system initialization.

Procedure

  1. Install the following resource definition group:
    DFH$EXCI
    This contains definitions for the sample server transaction, server program, EXCI connections, and sessions.

    Only one server program is included—in assembler language, called DFH$AXNS.

    The sample application is designed to run the transaction EXCI, which is defined to invoke the DFHMIRS mirror program and references profile DFHCICSA. The required transaction definition for EXCI is included in the group.

    Sample CONNECTION and SESSIONS definitions for specific and generic connections are included.

    Note: Both the generic and specific connection definitions supplied in the sample group DFH$EXCI specify ATTACHSEC(IDENTIFY). This security option causes the server program DFH$AXNS to fail with an ATCY abend if you run the sample programs in an environment that does not have RACF® installed and active.

    If you want to run the external CICS interface sample programs without any security active, you must alter the connection resource definitions to specify ATTACHSEC(LOCAL).

  2. For transactions that are to be linked to from the batch program, specify the mirror program DFHMIRS as the program name in their transaction definitions.
  3. Ensure that interregion communication (IRC) is open.
    If IRC is not opened during CICS initialization, set it open using the CEMT SET IRC OPEN command.
  4. If you want to use the COBOL version of the EXCI client program, translate, compile, and link-edit the program into a suitable library by using the DFHZXTCL or DFHYXTVL procedure.