Preparing the environment for the CICSRequest node

Before you can use the CICSRequest node, you must configure IP InterCommunications (IPIC) protocol on the target CICS® Transaction Server for z/OS®.

Before you begin

Read CICS Transaction Server for z/OS connectivity for background information.

About this task

The CICSRequest node can send IPIC requests over TCP/IP to CICS Transaction Server for z/OS. Complete the following steps on CICS to perform this configuration:

Procedure

  1. Set the System Initialization (SIT) parameter TCPIP=YES.
  2. Define the TCP/IP address and host name for CICS. By default, they are defined in the PROFILE.TCPIP and TCPIP.DATA data sets.
  3. Add a TCP/IP listener to CICS by using the following CEDA command to define a TCPIPSERVICE resource in a group: 
    CEDA DEF TCPIPSERVICE(service-name) GROUP(group-name)

    Ensure that the group in which you define the service is in the GRPLIST system initialization parameter, so that the listener starts when CICS is started. Key fields are explained as follows:

    POrtnumber:
    The port on which the TCP/IP service listens.
    PROtocol:
    The protocol of the service is IPIC.
    TRansaction:
    The transaction that CICS runs to handle incoming IPIC requests. Set the field to CISS, which is the default.
    Backlog:
    The Backlog field is the number of TCP/IP connection requests are sent to CICS, which are placed in a TCP/IP queue to be assigned an IPCONN connection to CICS. The default value is 1. Do not use a value of 0; a value of 0 indicates that no TCP/IP connection requests are to be assigned an IPCONN connection to CICS, which disables incoming connection requests.
    Ipaddress:
    The IP address, in dotted decimal form, on which the TCPIPSERVICE resource listens. For configurations with more than one IP stack, specify ANY to make the TCPIPSERVICE resource listen on all addresses.
    SOcketclose:
    Whether CICS waits before closing the socket after issuing a receive for incoming data on that socket. To ensure that the connection from the CICSRequest node always remains open, set SOcketclose to NO for IPIC connections.
    SSl:
    Whether the CICS TCP/IP service is to use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol for encryption and authentication. Valid values are NO, YES, or CLIENTAUTH. Where:
    • NO indicates that SSL is not to be used.
    • YES indicates that the personal certificate of the CICS region must be trusted by IBM App Connect Enterprise.
    • CLIENTAUTH indicates that the personal certificate of the CICS region must be trusted by IBM App Connect Enterprise, and the IBM App Connect Enterprise personal certificate must be trusted by CICS.

      The CICSRequest node does not support a separate truststore, so the keystore file must provide both personal and signer certificates. For more information, see Securing the connection to CICS Transaction Server for z/OS by using SSL.

  4. Use the following command to install the TCPIPSERVICE definition: 
    CEDA INS TCPIPSERVICE(service-name) GROUP(group-name)