The scope of a BTS-set
You can use the scope of a BTS-set to define the set of CICS® regions across which related BTS processes and activities can run.
All the regions in a BTS-set:
- Must be interconnected, to support routing of activities between the regions. This does not mean that the regions must be in the same CICSplex, but that each region in the BTS-set must be connected to every other region. For more information, see Understanding distributed routing.
- Must have access to the BTS repository data set (or data sets)
on which details of the relevant processes are stored. There are two methods of sharing the repository data set:
- Using VSAM record-level sharing (RLS). To use this method, all
the regions of the BTS-set must be within the same MVS Parallel Sysplex®. (A
Parallel Sysplex
is a sysplex in which the MVS images are linked through a coupling facility). VSAM RLS requires a coupling facility. Each region in the BTS-set must open the shared repository file or files in RLS mode. - Using function-shipping to a file-owning region (FOR).
- Using VSAM record-level sharing (RLS). To use this method, all
the regions of the BTS-set must be within the same MVS Parallel Sysplex®. (A
Within an MVS sysplex, it is possible to have multiple BTS-sets. For more information, see Figure 1. Imagine, for example, that within your sysplex you operate two CICSplexes. You could decide to divide your BTS processes by process-type, between the two CICSplexes. Alternatively, you could decide to set up two BTS-sets within the same CICSplex.
Using separate BTS-sets is a high-level form of workload separation. By definition, routing of activities between BTS-sets is not possible.