Introduction to CICS control tables and macros

You can define most CICS® resources by using resource definition online (RDO), but for some resources you must use CICS macros.

You use macros to define:
  • Non-SNA networks
  • Non-SNA LUs
  • Non-VSAM files
  • Monitoring resources
  • System recovery resources

You must use resource definition online (RDO) for VSAM files, and to define programs, map sets, partition sets, queues, transactions, and profiles. You must also use RDO to define SNA LUs, and links and sessions with MRO (multiregion operation) and ISC (intersystem communication) systems. RDO is described in Resource definitions.

CICS is configured under your control during system initialization. You select a system initialization table (SIT) and, through it, CICS selects other control tables. Each control table is created separately and can be re-created at any time before system initialization. You prepare the required control tables by coding the appropriate macros. For each table, the macros automatically generate the necessary linkage editor control statements.

You might need to read about the following areas related to control tables:
  • The system initialization table (SIT), required for the system to be operational. Other tables are required only if you are using the corresponding CICS facilities. For details of the SIT, see Specifying CICS system initialization parameters.
  • The job control language (JCL) required for the control tables and how to link-edit and assemble the macro statements that you specify. See Defining resources in CICS control tables.
  • Whether CICS loads a table above or below 16 MB (also known as above the line or below the line). The CICS table macros contain linkage editor control statements that determines this. Table 1 shows whether specific tables are loaded above or below 16 MB.

The control tables that can be defined by macros are shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Control tables that can be defined by macros. The third column shows whether the table is loaded above or below the 16 MB line.
Control table Contents Above the line? Reference
Command list table (CLT) Sets of commands and messages for an XRF takeover. The command list table (CLT) is used for XRF (extended recovery facility). If you are using XRF, you must have a CLT; it is used only by the alternate CICS system. The CLT contains a list of commands that are passed to JES or MVS™ for execution. It also provides the authorization for canceling the active CICS system. Yes Command list table (CLT)
Data conversion table A data conversion table might be needed if the CICS system is using ISC to communicate with a member of the CICS family that runs on a hardware platform that does not use EBCDIC. The conversion table defines how data is to be changed from ASCII format at the workstation to EBCDIC format at the CICS host.   The DFHCNV macros used to create the table are described in Defining the conversion table.
DL/I directories (PDIR) Databases and program specification blocks. If you use CICS-IMS DBCTL (database control) exclusively to manage your CICS system's use of DL/I, you need not define the DL/I directory (PDIR) using CICS.

The PDIR is a directory of all the remote program specification blocks (PSBs) that are accessed by the CICS system.

If you function-ship requests to a remote database manager (remote DL/I), you need only one directory, the PDIR.

 No PDIR: DL/I directory
File control table (FCT) BDAM file definitions. The file control table (FCT) is retained to allow you to define BDAM files. No File control table (FCT)
Monitoring control table (MCT) Monitoring actions (data collection) to be taken at each user event monitoring point (EMP). Different actions can be specified for each monitoring class at each EMP. Yes Monitoring control table (MCT)
Program list table (PLT) A list of related programs. You may want to generate several PLTs to specify a list of programs that are to be executed in the initialization programs phase of CICS startup; executed during the first or second quiesce stages of controlled shutdown; or both, or enabled or disabled as a group by a CEMT ENABLE or DISABLE command. Yes Program list table (PLT)
Recoverable service table (RST) Sets of recoverable service elements. The recoverable service table (RST) is used for IBM® CICS IMS DBCTL (database control) support. If you are using XRF and DBCTL, you must have an RST: it is used by the active CICS system. The RST contains a list of recoverable service elements that define the DBCTL configuration. It defines which DBCTL CICS connects to. Yes Recoverable service table (RST)
System initialization table (SIT) Parameters used by the system initialization process. In particular, the SIT identifies (by suffix characters) the versions of CICS system control programs and CICS tables that you have specified are to be loaded.   See Specifying CICS system initialization parameters
System recovery table (SRT) A list of codes for abends that CICS intercepts.   System recovery table (SRT).
Temporary storage table (TST) Generic names (or prefixes) for temporary storage queues. CICS still supports the use of a TST in combination with or in place of TSMODEL resource definitions. You must use a TST if you have application programs that reference temporary storage data sharing queues by specifying an explicit SYSID on EXEC CICS temporary storage commands, or if a SYSID is added by an XTSEREQ global user exit program. You must also use a TST if you require the TSAGE attribute. For temporary storage queues where you do not require these functions, you can use TSMODEL resource definitions, which provide all other functions of the TST and some additional functions. Yes Temporary storage table (TST)
Terminal control table (TCT) Retained to define non- SNA LU networks. No Terminal control table (TCT)
Terminal list table (TLT) Sets of related terminals. The terminal list table (TLT) allows terminal or operator identifications, or both, to be grouped logically. A TLT is required by the supervisory terminal operation (CEST), to define and limit the effective range of the operation. It can also be used by a supervisory or main terminal operation (CEMT) to apply a function to a predetermined group of terminals. A TLT can be used, singly or in combination with other TLTs, to provide predefined destinations for message switching. No Terminal list table (TLT)
Transaction list table (XLT) Sets of logically related transaction identifications. A list of identifications that can be initiated from terminals during the first quiesce stage of system termination, or a group of identifications that can be disabled or enabled through the main terminal. Yes Transaction list table (XLT)