Data storage key for PLT programs

The content of the data storage key used by PLT programs depends on how the storage is obtained.

Storage can be obtained in the following ways:
  • Any working storage requested by the PLT program is in the key set by the TASKDATAKEY value of the transaction under which the PLT program is started. If PLT programs run during initialization (PLTPI programs), the transaction is always an internal CICS® transaction, in which case the TASKDATAKEY value is always CICS. For programs that run during shutdown (PLTSD programs), the setting depends on the transaction you use to issue the shutdown command. If you select the Shutdown option from the CICS Explorer® Regions operations view or issue the CEMT PERFORM SHUTDOWN command, the TASKDATAKEY value is always CICS. If you run a user-defined transaction, to start a program that issues an EXEC CICS PERFORM SHUTDOWN command, the TASKDATAKEY can be either USER or CICS.
  • PLT programs can use EXEC CICS commands to obtain storage by issuing:
    • Explicit EXEC CICS GETMAIN commands
    • Implicit storage requests as a result of EXEC CICS commands that use the SET option

    The default storage key for storage obtained by EXEC CICS commands is set by the TASKDATAKEY value of the transaction under which the PLT program is started, exactly as described for working storage.

    As an example, consider a transaction defined with TASKDATAKEY(USER) that causes a PLT shutdown program to be started. In this case, any implicit or explicit storage acquired by the PLT program with an EXEC CICS command is, by default, in user-key storage. However, on an EXEC CICS GETMAIN command, the PLT program can override the TASKDATAKEY option by specifying either CICSDATAKEY or USERDATAKEY.