Downloading, installing, and starting CICS Explorer
You can install IBM® CICS Explorer® onto your workstation in many ways. You must upgrade CICS Explorer in accordance to how it was installed.
If you are unsure of which version to install or which installation method to use, read further.
You can install CICS Explorer in the traditional way to enjoy the full IBM support of CICS Explorer and other IBM-provided Eclipse tools, or from Eclipse Marketplace if you want to use a more recent Eclipse.
The name of IBM CICS Explorer for Aqua 1 indicates the version of the IBM Explorer for z/OS® (z/OS Explorer) platform it's based on. IBM CICS Explorer for Aqua 3.3 and IBM CICS Explorer for Aqua 3.2 include fix packs in the format of 5.5.x.
1 Aqua refers to IBM Explorer for z/OS Aqua.
Decide on a desired version of CICS Explorer
CICS Explorer is backwards compatible, so you can always install the latest fix pack available and connect it to any version of CICS® TS.
Table 2 shows the highest version of CICS TS that different versions of CICS Explorer can support.
| Eclipse | Platform | CICS Explorer for Aqua .zip files 2 | CICS Explorer Fix Pack |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-03 | Eclipse plug-in downloaded from Marketplace | Not applicable | 5.5.x |
| 2022-03 | Aqua 3.3 release train | 33.0.x | 5.5.x |
| 4.8 (Photon) | Aqua 3.2 release train | 32.0.x | 5.5.x |
2 When you download a ready-to-run CICS Explorer for Aqua .zip file, it includes z/OS Explorer and other Aqua release train components. The .zip file name is specific to the version of the Aqua release train and has a version number as shown in the CICS Explorer for Aqua .zip files column.
| CICS Explorer Fix Pack numbers | Supported CICS TS releases |
|---|---|
| 5.5.22 and later | Versions up to CICS TS 6.1 |
| 5.5.0.9—5.5.21 | Versions up to CICS TS 5.6 |
| 5.5.0.1—5.5.0.8 | Versions up to CICS TS 5.5 |
For more information, see z/OS Explorer, CICS Explorer, and CICS tools plug-ins release compatibility reference tables.
Install or upgrade?
If you use CICS Explorer for Aqua, you cannot directly upgrade from one Aqua version to another because the Eclipse platform underneath is different. Instead, you need to install a new copy of CICS Explorer, for example, when upgrading from CICS Explorer for Aqua 3.1 to CICS Explorer for Aqua 3.3. Within an Aqua version, you can upgrade CICS Explorer to get more recent fix packs in the same way as it was installed.
Before you begin
- Make sure that your operating system meets the system requirements as described on CICS Explorer Detailed System Requirements.
-
Before you install CICS Explorer, always read the CICS Explorer release notes for the latest information, including limitations and restrictions, about CICS Explorer.
- If you are already using CICS Explorer, you might want to back up its workspace before you upgrade CICS Explorer to a new release.
Choose an installation method
You can choose to install CICS Explorer through CICS Explorer for Aqua or from Eclipse Marketplace, depending on your needs.
- Installing CICS Explorer for Aqua
-
Why
- You want full IBM support for both CICS Explorer and the Eclipse platform.
- You want to use the full suite of the Eclipse tools provided by IBM, including IDz, other CICS tools, and so on, in addition to CICS Explorer.
- You use a stabilized version of Eclipse, that is, Eclipse 4.8 or earlier, or you use a macOS at Catalina or earlier.
The following table lists different ways of installing CICS Explorer for Aqua. If you already know which method to choose, go to Install Eclipse Tools for a quick download.
Notes:- The IBM CICS SDK for Enterprise Java™ (Liberty) is a separate feature that supports Liberty application development. You can either install it with CICS Explorer or add it later, as described for each method in the table.
- If you want to install an earlier release of CICS Explorer, go to Downloads for older releases of IBM Explorer for z/OS and IBM CICS Explorer and follow the instructions there.
- To install CICS Explorer for Aqua 3.3 or CICS Explorer for Aqua 3.2 on any of the MacOS releases since Catalina, you must follow instructions in this technote to bypass the security restrictions.
| Installation methods | Scenarios | How to install 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Installing a stand-alone CICS Explorer by using a CICS Explorer for Aqua .zip file | The quickest way to install CICS Explorer if you're
starting from scratch, that is, you don't have Eclipse or Installation Manager installed. It installs CICS Explorer as a stand-alone product. You must use the Eclipse p2 update site to install updates or additional features. |
Go to Install Eclipse Tools and follow the instructions there to
install. Choose Eclipse p2 as your installation client and
Starting from fresh as your starting point. The IBM CICS SDK for Enterprise Java (Liberty) 4 is not included in the compressed file. You must install it separately. |
| Installing CICS Explorer by using IBM Installation Manager | Install CICS Explorer either as a stand-alone product
or into an existing Installation Manager-based Eclipse instance. You must use Installation Manager to install updates or additional features. Note: To install CICS Explorer for Aqua 3.3, you must use IBM Installation Manager V1.9.2.3
or
higher.
|
Go to Install Eclipse Tools and follow the instructions there to
install. Choose IBM Installation Manager as your installation client. If you want to install the IBM CICS SDK for Enterprise Java (Liberty) 4 , you can select the feature during installation or install it later. |
| Installing CICS Explorer into existing Eclipse by using Eclipse p2 | Install CICS Explorer into an existing Eclipse
product. You must use the Eclipse p2 update site to install updates or additional features. |
Go to Install Eclipse Tools and follow the instructions there to
install. Choose Eclipse p2 as your installation client and
Extending an existing Eclipse instance as your starting point. If you want to install the IBM CICS SDK for Enterprise Java (Liberty) 4 , you can select the feature during installation or install it later. |
3 The instructions focus on scenarios where you use the public online repository for installation and updates. If you want to host an internal repository within your enterprise, choose Hosting an internal repository as your starting point in the wizard.
4 In Aqua 3.2, the SDK includes a subset of the WebSphere® Developer Tools (WDT) to support Liberty application development and enable export of OSGi application projects in EBA format. As of Aqua 3.3, the SDK does not support WDT anymore, but you can find alternative solutions in Consideration for OSGi applications when installing CICS Explorer.
- Installing CICS Explorer from Eclipse Marketplace
-
The Eclipse Marketplace portal is an online website that contain a variety of Eclipse-based solutions with simplified installation. You can install such solutions using the Eclipse Marketplace Client (MPC) either from Eclipse or from the website directly.
Why- You want to use or already have an Eclipse later than Eclipse 4.8.
- You need Java 11 or Java 17 support.
- You need the Liberty Developer Tools (LDT) to work with OSGi applications, which is not provided with CICS Explorer for Aqua 3.3.
- You need only CICS Explorer, not other Eclipse tools provided as a suite by IBM, such as IDz.
To install CICS Explorer from Eclipse Marketplace, you need to install an Eclipse client that is supported by the IBM CICS Explorer solution, for example, 2022-03. Then install CICS Explorer either by going to IBM CICS Explorer solution on the Eclipse Marketplace site, or by clicking from the Eclipse menu and searching on "ibm cics explorer". For instructions on how to install a solution from Eclipse Marketplace, see Eclipse Marketplace User Guide.
If you need to work with Enterprise Java applications, you also need to install the IBM CICS SDK for Enterprise Java (Liberty). If you need to work with OSGi applications, you need to install LDT in addition to the SDK. For instructions on how to install the SDK and LDT from Eclipse Marketplace, see Installing the IBM CICS SDK for Enterprise Java (Liberty).
Start CICS Explorer
To start CICS Explorer for Aqua, double-click the zosexplorer.exe file (zosexplorer on Linux® or macOS), in a subdirectory called zosexplorer. To start CICS Explorer on Eclipse Marketplace, start the Eclipse client it is installed into.
- Connection details for connecting to CICS systems or CICSPlex® SM WUI servers
- User IDs for accessing CICS systems or CICSPlex SM
- User-customized view and perspective information
- User files, for example bundled projects and text files that are created in the CICS Explorer Resource perspective.
By default, the workspace directory of CICS Explorer for Aqua is called .zosexplorer and is located in your local user directory. CICS Explorer on Eclipse Marketplace uses the workspace of the Eclipse it is installed into.
If you do not want to update your default workspace, start CICS Explorer with a different workspace by using the -data option to specify a new target path for the workspace. For example, to start CICS Explorer and create a new workspace in the location c:\my_cicsexplorer_workspace, use the following command:
C:\zosexplorer\zosexplorer.exe -data c:\my_cicsexplorer_workspaceTo start CICS Explorer with a different workspace by using a CICS Explorer shortcut, see Changing the CICS Explorer workspace location.