Preparing to access CICS resources from Z Data Tools

Z Data Tools can access files, transient data queues, or temporary storage queues defined to and owned by a CICS® subsystem.

Installation requirements for accessing CICS resources from Z Data Tools depend on the way in which Z Data Tools is being invoked. Z Data Tools can use ZDT/CICS to access CICS resources from the following environments:
  • CICS via the ZCC server
  • CICS via a batch job
  • TSO/ISPF
  • Batch JCL
CICS via the ZCC server
HFM3POPT specifies the option START=TASK, and ZDT/CICS is run from a CICS terminal via the CICS transaction defined in hlq.SHFMSAM1(HFMCINST). The CICS transaction communicates with the common server via the PORT and, optionally, the HOST address specified in HFM3POPT to spawn an address space to run Z Data Tools that communicates with the CICS transaction via TCP/IP. The spawned address space runs until the ZDT/CICS session is terminated.

The ZDT/CICS user interface is an ISPF-like interface which uses the ZCC feature called Interactive Panel Viewer (IPV) to display panels under CICS.

See Checklist for installing and customizing Z Data Tools to access CICS resources for the tasks that need to be completed.

CICS via a batch job
HFM3POPT specifies the option START=BATCH, and ZDT/CICS is run from a CICS terminal via the CICS transaction defined in hlq.SHFMSAM1(HFMCINST). The CICS transaction submits a batch job that executes a procedure based upon sample member hlq.SHFMSAM1(HFM3CICB) that runs Z Data Tools to communicate with the CICS transaction via TCP/IP. The batch job runs until the ZDT/CICS session is terminated.

The ZDT/CICS user interface is an ISPF-like interface which uses the ZCC feature called Interactive Panel Viewer (IPV) to display panels under CICS.

See Checklist for installing and customizing Z Data Tools to access CICS resources for the tasks that need to be completed.

TSO/ISPF
You can access CICS resources from a Z Data Tools ISPF invocation or keyword from REXX under ISPF. ISPF communicates directly with the CICS region to access its resources.

See Checklist for installing and customizing Z Data Tools to access CICS resources for the tasks that need to be completed.

Batch JCL
You can access CICS resources by executing Z Data Tools from batch JCL.

See Checklist for installing and customizing Z Data Tools to access CICS resources for the tasks that need to be completed.

There are a number of installation steps you need to perform to access CICS resources from Z Data Tools. Some of the steps are common regardless of the environment from which Z Data Tools is invoked, and others are specific to the environment. See Checklist for installing and customizing Z Data Tools to access CICS resources.

Before you can install and customize Z Data Tools to access CICS resources, you must have installed the Z Data Tools Base function. These topics assume you have installed Z Data Tools CICS component into the same target and distribution libraries as Z Data Tools Base function, with one exception: Z Data Tools CICS load modules are installed by default into HFM.SHFMMOD2, whereas Z Data Tools Base function and the other Z Data Tools component load modules are installed into HFM.SHFMMOD1.