Understanding CICS Resources General concepts for z/OS and z/VSE

Products

• Datacom/DB

Issue/Introduction

When installing various Broadcom products that utilize CICS components, you may encounter documentation that uses different terminology related to CICS resources.

This article serves as an introduction for those looking to understand the fundamental concepts of CICS and the different types of CICS resources.

Environment

z/OS and z/VSE

Resolution

CICS may seem complex, but it’s really just a collection of simple processes working together. A basic understanding of these processes will make installing Datacom CICS Services and other CICS applications much easier. Don’t worry about becoming an expert; even long-time professionals may not know everything. If something’s unclear, just ask—we’re here to help.

Even if you're using z/VSE, I recommend visiting the IBM z/OS CICS pages for a general understanding. The content is a bit more user-friendly and will give you a solid grasp of the concepts, even though some z/OS-specific features won’t apply to your system.

Start with the CICS Fundamentals page (z/OS), which links to other resources. For example, "How it Works: CICS Resources" explains CICS resources and their setup with RDO, which stands for Resource Definition Online. "What is a CICS Application?" helps you understand how CICS components fit into an application. "Monitoring Your CICS Workload" is z/OS-focused but offers useful concepts for your system. Most of the other links can be skipped for now.

Once you have the basics, dive into the z/VSE documentation. These manuals tend to assume more familiarity with the fundamentals, so having the foundational knowledge will help. Bookmark the z/VSE PDF library—it's a treasure trove of information, although finding the right details can be time-consuming.

For application programming, refer to the Application Programming Guide and the Reference. Systems programmers should explore the Customization Guide to learn about exits and how to intercept CICS processing. While you may not need this right away, it’s good to know. If problems arise, the Messages and Codes and Problem Determination Guide are invaluable. 

Since the initial question was about resources, the Resource Definition Guide will provide in-depth details on individual CICS resources like programs and transactions. This is especially helpful when reviewing changes between software versions.

Overall, these z/OS and z/VSE resources should give you a solid foundation for working with CICS components and supporting different CICS applications. 

Additional Information

As always, please contact Broadcom support for Datacom if you have further questions on Datacom CICS Services or its installation and upgrade processes.