Connectivity with non-CICS systems
CICS applications can communicate with non-CICS systems in peer-to-peer and client/server configurations, using industry-standard networking protocols.
Client/server and peer-to-peer are computing configurations in which a pair of programs, or nodes, communicate across a network. The difference between the two configurations is the relationship between the nodes:
- In a client/server configuration, each node has a different role: the client sends data requests to a server and the server returns the requested information to the client.
- In a peer-to-peer configuration, both nodes have equal roles, merging the roles of clients and server.
CICS can interoperate with non-CICS systems in peer-to-peer or client/server configurations using the following protocols:
TCP/IP
TCP/IP is a family of communication protocols used to connect computer systems in a network. It is named after two of the protocols in the family: Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP). CICS programs can communicate over TCP/IP using the UNIX socket interface or application layer protocols.
Web services protocols
CICS provides comprehensive support for Web services. A CICS program can participate in a Web services environment as a service requester, as a service provider, or as both. CICS programs can interoperate with other Web services implementations.
HyperText Transfer Protocol
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is an application layer member of the TCP/IP family of protocols. A program running in a CICS region can use HTTP in the role of server or client. As a server, CICS supports Atom formats and protocols.
Systems Network Architecture
CICS can connect to other systems using Systems Network Architecture (SNA) protocols, including advanced program-to-program communication (APPC).
Remote procedure call (RPC)
Client applications that support the Open Network Computing Remote Procedure Call (ONC RPC) or Distributed Computing Environment / Remote Procedure (DCE/RPC) can make remote procedure calls to invoke a CICS program.
Subtopics
External interfaces for initiating transactions
CICS provides a number of interfaces for submitting transaction requests to a CICS region from outside the CICS environment.
CICS and web services
CICS Transaction Server for z/OS® provides comprehensive support for web services.
Web services architecture
The web services architecture is based on interactions between three components: a service provider, a service requester, and an optional service registry.
SOAP
SOAP is a protocol for the exchange of information in a distributed environment. SOAP messages are encoded as XML documents and can be exchanged using various underlying protocols.
How CICS supports web services
CICS supports two different approaches to the deployment of your CICS applications in a web services environment. One approach enables rapid deployment, with the least amount of programming effort; the other approach gives you complete flexibility and control over your web service applications, using code that you write to suit your particular needs. Both approaches are underpinned by an infrastructure consisting of one or more pipelines and message handler programs that operate on web service requests and responses.
SOAP
Origin: https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SSGMCP_5.1.0/com.ibm.cics.ts.productoverview.doc/concepts/Connectivity.html
