IBM CICS Transaction Gateway for z/os V6.1 adds support for two-phase commit with IBM WebSphere Application Server

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1 Software Announcement October 4, 2005 IBM CICS Transaction Gateway for z/os V6.1 adds support for two-phase commit with IBM WebSphere Application Server Overview IBM CICS Transaction Gateway (CICS TG) for z/os is a market-leading connector that is production proven over many years to be a high-performing, secure, scalable and tightly-integrated method of on demand access to CICS. Its benefits include ease of installation and flexible configuration that requires minimal changes to existing CICS applications. It offers a range of networking options for Java -based clients. CICS TG for z/os V6.1 provides XA transaction support. This enables CICS Transaction Server (CICS TS) for z/os to participate in a global two-phase commit transaction that is initiated in a distributed J2EE V1.4 application server, such as WebSphere Application Server V6.0. A global two-phase commit transaction ensures that integrity of data is maintained when updating multiple resources in a distributed transaction. This gives the assurance that the entire transaction will either completely commit or roll back. This transaction can be distributed across heterogeneous servers and operating environments. CICS TG for z/os V6.1 also provides four major enhancements to TCP/IP Reliability, Availability, and Serviceability (RAS): A load-balancing feature for XA transactions that enables a group of Gateways to act as one virtual end point for incoming TCP/IP requests, helping to maximize scalability and availability. An automatic TCP/IP subsystem reconnect feature that allows new TCP/IP connections to be made to the Gateway after a restart of the TCP/IP subsystem. This leads to improved availability and less operator intervention. An IP address binding feature that allows administrators to control which network interfaces can be used to connect to the Gateway, providing improved security and ease-of-network management. A connection time-out control feature that provides the option to specify a time-out duration on pending socket connection requests, giving improved recovery in the TCP/IP network. Key prerequisites z/os V1.4, or later IBM SDK for z/os, Java 2 Technology Edition, V1.4.2 CICS TS for OS/390 V1.3, or CICS TS for z/os V2.2 or V2.3, or CICS TS for z/os V3.1 WebSphere Application Server V6.0, or later Planned availability date November 11, 2005 At a glance CICS Transaction Gateway (CICS TG) for z/os V6.1 now provides global transactional integrity through support for the XA transaction standard. This delivers full two-phase commit transactional support from WebSphere Application Server on distributed platforms to CICS TS on z/os. In addition, CICS TG for z/os V6.1 provides four key enhancements to TCP/IP Reliability, Availability and Serviceability (RAS): TCP/IP load balancing for XA transactions Automatic TCP/IP subsystem reconnect IP address binding Socket connection time-out control For ordering, contact: Your IBM representative or the Americas Call Centers at 800-IBM-CALL Reference: LE001 This announcement is provided for your information only. For additional information, contact your IBM representative, call 800-IBM-4YOU, or visit the IBM home page at: IBM United States IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation

2 Description CICS TG enables you to exploit your CICS applications in comprehensive and sophisticated J2EE and Web services solutions hosted on powerful application servers, such as WebSphere Application Server. Using Java Servlets or Enterprise JavaBeans (EJB) components, you can utilize the External Call Interface (ECI), provided by the CICS TG, to allow access to CICS COMMAREA-based applications. CICS TG is available on a wide range of platforms. Support for the z/os platform is provided by CICS TG for z/os V6. Support for all other platforms is provided by CICS TG for Multiplatforms V6.0. For more information on CICS TG for Multiplatforms V6.0, refer to Software Announcement , dated November 30, CICS TG uses a multithreaded Gateway daemon to handle communication with front-end application servers and back-end CICS systems. Deployment code is optimized, enabling support for large numbers of concurrent requests and sub-second response times to users. z/os is the IBM flagship platform, running on IBM zseries hardware. Used in this operating environment, CICS TG can support workloads in the thousands of transactions per second, using multiple Gateways and by reusing memory-based External CICS Interface (EXCI) pipes. CICS TG for z/os V6.1 provides significant enhancements over previous releases in two areas. Two-phase commit support: Global transactional integrity is enhanced through the provision of an XA-capable J2EE Connector Architecture (JCA) resource adapter and the utilization of the z/os Resource Recovery Services sub-system. This feature enables CICS TS for z/os to participate in two-phase commit transactions that are initiated in a J2EE V1.4 Application Server, such as WebSphere Application Server V6 on a distributed platform or on a remote z/os system. Local mode global transaction support for WebSphere Application Server on z/os continues to be supported. This delivers optimized two-phase commit support when the WebSphere Application Server and the CICS TS for z/os are located on the same MVS image. TCP/IP RAS enhancements: TCP/IP load balancing for XA transactions is supported, providing for better scalability at higher workloads, and improved availability in the event of the failure of an individual Gateway. CICS TG TCP/IP load balancing allows multiple Gateways running on the same MVS image to be virtualized as a single TCP/IP load balancing group. This TCP/IP load balancing group can then service incoming TCP/IP connections on a single service end point through the facilities of an external IP load balancer, allowing XA transaction requests to be serviced by any Gateway in the TCP/IP load balancing group. Reliability of TCP/IP communications is improved through the provision for automatic reconnection of the Gateway to the Communications Server TCP/IP subsystem, following a restart of TCP/IP. Through this function, new connections can be made to the Gateway after TCP/IP is restarted; existing connections to TCP/IP clients are lost. Improved notification of TCP/IP network outages is provided through the ability to set a socket connection time-out. Using this feature, either the J2EE server administrator or the J2EE developer can control the maximum duration for which TCP/IP socket connect requests from the J2EE component to the Gateway can remain outstanding. Network management and security is enhanced through the ability to control the IP address an individual Gateway will bind to. Through this feature, a systems programmer can now select individual IP addresses to be used by the Gateway. Accessibility by people with disabilities The following features support use by people with disabilities: Operation by keyboard alone Optional font enlargement and high-contrast display settings Screen readers and screen magnifiers tested for use by people with visual impairment Suitable for people with hearing impairment CICS TG for z/os V6.1 has been tested for use by people with visual impairment using the Jaws screen reader. The Hummingbird HostExplorer terminal emulator was used for testing screen readers. Contact the vendor of the screen reader for the appropriate Jaws script file, which is required for the Hummingbird emulator. The product has not been tested with other emulators or screen readers. The Eclipse-based information center shipped with the product is accessible. Softcopy PDF documentation is also shipped, as an alternative. PDF documentation supports optional font enlargement, high-contrast display settings, and can be operated by the keyboard alone, but does not have alternative text for screen readers. Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act CICS TG for z/os V6.1 is capable as of November 11, 2005, when used in accordance with IBM associated documentation, of satisfying the applicable requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, provided that any assistive technology used with the product properly interoperates with it. Value Unit-based pricing Value Unit pricing for eligible zseries IBM Program License Agreement (IPLA) programs enables a lower cost of incremental growth and enterprise aggregation. Each zseries IPLA product with Value Unit pricing has a single price per Value Unit and a conversion matrix, called Value Unit Exhibit, for converting from some designated measurement to Value Units. Most commonly Millions of Service Units (MSUs) is the measurement designated by IBM to be converted to Value Units. Some other measurements are engines or messages. Since MSUs are the most common measurement, that measurement will be used for the remainder of this description. Value Unit pricing offers price benefits for customers. For each zseries IPLA program with Value Unit pricing, the quantity of that program needed to satisfy applicable IBM terms and conditions is referred to as the required license capacity. Each of the various Value Unit Exhibits stipulate that the larger your required license capacity, the fewer Value Units per MSU you will need. Value Unit Exhibits are uniquely identified by a three digit code and referred to using the nomenclature VUExxx, where xxx is the three digit code. Subsequent acquisitions of Value Unit priced programs offer additional price benefits for customers. The quantity of each zseries IPLA program that you have acquired is referred to as entitled license capacity. If you wish to grow your entitled license capacity for a zseries IPLA program, the calculation to determine additional needed

3 Value Units is based upon the number of Value Units already acquired. For each zseries IPLA program with Value Unit Pricing, you should: Determine the required license capacity, in MSUs Aggregate the MSUs across the enterprise Convert the total MSUs to Value Units, using the applicable Value Unit Exhibit, and Multiply the price per Value Unit by the total number of Value Units to determine the total cost. To simplify conversion from the designated measurement to VUs or vice-versa, use the Value Unit Converter Tool. For additional information or to obtain a copy of the Value Unit Converter Tool, visit the Value Unit Converter Tool Web site Note that Value Units of a given product cannot be exchanged, interchanged, or aggregated with Value Units of another product. To determine the required license capacity for the zseries IPLA program you selected, refer to the Terms and conditions section. IPLA and Subscription and Support considerations IPLA licenses can be transferred from one machine to another within, but not limited to an enterprise. The customer may aggregate the capacity for all the processors the product is operated on to achieve a more economic price. This will result in a single Proof of Entitlement (PoE). It is the customer s responsibility to manage the distribution of Value Units within the limits of the entitlement of the product license. Subscription and Support must cover the same capacity as the product license entitlement. Subscription and Support will be available in the country in which the agreement is made. Product positioning Much of the world s data is processed on mainframes, using the qualities of service of proven transaction servers such as CICS TS for z/os. Delivering access to new and existing CICS applications using standards-based interfaces is the cornerstone of a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), and is central to a successful on demand strategy. The J2EE Connector Architecture (JCA) part of J2EE V1.3 and above defines a standard model for connecting to heterogeneous Enterprise Information Systems (EIS) from the J2EE platform. It is a standard interface that can handle the Connection, Transaction and Security system contracts between the two components of a composite J2EE and EIS application. CICS TG is the IBM implementation of JCA connectivity from J2EE to IBM CICS applications. The qualities of service of the CICS TG are highest when deployed on the z/os platform. This configuration provides significantly higher performance and better management of connections, security and transactions. Full global transactional integrity with a distributed WebSphere Application Server via JCA 1.5 is available in CICS TG for z/os V6.1. Tightly coupled, standards-based solutions such as the JCA, and loosely coupled Web services solutions coexist to fully exploit the agility of an on demand operating environment. CICS provides a range of access options that support a variety of prevalent architectures such as J2EE, Web services, and other standard transport mechanisms. The CICS TG coexists as one of the preferred implementations that are optimal for these environments. CICS TG continues to support the J2EE connectors as they evolve, and to deliver enhanced integration, standards, and customer value. The latest versions of CICS TS for z/os and of the CICS TG allow customers to take advantage of a complementary set of technologies that enable complete integration of CICS applications. Reference information Note that this announcement refers only to CICS TG for z/os. From V6.0, the CICS TG products on z/os and on Multiplatforms are separate. For the latest information on CICS TG for Multiplatforms V6, refer to Software Announcement , dated June 14, Business Partner information If you are a Direct Reseller - System Reseller acquiring products from IBM, you may link directly to Business Partner information for this announcement. A PartnerWorld ID and password are required (use IBM ID). BP Attachment for Announcement Letter mem/sla.jsp?num= Trademarks MVS is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States or other countries or both. CICS, z/os, WebSphere, OS/390, the e-business logo, zseries, and Hummingbird are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States or other countries or both. Java is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of others

4 IBM US Announcement Supplemental Information October 4, 2005 Offering Information Product information is available via the Offering Information Web site Publications Information for CICS TG for z/os V6.1 is provided in the form of an Information Center based on the Eclipse platform. Delivery in this form exploits a common framework that is now employed by many other IBM products. Powered by Eclipse technology, the Information Center consists of an Eclipse Help System, together with the information for CICS TG as a plug-in. This brings a range of benefits to the user. One of these is the use of a common framework which is now the infrastructure of choice adopted by many IBM products. This framework gives a common look and feel, together with consistency of behavior and a new search engine. This infrastructure also allows users to customize their own Information Centers using plug-ins from multiple products, or to write their own plug-ins. The Information Center is shipped on CD-ROM with the product. It is available as CICS TG for z/os V6.1 Information Center: Publications CD (SK3T-6972). The plug-in component of the Information Center is available separately, as CICS TG for z/os V6.1 Information Center: Plug-in (SC ). Information for CICS TG for z/os V6.1 is provided in the following books: Title CICS TG for z/os V6.1: z/os Administration CICS TG for z/os V6.1: Messages CICS TG for z/os V6.1: Programming Reference CICS TG for z/os V6.1: Programming Guide Order number SC SC SC SC These books are offered only in displayable softcopy form, in both PDF and HTML formats, as part of the Information Center. The CICS TG for z/os V6.1 books will also be available in softcopy format on the following CD-ROMs. These CD-ROMs are updated and reissued at regular intervals so will not contain the new CICS TG for z/os V6.1 books immediately at the time of initial product availability. Title CICS TG for z/os V6.1 Information Center: Plug-in CICS TG for z/os V6.1 Information Center: Publications CD Order number SC SK3T-6972 In addition, the Program Directory (GI ) is shipped in hard-copy with the product. Eclipse: Eclipse is an award-winning, open-source framework for the construction of powerful software development tools and rich desktop applications. Leveraging the Eclipse plug-in framework to integrate technology on the desktop saves technology providers time and money by enabling them to focus their efforts on delivering differentiation and value for their offerings. Eclipse is a multilanguage, multiplatform, multivendor supported environment that is built by an open source community of developers and is provided royalty-free by the Eclipse Foundation. Eclipse is written in the Java language, includes extensive plug-in construction toolkits and examples, and can be extended and deployed on a range of desktop operating systems including Windows+, Linux++, QNX and Macintosh OS X. For full details on Eclipse and the Eclipse Foundation, visit Technical information Hardware requirements: CICS TG for z/os V6.1 runs on any S/390 or IBM zseries machine that supports the required operating system. Software requirements z/os V1.4, or later IBM SDK for z/os, Java 2 Technology Edition, V1.4.2 CICS TS for OS/390 V1.3 CICS TS for z/os V2.2 or V2.3 CICS TS for z/os V3.1 WebSphere Application Server for z/os V6.0.1, or later WebSphere Application Server for Multiplatforms V6.0, or later This announcement is provided for your information only. For additional information, contact your IBM representative, call 800-IBM-4YOU, or visit the IBM home page at: IBM United States IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation

5 For the most up-to-date information, go to Follow the Support link. Compatibility: The next release of CICS TG V6 (that is, the release following V6.0 for Multiplatforms and following V6.1 for z/os) and of CICS Universal Client V6 (that is, following V6.0) is planned to be the last release that will contain TCP62 support for the AnyNet protocol communicating with remote CICS systems using SNA over TCP/IP. After this time, this feature will be removed from the product. For continued use of SNA over TCP/IP, it will be necessary to implement other IBM Communications Server solutions such as Enterprise Extender or Remote API client support. For information on the removal of AnyNet support from z/os Communications Server, refer to the information in the z/os Statements of direction announcement, Software Announcement , dated October 7, 2003; and the z/os V1.7 preview announcement, Software Announcement , dated February 15, User group requirements: The following requirements from the worldwide user group communities are satisfied by enhancements in this release: Requirement number MR MR MR MR MR Description Two phase Commit for CICS TG z/os CTG interoperation with TCP/IP Auto reconnect of CTG to TCPIP Provide a parameter to define the TCPIP address for the CTG listener Capability to specify a time out value for an open connection request Planning information Packaging: CICS TG for z/os V6.1 is shipped via Customized Offerings, on /2-inch tape cartridge. Also shipped are: IBM Program License Agreement (IPLA) in multilanguage booklet (Z ) License Information in multilanguage booklet (GC ) PoE Program Directory in hardcopy (GI ) Security, auditability, and control CICS Transaction Gateway for z/os V6.1 uses the security and auditability features of the operating system under which it is running. Customers can use any Security Authorization Facility (SAF)-compliant security product, such as RACF. The customer is responsible for evaluation, selection, and implementation of security features, administrative procedures, and appropriate controls in application systems and communication facilities. Charge Metric Ordering information Program name PID number Charge metric CICS Transaction Gateway for z/os V M69 Per Value Unit z/os Software Subscription and Support 5655 M70 Per Value Unit The program in this announcement has Value Unit-based pricing. Value Program number Program name Unit Exhibit 5655 M69 CICS Transaction Gateway for z/os V6.1 VUE007 For each zseries IPLA program with Value Unit pricing, the quantity of that program needed to satisfy applicable IBM terms and conditions is referred to as the required license capacity. Your required license capacity is based upon the following factors: The zseries IPLA program you select The applicable Value Unit Exhibit The applicable Terms Whether your current mainframes are full-capacity or sub-capacity Value Unit exhibit VUE007 MSUs MSUs minimum maximum Value Units/MSU Base Tier A Tier B Tier C Tier D Value Units for mainframes without MSU ratings: Hardware Value Units/machine MP3000 H30 6 MP3000 H50 8 MP3000 H70 12 ESL Models 2 Ordering z/os through the Internet: ShopzSeries provides an easy way to plan and order your z/os ServerPac or CBPDO. It will analyze your current installation, determine the correct product migration, and present your new configuration based on z/os. Additional products can also be added to your order (including determination of whether all product requisites are satisfied). ShopzSeries is available in the U.S. and several countries in Europe. In countries where ShopzSeries is not available yet, contact your IBM representative (or IBM Business Partner) to handle your order via the traditional IBM ordering process. For more details and availability, visit the ShopzSeries Web site at ShopzSeries/ShopzSeries.jsp Basic license: There is no change to the existing ordering information as announced for CICS TG for z/os V

6 Customized offerings Product media is shipped only via Customized Offerings (for example, CBPDO, ServerPac, SystemPac ). Non-customized items (CDs, diskettes, source media, media kits) will continue to be shipped via the stand-alone product. Terms and conditions Licensing: IPLA. PoE are required for all authorized use. This product is licensed under the IPLA, and the associated Agreement for Acquisition of Support, which provides for support with ongoing access to releases and versions of the program. This program has a one-time license charge for use of the program and an annual renewable charge for the enhanced support that includes telephone assistance (voice support for defects during normal business hours) as well as access to updates, releases, and versions of the program as long as support is in effect. S/390 and zseries IBM Operational Support Services SoftwareXcel is an option for those customers who desire added services. Limited warranty applies: Yes Warranty: This program has warranty for a minimum of one year from acquisition from IBM or authorized IBM Business Partner. The warranty provided to the customer, for at least one year from acquisition, is access to databases (read Web sites) for program information and FAQs, including any known fixes to defects, which the customer can download or obtain otherwise and install at leisure. Program support: Enhanced Support, called Subscription and Support, includes telephone assistance (voice support for defects during normal business hours) and access to updates, releases, and versions of the program as long as support is in effect. The customer will be notified of discontinuance of support with 12 months notice. Money-back guarantee: If, for any reason, you are dissatisfied with the program and you are the original licensee, return it within 30 days from the invoice date, to the party (either IBM or its reseller) from whom you acquired it, for a refund. For clarification, note that for programs acquired under any of IBM s On/Off Capacity On Demand (On/Off CoD) software offerings,this term does not apply since these offerings apply to programs already acquired and in use by the customer. Copy and use on home/portable computer: No Volume orders (IVO): No Passport Advantage applies: No Software Maintenance applies: No For Operating System software, the revised IBM Operational Support Services SoftwareXcel offering will provide support for those operating systems and associated products that are not available with the newly announced Software Maintenance offering. This will ensure total support coverage for your enterprise needs, including IBM and selected non-ibm products. For complete lists of products supported under both the current and revised SoftwareXcel offering, visit For additional information on the revised IBM Operational Support Services, refer to Services Announcement , dated July 10, IBM Operational Support Services SoftwareXcel: Yes iseries Software Maintenance applies: No Variable charges apply: No Educational allowance available: Yes, 15% education allowance applies to qualified education institution customers. Sub-capacity terms and conditions Sub-capacity utilization determination Sub-capacity utilization is determined based on the utilization of a sub-capacity eligible reference product and machine. On/Off Capacity On Demand To be eligible for On/Off Capacity On Demand pricing, customers must be enabled for temporary capacity on the corresponding hardware, and the required contract Z , Attachment for Customer Initiated Upgrade and IBM eserver On/Off Capacity On Demand Software must be signed prior to use. Prices The existing prices as announced for CICS TG for z/os V6.0 are unaffected by this announcement. Information on charges is available at Choose the option entitled Purchase / upgrade tools. Order now To order, contact the Americas Call Centers or your local IBM representative. To identify your local IBM representative, call 800-IBM-4YOU ( ). Phone: 800-IBM-CALL ( ) Fax: 800-2IBM-FAX ( ) Internet: ibm direct@vnet.ibm.com Mail: IBM Americas Call Centers Dept: IBM CALL, 11th Floor 105 Moatfield Drive North York, Ontario Canada M3B 3R1 Reference: LE001 The Americas Call Centers, our national direct marketing organization, can add your name to the mailing list for catalogs of IBM products. Note: Shipments will begin after the planned availability date

7 Trademarks iseries is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States or other countries or both. z/os, CICS, the e-business logo, S/390, zseries, OS/390, WebSphere, AnyNet, RACF, SystemPac, and Passport Advantage are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States or other countries or both. Java is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of others