CICS to Server?

pahiker · New User Joined: 10 Aug 2012 Posts: 51 Location: USA

Is there a way to send a file from within CICS to a file on a server?

We currently use Web Methods to perform this function, but we are trying to divest ourselves of the product. 90% of what we do can be done through MQ or CICS Web Services. The only function left is to write/send a file to an external (not on the mainframe) server.

Pandora-Box · Posted: Tue May 21, 2013 12:24 am

Why not Ftp?

pahiker · New User Joined: 10 Aug 2012 Posts: 51 Location: USA

FTP cannot, so far as I am aware, be done from within CICS.

Bill O'Boyle · Posted: Tue May 21, 2013 1:03 am

Have you looked into native TCP/IP (using the EZA* callable routines) or LU6.2/APPC (using the SEND/RECEIVE or CONVERSE API's)?

pahiker · New User Joined: 10 Aug 2012 Posts: 51 Location: USA

No. Can you point me to any reference material on either/both? Since this is our first attempt at this, something not too technically deep.

dick scherrer · Posted: Tue May 21, 2013 9:46 pm

Hello and welcome to the forum,

If you intend to use products/features that are "heavy" expect some depth in the technical descriptions/information and the assumption that "someone" involved is quite senior.

Good luck and if something goes Thud, post back here and maybe someone will have seen something similar.

pahiker · New User Joined: 10 Aug 2012 Posts: 51 Location: USA

True, but there are different levels of depth. I have cobol, assembler, and CICS manuals which are far easier to understand than the standard IBM Cobol Reference manual.

I have done some searches on IBM TCP/IP, the redbooks I've found do not reference writing to a server. The Example programs show sending a message and receiving a message, but nothing on file transfer.

dick scherrer · Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 12:01 am

Hello,

Yup, there are quite a few good books for learning.

My experience has been that the IBM manuals are excellent for reference if you already know what you are looking for and want specifics. They should be believed over 3rd party books if they differ as IBM is the "Bible".

Have you found a way to send a file to any other ip address?

pahiker · New User Joined: 10 Aug 2012 Posts: 51 Location: USA

No. All the searches I've done do not show how to use TCP/IP, from CICS, to send a file. They all claim it can be done, but none speak to the method.

Robert Sample · Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 12:54 am

The CICS Application Programming Reference manual at publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/cicsts/v3r2/index.jsp?topic=%2Fcom.ibm.cics.ts.applicationprogramming.doc%2Ftopics%2Fdfhp4_overview.html tells you how to do APPC (LU6.2).

The Communications Server bookshelf at publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/zos/v1r12/index.jsp?topic=%2Fcom.ibm.zos.r12.e0zc100%2Fsw390.htm includes information about TCP/IP in general and specifics including the callable services.

pahiker · New User Joined: 10 Aug 2012 Posts: 51 Location: USA

Thanks, I'm going through the APPC now.

Looking at the TCP/IP, I didn't see anything there referencing making calls from Cobol, much less CICS. Everything seemed to be related to TSO calls. Am I missing something?

dick scherrer · Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 8:14 pm

Hello,

See if this earlier topic can help:
ibmmainframes.com/about25458.html

Jose Mateo · Posted: Fri May 24, 2013 8:57 pm

Good day to all!
I guess if you want to make it simple you could write a CICS COBOL program to write a FTP job to the spool it to the internal reader for batch submission.