CICS V 5.6 provides support for COMMAREAs up to 32 KB

Vkp321 · New User Joined: 05 Jan 2009 Posts: 56 Location: Dublin

Hi All,
is there any manual from IBM for COMMAREA extension for practical implication

Robert Sample · Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2022 3:23 am

If you read the announcement letter, DFHCOMMAREA can be up to 32K for distributed program link (DPL) between CICS regions. The previous limit was 24K for these links. So practically, there is little or no impact since the scope will be limited. DFHCOMMAREA for non-DPL links was recommended to be limited to 24K but could be up to 32K any way.

Vkp321 · New User Joined: 05 Jan 2009 Posts: 56 Location: Dublin

Thank you Robert for answer
so the scope is only the DPL between the CICS region where the CICS LINK command used the COMMAREA option to pass the address of a communication area. Please confirm

Garry Carroll · Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2022 2:05 pm

COMMAREA limitation is not confined to DPL. Link within the same region is also affected by the limitation.

If you need more than 32K, you should look at using 'CHANNELS and CONTAINERS' rather than COMMAREA. Probably better to use these anyway.

Garry.

Vkp321 · New User Joined: 05 Jan 2009 Posts: 56 Location: Dublin

Hi Garry,
Thank you for inputs,
CICS V 5.6 provides support for COMMAREAs up to 32 KB on distributed program links. The restriction of limiting communication areas (COMMAREAs) to 24 KB when passed on distributed program link (DPL) calls between CICS regions is removed.

Therefore, a maximum-sized 32 KB COMMAREA can now be passed between CICS regions. This enables full-sized COMMAREAs to be used together with a transaction channel and an extended identity context reference (ICRX).

so trying to understand and utilize the change on CICS V5.6.