Stabilization notices and discontinued functions

Out-of-date technology inside CICS® Transaction Server for z/OS® is often stabilized and might be reduced in capability or discontinued in a future release.

Stabilized technologies

The following technologies are stabilized. For information about checking for stabilized functions, see CICS_STABILIZED_FUNCTIONS health check.

APPC password expiration management (PEM): Support for APPC PEM is stabilized. The PEM server does not support password phrases. To support authentication with password phrases when using CICS Transaction Gateway with CICS TS, you must migrate from APPC to IP interconnectivity (IPIC) and change your application code to use a current External Security Interface (ESI) API such as CICS_VerifyPassword and CICS_ChangePassword as described in the CICS Transaction Gateway for Multiplatforms product documentation.; 6.2 If this function is used, the CICS_STABILIZED_FUNCTIONS health check issues message DFHH0952.
CICS Application Debugging Profile Manager: The CICS application debugging profiles are accessed through either the CADP transaction or the web interface. Both of these interfaces are now stabilized. Consider using the DTCN transaction supplied with IBM® z/OS Debugger instead.; 6.2 If this function is used, the CICS_STABILIZED_FUNCTIONS health check issues message DFHH0965.
CICS debugging tools sockets interface: From Version 14.2, IBM z/OS Debugger supports only the TCP/IP Socket Interface for CICS; therefore, the debugging tools sockets interface provided by CICS TS is no longer used and thus stabilized.; 6.2 If this function is used, the CICS_STABILIZED_FUNCTIONS health check issues message DFHH0960.
CICS Service Flow Runtime: Service Flow Runtime and Service Flow Modeler capability in IBM Developer for z/OS 14.2.3 are stabilized. Consider exposing and orchestrating applications as API services by using z/OS Connect Enterprise Edition, CICS web services, or by writing web applications in Java™ or Node.js.; Where applications contain a mixture of presentation and business logic, consider using the IBM Developer for z/OS refactoring tools to extract reusable components into separate programs that are suitable for API enablement. In addition, IBM Developer for z/OS can integrate with IBM Application Discovery and Delivery Intelligence to enable in-context analysis of source and dependencies to aid refactoring and impact analysis.; 6.2 If this function is used, the CICS_STABILIZED_FUNCTIONS health check issues message DFHH0953.
CICS system events: System events are stabilized. Consider moving to Policy system rules. Events that are emitted by policies and CICS application events share common infrastructure and remain strategic.; 6.2 If this function is used, the CICS_STABILIZED_FUNCTIONS health check issues message DFHH0959.
CICS TS Application Handler Java interface: The CICS Application handler Java interface, which can be used to write SOAP web services provider pipeline application handlers in an Axis2 JVM server, is stabilized. Consider writing a web application for API services that use the Java API for XML Web Services (JAX-WS) Liberty features, Node.js, or z/OS Connect Enterprise Edition.; 6.2 If this function is used, the CICS_STABILIZED_FUNCTIONS health check issues message DFHH0964.
CICSPlex SM Real-Time Analysis: CICSPlex® SM Real-Time Analysis (RTA) is stabilized. Consider moving to Policy system rules or to a dedicated monitoring product such as IBM OMEGAMON for z/OS.; 6.2 If this function is used, the CICS_STABILIZED_FUNCTIONS health check issues either message DFHH0962 or DFHH0963 respectively, depending on whether the MRM or the SAM function is used.
CICSPlex SM Web User Interface: The CICSPlex SM Web User Interface (WUI) is stabilized, although minor additions to views continue. The CICSPlex SM address space (CMAS) and WUI server components continue to support CICS Explorer® and form the basis of the modern CICS user experience. CICS Explorer provides an extensive set of task-oriented views, powerful context-sensitive editors, and supports the new features of CICS TS, enabling developers and systems programmers to be more productive.
DFHWBCLI web client interface: The DFHWBCLI Web Client Interface is stabilized. Consider moving to use the CICS WEB API with Session tokens.; 6.2 If this function is used, the CICS_STABILIZED_FUNCTIONS health check issues message DFHH0954.
Enterprise Bundle Archive (EBA): Enterprise Bundle Archive (EBA) support is stabilized in CICS TS. Additionally, the ability to build EBAs as part of the CICS bundle export is stabilized in both CICS Explorer and CICS TS build toolkit. Consider either using Gradle or Maven to build EBAs or copying a built EBA into a CICS bundle before export.; 6.2 If this function is used, the CICS_STABILIZED_FUNCTIONS health check issues message DFHH0961.
Extended Recovery Facility: XRF system initialization parameter in CICS is stabilized. Consider alternative technologies that provide more flexible high-availability solutions for modern workloads. These solutions include the z/OS Automatic Restart Manager (ARM), CICS data sharing, VTAM® persistent sessions, and use of the cross-system coupling facility.; 6.2 If this function is used, the CICS_STABILIZED_FUNCTIONS health check issues message DFHH0951.
JCA ECI adapter: The JCA ECI adapter in Liberty JVM server is stabilized. Consider updating applications to use JCICS Link as an alternative. For more information about developing JCICS Link applications, see the com.ibm.cicsdev.link sample in GitHub.
ONC RPC: Open Network Computing Remote Procedure Call (ONC RPC) is stabilized. Consider exposing and orchestrating applications as API services by using z/OS Connect Enterprise Edition, CICS web services, or by writing web applications in Java or Node.js.; 6.2 If this function is used, the CICS_STABILIZED_FUNCTIONS health check issues message DFHH0958.
PDF documentation: PDF format versions of some parts of the CICS Transaction Server documentation are stabilized and no longer updated. The corresponding information in HTML in IBM Documentation remains available. For a list of these PDFs, see Changes to documentation.
Release sensitive XPI call RELSENSCALL: Support for the Release sensitive XPI call is stabilized.
SAML using the CICS STS: Support for SAML using the CICS Security Token Service is stabilized.; 6.2 If this function is used, the CICS_STABILIZED_FUNCTIONS health check issues message DFHH0955.
Transport Layer Security (TLS): Support for TLS 1.1 is stabilized. Consider using TLS 1.2 or TLS 1.3 that provide increased security for TCP/IP connections using Customizing encryption negotiations.; 6.2 If this function is used, the CICS_REGION_CONFIGURATION health check issues message DFHH0405.
WS-Security infrastructure options: CICS web services support for Support for WS-Security infrastructure is stabilized.
WSDL 2.0: Web Services Description Language (WSDL) 2.0 in CICS is stabilized. Use WSDL 1.1 as the de facto standard for SOAP-based web services.
jcaLocalEci-1.0, zosConnect-1.0 and zosConnect-1.2 CICS Liberty features: Liberty feature jcaLocalEci-1.0 is stabilized. Consider updating applications to use JCICS Link as an alternative. For more information about developing JCICS Link applications, see the com.ibm.cicsdev.link sample in GitHub.; Liberty features zosConnect-1.0 and zosConnect-1.2 are stabilized. You are recommended to migrate to the IBM z/OS Connect Enterprise Edition product. For more information about stabilized Liberty features and feature capabilities, see Stabilized Liberty features and feature capabilities in WebSphere Application Server for z/OS Liberty product documentation.

Deprecated functions

The following technologies are deprecated and will be discontinued in a future release.

JVMSERVER-based configuration option for the web services data transformation service

Support for the JVMSERVER-based configuration option for the web services data transformation service is stabilized. Avoid use of the following pipeline configuration file options:

Also, avoid using the JVM server profile options JVMSERVER profile option.

These options can be replaced with the use of non-Java pipeline for CICS web services, z/OS Connect Enterprise Edition, or by writing web applications in Java or Node.js. WSBind files that are currently deployed to an Axis2 pipeline can be redeployed into a non-Java pipeline with no required change to the WSBind files.

6.2 If this function is used, the CICS_STABILIZED_FUNCTIONS health check issues message DFHH0964.

Discontinued functions

For more information, such as removed messages and commands, see Changes between releases.

Transport Layer Security (TLS): Support for TLS 1.0 is removed as of CICS TS 6.1.
XSNEX global user exit: The signon and signoff global user exit XSNEX was introduced as a temporary migration aid in CICS TS 2.2 and is removed in CICS TS 6.1.