CICS provides a number of interfaces for submitting transaction
requests to a CICS region from outside the CICS environment.
- CICS Transaction Gateway
- The CICS Transaction Gateway is a product that enables you to
run programs in CICS from a Java application, using the Java Platform,
Enterprise Edition (Java EE) interfaces.
- CICS clients
- A CICS client is a member of the family of CICS workstation products
that provide a standard set of functions for client/server computing.
CICS clients can initiate transactions in CICS using the external
call interface (ECI) or the external presentation interface (EPI):
- The ECI is an application programming interface that allows a
program in a client to call a CICS program. The client program can
exchange data with the CICS program in a communication area (COMMAREA).
- The EPI is an application programming interface that allows a
program in a client to simulate a 3270 terminal. The client program
can interact with the CICS program in the same way as a terminal operator.
- The CICS-MQ bridge
- WebSphere MQ applications can use the CICS-MQ bridge to initiate
a CICS transaction to process a message. A WebSphere MQ application
can use synchronous or asynchronous processing. In synchronous
processing, the WebSphere MQ application waits for the response
from each CICS program before invoking the next one; in asynchronous
processing, the WebSphere MQ application does not wait.
- Using the CICS-MQ bridge, the WebSphere MQ application can exchange
data with the CICS program in a communication area (COMMAREA), or
simulate a 3270 terminal.
- The TCP/IP Socket Interface for CICS
- The TCP/IP Socket Interface for CICS is provided as part of the
z/OS Communications Server element of z/OS. It supports peer-to-peer
communication between CICS programs and other applications that use
TCP/IP protocols.
- The External CICS Interface (EXCI)
- A z/OS program can use the External CICS Interface (EXCI) to invoke
a CICS program using distributed program link (DPL).