CICS

CICS (Customer Information Control System) is a transaction processing system that was developed by IBM in 1968. It is designed to support high-volume online transaction processing (OLTP) applications. CICS is widely used in the banking, finance, insurance, and retail industries, among others.

History

CICS was first introduced by IBM in 1968 to address the need for a system that could handle a large number of transactions quickly and efficiently. Over the years, CICS has evolved significantly, incorporating new features and capabilities to meet the changing needs of businesses and technology advancements.

Architecture

CICS operates on the IBM mainframe platform, specifically the z/OS operating system. It is designed to manage and execute multiple transactions simultaneously, ensuring data integrity and consistency. The architecture of CICS includes several key components:

• Transaction Manager: Manages the execution of transactions and ensures that they are processed in a reliable and efficient manner.
• Resource Manager: Handles access to various resources such as databases, files, and queues.
• Application Server: Executes the business logic of the applications running on CICS.
• Communications Manager: Manages communication between CICS and other systems or devices.

Features

CICS offers a wide range of features that make it a powerful and flexible transaction processing system:

• High Availability: CICS is designed to provide continuous availability, ensuring that transactions can be processed without interruption.
• Scalability: CICS can handle a large number of transactions and can be scaled to meet the needs of growing businesses.
• Security: CICS includes robust security features to protect sensitive data and ensure that only authorized users can access the system.
• Interoperability: CICS can integrate with various other systems and technologies, including web services, Java, and MQSeries.

Usage

CICS is widely used in industries that require high-volume transaction processing. Some common use cases include:

• Banking: Processing customer transactions, managing accounts, and handling payments.
• Insurance: Managing policy information, processing claims, and handling customer inquiries.
• Retail: Managing inventory, processing sales transactions, and handling customer orders.

Future Developments

IBM continues to invest in the development of CICS, adding new features and capabilities to meet the evolving needs of businesses. Future developments may include enhanced support for cloud computing, improved integration with modern technologies, and increased automation capabilities.

See Also

• IBM mainframe
• z/OS
• Online transaction processing
• MQSeries
• Web services