Test 520: CICS Transaction Server for OS/2 Warp

Objectives
This test is designed to validate that a person awarded the title of "IBM Certified Specialist - CICS Transaction Server for OS/2 Warp" can competently carry out various tasks. The test consists of 66 questions, drawn from the following areas, to be answered in a 60 minute timeframe.
 * Planning - 12%
 * Installation and Configuration - 20%
 * Application Design - 24%
 * Operations - 22%
 * Connectivity - 15%
 * Problem Determination - 7%

The percentage after each topic reflects the distribution of the total question set.

Planning Objectives
 * Describe the generic functions of a TP Monitor and the advantages/disadvantages of using one.
 * Match CICS Transaction Server for OS/2 Warp capabilities to customer needs.
 * Specify the pre-requisites for implementing a given scenario.
 * Given a list of available books, point out where to find information on specific aspects of CICS OS/2.
 * Identify the functional differences between the CICS products on various platforms and describe the considerations in selecting the OS/2 Warp platform rather than another.

Installation and Configuration Objectives
 * Identify items in the CICS OS/2 client and server directory structures.
 * Verify that the product has been successfully installed and configured.
 * List the CICS OS/2 tables and the entries within them. Describe their functions.
 * Describe the steps necessary to migrate from other CICS platforms or previous versions to CICS OS/2.
 * List the environmental variables and their uses and demonstrate how to change them.
 * Explain how to configure CICS clients.
 * Describe the customisation options available for CICS OS/2.

Application Programming Objectives
 * Describe the calls and parameters of the CICS OS/2 API.
 * Illustrate the models for multi-tiered application design in distributed environments.
 * Describe how to design data integrity into a CICS OS/2 distributed environment.
 * List ways to improve performance and efficiency in a CICS OS/2 environment.
 * List the various external interfaces to CICS OS/2 and explain their uses.
 * List the various CICS OS/2 storage options and explain their uses.

Operations Objectives
 * List techniques for managing CICS OS/2 systems and explain how to use them.
 * Describe Performance Analyser/2 and explain how to use its output.
 * List the CICS supplied transactions and explain their functionality.
 * List the steps necessary to enable backup and recovery of a CICS OS/2 system.
 * Describe the functions, parameters, and uses of Btrieve in a CICS OS/2 environment.
 * Define the security options available in a CICS OS/2 environment.

Connectivity Objectives
 * Describe the steps necessary to set up the logical link from CICS OS/2 servers to CICS clients or other CICS servers using various protocols.
 * Describe the various CICS ISC functions and their applicability in a CICS OS/2 environment.
 * Given a scenario, explain how and where data conversion occurs.
 * For a given configuration, identify the valid connections for CICS inter-communication flows in distributed environments.

Problem Determination Objectives
 * Determine and describe the appropriate resources available for problem determination for common errors (PA/2, debugging (CEDF, CEMT, IPMD, Animator), logs).
 * Obtain a CICS trace or CICS dump and interpret the information resulting to find the cause of a given problem.
 * Given a specific problem, determine materials to be sent to IBM for problem resolution.

Required Training
CI01 (WW) / CI010 (US) || Introduction to CICS || 2 Days ||  This course describes the main concepts and facilities of CICS.||

CI17 (WW) / CI171 (US) || CICS Application Programming I || 4.5 Days || This course teaches how to code and debug CICS application programs written in COBOL or PL/I. The class contains extensive computer exercises and applies to the entire CICS family of products.

CI18 (WW) / CI181 (US) || CICS Application Programming II ||4.5 Days || This course teaches how to code advanced CICS application commands in a COBOL program. It covers menu-driven applications, online printing, and field-level help.

CE75 (WW) / U3936 (NA) || CICS OS/2 Administration and Design Workshop || 3.5 Days || This class teaches how to implement CICS OS/2 in a client/server environment. It includes instructions for establishing security, recovery application design, and problem determination procedures for CICS OS/2. Hands-on labs and classroom exercises provide practice in CICS OS/2 installation and tailoring.

Publications
GC33-1674 || CICS Transaction Server for OS/2 Warp Version 4.1: Quick Beginnings || This book guides you through the steps necessary to install a simple CICS Transaction Server production environment with a CICS for OS/2 server and a CICS Client for OS/2 or a CICS Client for WIndows NT connected via TCP/IP or NetBIOS.

GC33-1580 || CICS for OS/2 Version 3.1 Installation || This book gives detailed information about how to install CICS for OS/2. It is intended for experience users of the product, for example, those migrating from a previous release.

Sample
1. In a typical transaction processing system, which of the following statements is NOT true?

a. Many end users run the same, or similar, programs sharing the same databases and files. b. Programs are invoked by online input and can generate online output. c. Programs tend to be long-running. d. End users process unscheduled single items in unpredictable volumes and sequence.

2. Which statement with respect to CICS for OS/2 support for access to IMS data is correct?

a. IMS databases may be accessed via the X/Open XA Interface. b. IMS databases may be accessed via DB2 OS/2. c. IMS databases are emulated by Btrieve. d. IMS databases may be accessed via DPL to a remote system.

3. Which book will tell you about the differences between using CICS on a mainframe and CICS for OS/2 on a workstation?

a. CICS for OS/2 Installation b. CICS for OS/2 Operation c. CICS for OS/2 Customisation d. CICS for OS/2 Application Programming

4.Which statement about CICS for OS/2 is true?

a. An ISC connection between CICS for OS/2 systems supports two-phase commit. b. An ISC connection between CICS for OS/2 and CICS for MVS/ESA supports two-phase commit. c. An ISC connection between CICS for OS/2 and CICS for AIX supports two-phase commit. d. CICS for OS/2 does not support two-phase commit.

5. In which IBM CICS Client directory would you find the PLIHDR subdirectory?

a. OS2 b. DOS c. WINDOWS d. all of the above

6. Which CICS tables can refer to entries in the connection and session table - the TCS? (Select 4 answers.)

a. FCT b. PPT c. DCT d. IVP e. PCT f. SNT

7. Which environment variable will CICSENV set for BMS user maps?

a. CICSUSERMAP b. USERTRL c. USERWRK d. CICSRGRP

8. Which are valid IBM Client initialization file sections (Select 2 answers.)?

a. PROTOCOL b. DRIVER c. CLIENT d. PRINTER e. EMULATOR

9. You are automatically updating an existing CICS for OS/2 system. Which keyword in the response file will be ignored if it is different than the previous installation?

a. COMP = CICS for OS/2 sample code b. CFGUPDATE = MANUAL c. OVERWRITE = YES d. FILE = c:\CICS200

10.When browsing a file, which of these commands are allowed after an EXEC CICS READNEXT?

a. ENDBR for the same file b. READ UPDATE for the record returned by the READNEXT c. READPREV for the same file d. STARTBR for the same file

11. In a Peer-to-Peer environment, which statement is NOT true?

a. Each partner is responsible for its own control functions. b. Only synchronous communication is possible between partners. c. A transaction can be involved in several different relationships simultaneously. d. Control of communication is shared between partners.

12. A CICS transaction consists of three logical units of work, each of which makes modifications to a database. If the system fails during the third unit of work, what will happen?

a. All of the data modifications made by the transaction will be backed out. b. Only the data modifications made in the third LUW will be backed out. c. If the database is on a remote system, backout will only occur if two-phase commit is supported. d. The data involved will not be accessible by anyone else until the transaction is rerun.

13. What is used in a CICS based Transaction Server to determine which users can access CICS files?

a. the Resource Level key b. the Transaction Level key c. the Access Control List d. the Remote Procedure Calls

14. What is the least efficient way to obtain small amounts of working storage for application usage?

a. EXEC CICS GETMAIN b. program storage c. TWA d. COMMAREA

15. Which CICS command can NOT use the NOSUSPEND/NOQUEUE option?

a. EXEC CICS ENQ b. EXEC CICS READQ TS c. EXEC CICS ALLOCATE d. EXEC CICS READQ TD

16. What does a CICS client use to pass user data or file keys to a CICS server?

a. TWA b. TCTUA c. COMMAREA d. File Area

17. Why would you want to modify the CICS autoinstall program? (Select 3 answers.)

a. to limit the total number of logged on terminals b. to keep utilisation information about terminals c. to avoid making entries in the WSD for all terminals to be installed d. to handle special cases such as always allowing a particular user to log on

18. Which statements about user-written post-initialisation programs are true? (Select 3 answers.)

a. All CICS facilities, except direct communication with a terminal, are available. b. All post-initialisation programs must be defined in the RD, as well as in the Pd. c. Post-initialisation programs can communicate with each other via the CWA or a TWA. d. Each post-initialisation program runs sequentially after completion of CICS initialisation and before any user sign-ons.

19. Which usage statistics can PA/2 provide?

a. OS/2 processes b. Temporary Storage c. Program Control d. DB2 accesses e. Transaction Routing requests

20. Which information can NOT be displayed in real time by CICS for OS/2 Performance Analyser/2?

a. CICS OS/2 Log File b. transaction rate over the last hour c. system File Manager d. real memory use over the last hour

21. What results from invoking the CICS supplied CRTE transaction using the following command?

CRTE SYSID=REGION1

a. The SYSID REGION1 is created. b. All CICS transactions are run on the REGION server. c. A connection is established to the server with the local CD definition REGION1. d. Transaction routing is enabled to the region with the local CD definition REGION1.

22. Where are files for which the changes are to be logged by the CICS for OS/2 File Manager specified?

a. in the PBROLL file b. in the BLOG.CFG file c. in the BROLL.LST file d. in the CONFIG.SYS file

23. You use the File Manager CREATE command to preallocate pages when creating a new data file. Which statements are true? (Select 2 answers.)

a. Up to 64K pages can be preallocated. b. The disk must have sufficient contiguous free space available for the allocation, or the CREATE will fail. c. No other data file can use the preallocated space, even if the file owning it does not occupy it all. d. When the preallocated space is filled, File Manager will automatically attempt to make a secondary allocation based on the amount initially preallocated.

24. How many DCE security servers can be defined within a DCE cell?

a. one b. two c. a maximum of six d. none

25. Which CICS facility is used to run a 3270 transaction on a remote CICS system?

a. Transaction Routing b. Function Shipping c. Distributed Program Link d. Distributed Transaction Processing

26. Which CICS command is used to validate user defined conversion tables?

a. CICSCVT b. CICSVUCT c. CICSCTBL d. CICSLCTB

27. A Windows client is connected to a CICS for OS/2 server on a NetBIOS LAN. Which configuration statements are valid for a printer used for CICS output generated by the client?

a. It must be attached to the CICS for OS/2 server. b. It must be attached to a separate print server. c. It must be attached to the client that started the transaction. d. It can be attached to any client or server on the LAN.

28. CICS for OS/2 has unexpectedly stopped. What would you do first to discover the reason?

a. View CICSMSG.LOG. b. Take a system dump. c. Use EXEC CIS INQUIRE TASK to see what tasks are running. d. Inspect TD and TS queues with CEBR.

CICS Transaction Server for OS/2 Warp Sample Test 520

Answer Key:

1. c

2. d

3. d

4. d

5. a

6. abce

7. a

8. bc

9. d

10. ac

11. b

12. b

13. a

14. a

15. b

16. c

17. abd

18. abd

19. abc

20. d

21. d

22. b

23. ac

24. a

25. a

26. d

27. d

28. a

Reference Links

 * IBM Transaction Processing Certification Roadmaps