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.

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

CRTE SYSID=REGION1
 * 21. What results from invoking the CICS supplied CRTE transaction using the following command?
 * 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.

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