Top 10 CICS Interview Questions.

Q:        What is the function of CICS translator?

A:    The CICS translator converts the EXEC CICS  commands into call statements for the specific programming language. There is CICS Translators for Assembler, COBOL and PL/I

Q:        What does “pseudo-conversation” mean?

A:       The programming technique in which the task will not wait for the end users replies on the      

            terminal. Terminating the task every time the application needs a response from the user and

            specifying the next transaction to be started when the end user presses any attention key 

            (Enter, Pf1, through PF24, PA1, PA2, Clear) is pseudo-conversational processing.

Q:        How can you start the CICS transaction other than by keying the transaction ID at the terminal?

A:  

·        By coding EXEC CICS START in the application program

·        By coding the trans id and the trigger level on the DCT table

·        By coding the trans id in the EXEC CICS START comment

·        By associating an attention key with the program control table

·        By embedding the trans id in the first four position of a screen sent to the terminal

·        By using the program list table

Q:       What is the purpose of the Program List Table?

A:        The Program List Table records the set of application programs that will be executed automatically at CICS start-up time.

Q:       What are the difference between an EXEC CICS XCTL and an EXEC CICS START comment?

A:        The XCTL command transfers the control to another application (having same transaction ID), While the start, command initiates a new transaction ID (therefore a new task number). The XCTL continues the task on the same terminal. START can initiate a task on another terminal.

Q:        What are the difference between an EXEC CICS XCTL and an EXEC CICS LINK comment?

A:        The XCTL command transfers control to an application program at the same logical level  

            (do  not expect to control back), While the LINK command passes the control to an 

             application program at the next logical level and expects control back.

Q:        What happens to the resources supplied to a transaction when an XCTL command is executed?

A:        With an XCTL, the working storage and the procedure division of the program issuing the XCTL are released. The I/O area, the GETMAIN areas, and the chained linkage section area (commarea from a higher level) remain. All existing locks and queues also remain in the area. With a LINK, however, program storage is also saved, since the transaction expects to return and use it again.

Q:       What CICS command do you need to obtain the user logon-id?

A:         EXEC CICS ASSIGN with the OPERID option.

Q:      What is a resident program?

A:      A program or map loaded into the CICS nucleus so that it is kept permanently in the main 

          storage and not deleted when CICS goes “short on the storage”  

Q:      What is some of the information available in the EIB area?

A:

·        The cursor position in the map

·        Transaction ID

·        Terminal ID

·        Task number

·        Length of communication area

·        Current date and time

·        Attention identifier

Q:        What information can be obtained from the EIBRCODE?

A:        The EIBRCODE tells the application program if the last CICS command was executed successfully and, if not, why not.

Q:        What is the effect of including the TRANSID in the EXEC CICS RETURN command?

A:        The next time the end user presses attention key, CICS will start the transaction specified in the TRANSID option.