Customer Information Control System Interview Questions And Answers

Download CICS Interview Questions and Answers PDF

Prepare comprehensively for your CICS interview with our extensive list of 194 questions. These questions will test your expertise and readiness for any CICS interview scenario. Ideal for candidates of all levels, this collection is a must-have for your study plan. Access the free PDF to get all 194 questions and give yourself the best chance of acing your CICS interview. This resource is perfect for thorough preparation and confidence building.

194 CICS Questions and Answers:

CICS Job Interview Questions Table of Contents:

CICS Job Interview Questions and Answers

1 :: What is CICS?

CICS (Customer Information Control System) is a transaction server that runs primarily on IBM mainframe systems under z/OS and z/VSE.

CICS is a transaction manager designed for rapid, high-volume online processing. This processing is mostly interactive (screen-oriented), but background transactions are possible.

While CICS has its highest profile among financial institutions such as banks and insurance companies, over 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies are reported to rely on CICS (running on z/OS) for their core business functions, beside many governments. CICS is used in bank-teller applications, ATM systems, industrial production control systems, insurance applications and many other types of interactive application.

Recent CICS Transaction Server enhancements include support for Web services and Enterprise Java Beans (EJBs). IBM began shipping the latest release, CICS Transaction Server - Version 3.2, in June of 2007.

2 :: Kindly specify the PIC clause for the following:
Any BLL Cell, Data type of Length Option field, HHMMSS type of data fields?

Any BLL Cell -S9(8) COMP
Data type of length Option field - S9(4) COMP
HHMMSS type of data fields - S9(7) COMP 3

3 :: List the sequence of steps used to achieve Modiication in Skip Sequential Mode?

List the sequence of steps used to achieve "Modiication in Skip Sequential Mode".

I. READNEXT command
II. Issue the ENDBR command
II. Issue the READ command with UDATE option.
IV. Manipulate the record ( DELETE or REWRITE command)
V. Issue START command
VI. Isusue two READNEXT commands (One for dummy skip)
VII. Go to step two.

4 :: What are the commands used to gain exclusive control over a resource?

What are the commands used to gain
exclusive control over a resource
(for Ex a Temporary storage queue.)?

EXEC CICS ENQ EXEC CICS DEQ
RESOURCE(QID) RESOURCE(QID)
END-EXEC END-EXEC

5 :: Mention the 5 fields available in the symbolic map for every NAMED field in the DFHMDI macro? Give a brief description of these fields (Not exceeding a line).?

FIELD+L - Return the length of text entered (or for dymanic cursor positioning)
FIELD+F - Return X(80) if data entered but erased.
FIELD+A - Used for attributes reading and setting
FIELD+I - Used for reading the text entered while receiving the map.
FIELD+O - Used for sending information on to the MAP.

6 :: How do you intitiate another transaction?

The transaction initiated should be in a position to retrieve information pertaining to which transaction has initiated it and from which terminal. (Code the required CICS commands)

EXEC CICS START

INTERVAL(hhmmss)/TIME(hhmmss)

TRANSID('TRAN')

TERMID('TRM1)

FROM(data-area)

LENGTH(data-value)

RTRANSID(EIBTRNID)

RTERMID(EIBTRMID)

END-EXEC

EXEC CICS RETRIEVE
INTO(data-area)
LENGTH(data-value)
RTRANSID(data-name)
RTERMID(data-name)
END-EXEC

7 :: What is the CICS command used to access current date and time?

ASKTIME.

8 :: How do you terminate an already issued DELAY command?

EXEC CICS CANCEL
REQID(id)
END-EXEC

9 :: Which option of the PCT entry is used to specify the PF key to be pressed for initiating a transaction?

TASKREQ=PF1

10 :: Mention the option used in the CICS READ command to gain accessibility directly to the file I/O area. (Assume COBOL-II).?

SET(ADDRESS OF LINKAGE-AREA).

11 :: How do you establish a starting position in a browse operation?

EXEC CICS STARTBR ---- END-EXEC.

12 :: What is the CICS command that gives the length of TWA area?

EXEC CICS ASSIGN
TWALENG(data-value)
END-EXEC.

13 :: How do you set the MDT option to ON status, even if data is not entered?

Mention FSET option in DFHMDF or set it dynamically in the program using FIELD+A sttribute field.

14 :: How do you dynamically set the CURSOR position to a specific field?

MOVE-1 to FIELD + L field. Mention CURSOR option in the SEND command.

15 :: Specify the CICS command used to read a VSAM record starting with prefix F. Code all the relevant options?

EXEC CICS READ
DATASET('FILENAME')
INTO(data-area)
RIDFLD(data-area)
KEYLENGTH(1)
GENERIC
LENGTH(WK-LEN)
END-EXEC.

16 :: Which command is used to release a record on which exclusive control is gained?

EXEC CICS UNLOCK END-EXEC.

17 :: What is the option specified in the read operation to gain multiple concurrent operations on the same dataset?

REQID(value)

18 :: What are the attribute values of Skipper and Stopper fields?

ASKIP. PROT.

19 :: Specify CICS transaction initiation process. ( From the perspective of CICS control programs and control tables.)?

TCP places data in TIOA and corresponding entry into TCT.
KCP acquires the transaction identifier from TIOA and verifies if it is present in PCT.
SCP acquires Storage in Task Control Area (TCA), in which KCP prepares control data for the task.
KCP then loads the application programs mentioned in PCT by looking for it in PPT.
If resident - real storage memory location is not present in the PPT the control is passed to PCP that loads the application program from the physical storage location address given in PPT. The control is then passed to the application program (LOAD module).

20 :: Specify the requirements for Automatic Task Initiation. (Mention the control table, it is entries and the corresponding Procedure division CICS command).?

DFHDCT TYPE = INTRA,
DESTIN = MSGS,
TRANSID = MSW1,
TRIGLEV = 1000

EXEC CICS WRITEQ TD
QUEUE('MSGS'),
FROM(DATA-AREA),
LENGTH(MSG_LEN)
END-EXEC.

21 :: What is the EIB parameter and the CICS command used to implement Pseudo-Conversational technique using single PCT - Single PPT entry?

EIBCALEN - To check if COMMAREA has been passed in terurn command.
EXEC CICS RETURN
TRANSID(data-name)
COMMAREA(data-area)
LENGTH (data-value)
END-EXEC

22 :: What are the two ways of breaking a CPU bound process to allow other task to gain access to CPU?

EXEC CICS DELAY EXEC CICS DELAY
INTERVAL(hhmmss) TIME(hhmmss)
END-EXEC END-EXEC

23 :: Mention the option (along with argument type) used in a CICS command to retrieve the response code after execution of the command?

RESP( S9(8) COM. )

24 :: Into what fields will the date and time values be moved after execution of the above command?

EIBDATE and EIBTIME.

25 :: What are the six different type of argument values in COBOL that can be placed in various options of a CICS command?

. Data Value - EX (Literal 8 or 77 KEYLEN PIC S9(4) COMP VALUE8.)
. Data Area - EX (01 RECORD-AREA. 05 FIELD PIC X(5).)
. Pointer-REF -EX (05 POINTER-I PIC S9(8( COMP.) . Name -EX (05 FIELD-NAME PIC X(5) VALUE 'FILEA'.)
. Label - Cobol paragraph name
. HHMMSS - EX (77 TIMEVAL PIC S9(7) COMP3. )