Chapter 1: Overview

This chapter explains what Mainframe Transaction Option is and how you use it.

What is Mainframe Transaction Option?

Mainframe Transaction Option is a facility available with Net Express, Server Express and Enterprise Server that enables CICS applications that have been migrated from the mainframe to be maintained, developed and deployed on Windows or UNIX platforms.

Mirco Focus or third-party systems integrators use the Migration Toolkit to migrate the application from the mainframe environment to the Windows or UNIX environment.

You use Net Express with MTO for maintaining your CICS applications. You can edit and compile BMS maps, and also compile the CICS programs, using the Micro Focus CICS preprocessor, which translates the CICS commands into native code.When the application is ready to run, you then deploy it to Enterprise Server with MTO.

The Mainframe Transaction Option in Server Express (Server Express MTO) offers an alternative environment for the compilation of CICS programs.

Net Express MTO is always the first choice for maintenance and development regardless of the platform to which the application will be deployed.

You use Enterprise Server with MTO for running your CICS applications, for testing and for production use. Enterprise Server with MTO also provides facilities for monitoring and controlling your applications and for other tasks such as maintaining CICS resource definitions.

Licensing

You need the following additional licenses to run Mainframe Transaction Option:

An MTO development license to run the development facilities in Net Express or Server Express. If an MTO development license is installed, the license management software automatically generates a license that enables the developer to test MTO applications on Enterprise Server as long as Enterprise Server and one or more Enterprise Server licenses are installed on the same machine as the development system. For more information about development licensing, see your Net Express License Management System User's Guide or your Server Express Development Licensing Guide.
An Enterprise Server MTO license to run your application in Enterprise Server. For more information about Enterprise Server licensing, see your Deployment Licensing Guide.

Developing and Testing the Application

Once the CICS application has been migrated, developers take over. The development process using Net Express as the development environment running alongside Enterprise Server is as follows:

Developers maintain and compile BMS mapsets in Net Express MTO.
Developers maintain resource definitions in Net Express MTO.
Developers maintain and compile CICS COBOL programs in Net Express.
If the destination is Enterprise Server for UNIX, they use the Net Express Publish option to publish the application to UNIX.
They deploy the application to Enterprise Server.
They debug the application in Enterprise Server.

Steps 3 through 6 need to be repeated as required to get the application working correctly.

Developers need to have some familiarity with running programs in Enterprise Server and the facilities provided therein specifically for monitoring CICS applications.

Running the Application

Once the application is working correctly, administrators look after the running and monitoring of the application in Enterprise Server for Windows or Enterprise Server for UNIX. They need to:

Maintain resource definitions; they can do this either in Enterprise Server or Net Express. The format is portable between environments. There are also import and export tools which enable the downloading of the definitions into a text file for more convenient editing.
Control and monitor the running of the application, within the context of Enterprise Server.

The administration tool ESMAC, Enterprise Server Monitoring and Control, provides facilities for maintaining resource definitions and monitoring and controlling CICS applications. Many of its facilities are also available for non-MTO applications running in Enterprise Server. For detailed information about running CICS Applications in Enterprise Server, see the chapter Administering MTO-enabled Enterprise Servers for CICS.

You also need to use facilities in the main Enterprise Server interface. For more information see the main Enterprise Server Configuration and Administration Guide