CICS Explorer

CICS Explorer® is an Eclipse-based system management tool that connects to either a CICS TS for z/OS system, or CICS TS for VSE/ESA system. CICS Explorer provides a way of managing one or more CICS® systems, providing a view of some of the CICSPlex® SM functions in CICS Transaction Server and a platform for the integration of future CICS tools. When connected to a z/OS system, CICS Explorer also provides an intuitive and secure way to view and edit z/OS® data sets and zFS files, submit JCL, and view output and job logs.

One way to manage CICS regions is to use a variety of stand-alone graphical and non-graphical user interfaces, with no common way to complete tasks. CICS Explorer provides a set of CICSPlex SM functions to manage CICS regions, and a platform on which CICS tools that are integrated in the Eclipse Rich Client Platform (RCP) can present tasks and information in a common way.

CICS Explorer connects to either a CICSPlex SM WUI server (CICS TS for z/OS only) or a single CICS region. When connected to a CICSPlex SM WUI server, CICS Explorer operations views provide a single-system image of all the CICS resources in a CICSplex. When CICS Explorer is connected to a CICS TS for z/OS Version 4 or later CICS system, you can use the operations views for the following actions:
  • Enabling and disabling resources
  • Opening and closing resources
  • Acquiring and releasing resources
  • Placing resources in and out of service
  • Purging tasks associated with a resource
  • Discarding resource definitions from a CICS system where they are installed
The CICS Explorer definition views display details of the CICS and CICSPlex SM resource definitions, and when the CICS Explorer is connected to a CICS TS for z/OS version 4 or later CICSPlex SM WUI, you can use the definition views and the resource editor for the following actions:
  • Displaying resource definitions
  • Creating and updating resource definitions
  • Installing or removing resource definitions

The CICS Explorer z/OS perspective provides an intuitive and secure way to view and edit z/OS datasets and zFS files, submit JCL, and view output and job logs. The default perspective consists of three views that provide z/OS information: The Data Sets view, the Jobs view, and the z/OS UNIX Files view. You can use these views to view, edit, and submit JCL datasets and other text files. The Console view provides a history of the actions you have performed, such as submitting a job, or changing and saving a file.

The CICS Explorer z/OS perspective provides an intuitive and secure way to view and edit z/OS datasets and zFS files, submit JCL, and view output and job logs. The default perspective contains three views that provide system z information: The Data Sets view, the Jobs view, and the z/OS Unix Files view. Using these views you can view, edit, and submit JCL datasets and other text files. The Console view provides a history of the actions you have performed, such as submitting a job, or changing and saving a file.

CICS Explorer includes context and more detailed help for the resource views and help about using CICS Explorer and the basic Eclipse functions. For detailed help for CICS TS and CICSPlex SM, see CICS Transaction Server for z/OS, Version 5.2 product documentation.

Next steps

If you are new to the Eclipse interface, see Introduction to Eclipse.

If you are familiar with the Eclipse interface, for information about how you to use the CICS Explorer, see Basic tutorial. Alternatively, use the search facility to find specific information in this help.

For more information about CICS TS for VSE/ESA, see z/VSE® Products and Components on the IBM® Systems web site.