Install the CICS code module

The CICS code module traces CICS transactions initiated using IBM MQ (Bridge or Trigger), CICS Transaction Gateway, HTTP/S, SOAP (over HTTP/S), or 3270 terminal.

It traces messages of IBM MQ, and database calls to DB2 and IMS DB (via the DL/I access method).
It traces any programs invoked using CICS Link.
It provides transaction details for DPL LINK and START TRANSACTION requests within a distributed trace.

The CICS code module includes a PLT program that initiates at CICS startup, and this program captures data on various CICS transaction processing events and forwards that information to the zDC subsystem.

Installation

You need to install the CICS code module in every CICS region that you want to monitor. To update your CICS code module without restarting the CICS region, see Update the CICS code module without region restart.

CICS library definition

You can dynamically add the load library as a CICS library definition in the CSD. The CEDA definition is in SZDTSAMP member CICRDO. You can find it in the example in the next section.

If you don't want to use the CICS Library definition, you need to add the following PDS (or its contents) to the DFHRPL concatenation:

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// DD DISP=SHR,DSN=<hlq>.SZDTLOAD

Where <hlq> is the high-level qualifier you set during Download z/OS product datasets.

Dynatrace CICS programs and transaction

The sample CICS definitions below install programs and a transaction that are required by the CICS code module. A copy of these definitions can be found in SZDTSAMP member CICRDO, which is provided for use with the batch RDO utility DFHCSDUP.

We recommend to use these transaction and group names, but you can change them in accordance with your installation policies. Coordinate the group name and group list name with your CICS administrator. Replace XYZLIST with the name of your group list (GRPLIST).

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CEDA DEFINE LIBRARY(DYNATRA) DESCRIPTION(DYNATRACE LOAD Library)
     GROUP(DTA1) DSNAME01(<hlq>.SZDTLOAD)

CEDA DEFINE TRANSACTION(DTAX) DESCRIPTION(DYNATRACE CODE MODULE UTILITY TRAN)
     GROUP(DTA1) PROGRAM(ZDTPLT) TASKDATAKEY(CICS) TASKDATALOC(ANY)

CEDA DEFINE PROGRAM(ZDTPLT) DESCRIPTION(DYNATRACE CODE MODULE UTILITY PROG)
     GROUP(DTA1) DATALOCATION(ANY) EXECKEY(CICS)

CEDA DEFINE PROGRAM(ZDTPLTSD) DESCRIPTION(DYNATRACE CODE MODULE SHUTDOWN PROG)
     GROUP(DTA1) DATALOCATION(ANY) EXECKEY(CICS)

CEDA DEFINE PROGRAM(ZDTAGT68) DESCRIPTION(DYNATRACE CTS 5.1 AGENT)
     GROUP(DTA1) CEDF(NO) CONCURRENCY(THREADSAFE) DATALOCATION(ANY)
     LANGUAGE(ASSEMBLER)

CEDA DEFINE PROGRAM(ZDTAGT69) DESCRIPTION(DYNATRACE CTS 5.2 AGENT)
     GROUP(DTA1) CEDF(NO) CONCURRENCY(THREADSAFE) DATALOCATION(ANY)
     LANGUAGE(ASSEMBLER)

CEDA DEFINE PROGRAM(ZDTAGT70) DESCRIPTION(DYNATRACE CTS 5.3 AGENT)
     GROUP(DTA1) CEDF(NO) CONCURRENCY(THREADSAFE) DATALOCATION(ANY)
     LANGUAGE(ASSEMBLER)

CEDA DEFINE PROGRAM(ZDTAGT71) DESCRIPTION(DYNATRACE CTS 5.4 AGENT)
     GROUP(DTA1) CEDF(NO) CONCURRENCY(THREADSAFE) DATALOCATION(ANY)
     LANGUAGE(ASSEMBLER)

CEDA DEFINE PROGRAM(ZDTAGT72) DESCRIPTION(DYNATRACE CTS 5.5 AGENT)
     GROUP(DTA1) CEDF(NO) CONCURRENCY(THREADSAFE) DATALOCATION(ANY)
     LANGUAGE(ASSEMBLER)

CEDA DEFINE PROGRAM(ZDTAGT73) DESCRIPTION(DYNATRACE CTS 5.6 AGENT)
     GROUP(DTA1) CEDF(NO) CONCURRENCY(THREADSAFE) DATALOCATION(ANY)
     LANGUAGE(ASSEMBLER)

CEDA DEFINE PROGRAM(ZDTAGT74) DESCRIPTION(DYNATRACE CTS 6.1 AGENT)
     GROUP(DTA1) CEDF(NO) CONCURRENCY(THREADSAFE) DATALOCATION(ANY)
     LANGUAGE(ASSEMBLER)

CEDA DEFINE PROGRAM(ZDTSOAPH) DESCRIPTION(DYNATRACE SOAP HEADER PROG)
     GROUP(DTA1) EXECKEY(USER) CONCURRENCY(THREADSAFE)
     DATALOCATION(ANY) LANGUAGE(ASSEMBLER)

CEDA DEFINE PROGRAM(ZDTDC2) DESCRIPTION(COBOL2 PRIMER PROGRAM)
     GROUP(DTA1) EXECKEY(CICS) CONCURRENCY(THREADSAFE)
     DATALOCATION(ANY) LANGUAGE(COBOL)

CEDA DEFINE PROGRAM(ZDTDC2A) DESCRIPTION(COBOL2 PRIMER PROGRAM)
     GROUP(DTA1) EXECKEY(CICS) CONCURRENCY(THREADSAFE)
     DATALOCATION(ANY) LANGUAGE(COBOL)

CEDA DEFINE TDQueue(ZDTQ) DESCRIPTION(DYNATRACE FOR DTAX Messages)
     GROUP(DTA1) TYPE(Extra) DAtabuffers(001) DDname(ZDTQ)
     Opentime(Deferred) Erroroption(Ignore) TYPEFile(Output)
     RecordSize(00136) BlockSize(00140) RECORDFormat(Variable)
     BLOCKFormat(Unblocked) DIsposition(Shr)

CEDA INSTALL GROUP(DTA1)

CEDA ADD GROUP(DTA1) LIST(XYZLIST)

CICS startup program list table

Add the CICS startup program (ZDTPLT) after the DFHDELIM entry in your PLTPI source code and assemble the table.

This step is optional for test installations because the DTAX transaction can be used instead to enable the code module after CICS initialization. We recommend that you place the ZDTPLT entry immediately before the TYPE=FINAL specification.

The JCL procedure DFHAUPLE in CICSHLQ.SDFHINST(DFHAUPLE) can be used to build the PLTPI table.

Below is an example of the PLTPI table that contains the CICS startup program.

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*
* PLT USED TO SUPPORT DYNATRACE CODE MODULE INITIALIZATION
*
         DFHPLT TYPE=INITIAL,SUFFIX=SI
         DFHPLT TYPE=ENTRY,PROGRAM=DFHDELIM
* Other PLT startup programs here...
         DFHPLT TYPE=ENTRY,PROGRAM=ZDTPLT
         DFHPLT TYPE=FINAL
         END

Important note for Compuware Xpediter Global storage protection users

The PLT startup program (ZDTPLT) initializes the CICS code module's exit work area, which CICS obtains on its behalf. Products such as Compuware Xpediter/CICS may be configured to enforce strict storage access controls and may abend ZDTPLT and prevent the CICS code module from starting unless it is excluded from these controls. If you use the Xpediter/CICS global storage protection feature, add a monitor exceptions entry to the XDDBPINP DD in the CICS region JCL to exclude ZDTPLT*. For example:

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DBPA 17.02 TRAN=*,PROGRAM=ZDTPLT*,CSECT=*

CICS shutdown program list table

Add the CICS shutdown program (ZDTPLTSD) before the DFHDELIM entry in your PLTSD source code and assemble the table.

We recommend to place the ZDTPLTSD entry immediately after the TYPE=INITIAL specification.

The JCL procedure DFHAUPLE in CICSHLQ.SDFHINST(DFHAUPLE) can be used to build the PLTSD table.

Below is an example of the PLTSD table that contains the CICS shutdown program.

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*
* PLT USED TO SUPPORT DYNATRACE CODE MODULE SHUTDOWN
*
         DFHPLT TYPE=INITIAL,SUFFIX=SD
         DFHPLT TYPE=ENTRY,PROGRAM=ZDTPLTSD
* Other PLT shutdown programs here...
         DFHPLT TYPE=ENTRY,PROGRAM=DFHDELIM
         DFHPLT TYPE=FINAL
         END

SIT override INITPARM for non-default zDC subsystems

The PLT startup program (ZDTPLT) automatically connects to the default zDC at CICS region initialization.

If multiple zDCs are running, it connects to the zDC that specifies DEFAULT(YES), unless an INITPARM parameter in the CICS system initialization parameters specifies that it must connect to a zDC with a particular name:

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INITPARM=(ZDTPLT='MEPC,<Option>'),

<Option> sets the logging level for the CICS code module; see Logging.

For linking CICS code modules to non-default zDCs, see the section on Running multiple zDC systems on a single z/OS image.

CICSPlex name grouping

You can group CICS regions belonging to the same CICSPlex into a single process group. To do so

In the Dynatrace menu, go to Settings > Mainframe > Transaction monitoring.
Turn on Group CICS regions that belong to the same CICSPlex.
Add MASPLTWAIT(YES) to your LMAS parameter. It instructs the CICS region to wait for the CICSPlex to become available before proceeding. If the CICSPlex isn't available, the code module can't consider it.
optional The MASINITTIME(10) timeout interal defaults to 10 minutes. You can customize it in the range of 5 minutes to 59 minutes.

If you enabled CICSPlex name grouping after the CICS region is up, you need run the DTAX transaction DTAX DISABLE and DTAX ENABLE.

SOAP support

To trace SOAP service provider programs that are invoked by DFHPITP from CICS SOAP pipelines, update the service provider pipeline definitions for the services that should be traced. Add a <headerprogram> stanza that invokes the supplied ZDTSOAPH header program.

For example, add the definitions below to the cics_soap_1.1_handler section after any existing header program sections:

xml
<headerprogram>
    <program_name>ZDTSOAPH</program_name>
    <namespace>*</namespace>
    <localname>*</localname>
    <mandatory>true</mandatory>
</headerprogram>

To trace outbound SOAP requests that originate within CICS transactions that are traced by a CICS code module, add the previous <headerprogram> stanza to the service requester pipeline definitions of those SOAP services that should be traced. Outbound SOAP requests that occur within CICS transactions that aren't traced are ignored, however tracing isn't limited to requests from SOAP programs that act as CICS SOAP service providers.

Route DTAX messages using TDQueue

To optionally route DTAX messages to Dynatrace TDQueue (Transient Data Queue), use the ZDTQ resource definition provided above in your CICRDO member.

By default, the queue remains closed through the OPENTIME(DEFERRED) attribute. You must manually open it by using the CEMT INQUIRE|SET TDQUEUE command. To default the queue to open at install time, use the OPENTIME(INITIAL) attribute.

Logging

You can control the CICS code module log level either by using the DTAX Transaction or by specifying an optional INITPARM at CICS region startup.

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INITPARM=(ZDTPLT='MEPC,<Option>'),

<Option> sets the logging level for CICS code module. Accepted values are:

FINE | F for fine logging. We recommend to enable it only when the CICS code module has difficulties during startup.
INFO | I for info logging. This is the default.
WARNING | W for warning messages logging.
SEVERE | S for severe messages logging.

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Example:
INITPARM=(ZDTPLT='MEPC,SEVERE'),

There are two different sets of CICS logs:

One set of messages occurs when the DTAX issues the DISABLE and ENABLE commands. These messages are written to the CICS CSMT Transient Data Queue(usually written to MSGUSR). View these messages in the CICS job spool. DTAX also writes a set of messages to the CEEOUT SYSOUT statement when errors occur in the connection between the zDC and the DTAX transaction. View these messages in the CICS Job spool. As long as the DTAX transaction can connect to the zDC, it logs its messages to the zRemote.
The CICS code module monitoring transaction activity routes its log messages to the zDC, and subsequently to the zRemote. The log shows if any corrupted distributed traces, timeouts, or other errors occurred. You may also see some statistical information in these logs.

You can access the CICS logs via the zRemote logs.

Update the CICS code module without region restart

To update your CICS code module without restarting the region

Download z/OS product datasets and follow the instructions to get the newest version.
Disable the DTAX transaction in the CICS region with the DIS command.
Copy the CICS code modules in the SZDTLOAD dataset into the Dynatrace DFHRPL dataset defined to your CICS region.
Use the CICS command CEMT I PROG(ZDT*) to display the CICS code modules. Use the SET PROG(ZDT*) NEWCOPY command to tell CICS a new version of each program will be used.
Enter CICS command CEDA INSTALL GROUP(DTA1) to install the new code module to the CICS region.
Enable the DTAX transaction with the EN command. Verify that the new CICS code module version is displayed on the DTAX panel.