Compaq Computer Corporation, Inc.

Tandem Computers Incorporated

Robert W Redd

Andreas E Hotea

David G Velasco

Geoffrey A McDonald

Mark Phillips

John S De Roo

A customer information control system (CICS) application programming interface (API), with transient data queue functions, in a loosely coupled data processing environment. In accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention is directed to a method, system and computer readable medium including program instructions (hereafter collectively referred to as the &ldquo;invention&rdquo;). In particular, the invention includes implementing a loosely coupled CICS region in a data processing environment, the loosely coupled CICS region including at least two of a plurality of address spaces each of which being associated with a machine. The invention further includes providing at least one CICS-API operating system server (COSS) within the loosely coupled CICS region, each COSS operating in one of the at least two address spaces within the loosely coupled CICS region. The invention additionally includes providing an information resource within the loosely coupled CICS region, the information resource including a file for holding a transient data queue. Furthermore, the invention includes providing a suite of functions including the transient data queue functions in each COSS. Each COSS is capable of coordinated interaction with any other COSS within the loosely coupled CICS region. Notably, each COSS is also capable to directly access the transient data queue from anywhere in the loosely coupled CICS region irrespective of which address space the COSS is operating in. In one aspect of the invention, this COSS capability is achieved by way of implementing a caching scheme and a transient data process which is invoked by the respective COSS. Consequently, there is no affinity between the address space in which each COSS is operating and the address space being occupied by the transient data queue. Moreover, the information resource is shared by each COSS.

Customer information control system application programming interface with transient data functions, in a loosely coupled data processing environment

The invention a customer information control system (CICS) application programming interface (API), with global and local system and file control functions, in a loosely coupled data processing system environment. In accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention is directed to a method, system and computer readable medium for the local system and files control (hereafter collectively referred to as the &ldquo;invention&rdquo;). In particular, the invention includes implementing a loosely coupled CICS region in a data processing environment, the loosely coupled CICS region includes at least two of a plurality of machines and their respective address spaces. The invention further includes allocating a flat segment in the address space of the at least two machines. The invention additionally includes providing a keeper in the address space of each of the at least two machines, one of the keepers being designated as a master keeper. Furthermore, the invention includes providing more than one CICS-API operating system server (COSS) within the loosely coupled CICS region, each COSS residing in one of the at least two address spaces within the loosely coupled CICS region. The invention also includes providing in each COSS a suite of functions including the global and local system and file control functions so that each COSS is capable of registering as a flat segment user and interfacing with a keeper and a master keeper, and so that each COSS being further capable of interfacing via the keeper with the master keeper in another of the at least two machines. Each COSS is also capable of coordinated interaction with any other COSS within the loosely coupled CICS region. The suite of functions offer direct access to system and data resources from anywhere within the loosely coupled CICS region. Consequently, there is no system or data resource affinity between the address space in which each COSS is operating and the address space being occupied by the system and data resources.

Customer information control system application programming interface, with global and local system and file control functions, in a loosely coupled data processing environment

The present invention is a distributed computer system having a plurality of end user terminals and a plurality of loosely coupled server computers that share no resources with each other. A multiplicity of user application processes are distributed over the server computers. A temporary storage file is stored on a first one of the server computers, for temporarily storing queues of data records. Each user application process responds to execution of a WriteQ TS instruction specifying data to be stored in a specified temporary storage queue by generating and storing at least one TS data record in the temporary storage file representing the specified data. Each TS data record has a primary key indicating the record's position in the specified temporary storage queue. Each TS data record is stored in the same temporary storage file on the first server computer regardless of which server computer executes the WriteQ TS instruction. Each user application process also responds to execution of a ReadQ TS instruction specifying a temporary storage queue from which data is to be retrieved, by reading at least one TS data record from the temporary storage file.

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Roswell, GA, United States of America

Robert W Redd