Interview Questions and Answers
Freshers / Beginner level questions & answers
Ques 1. What is CICS?
Customer Information Control System (CICS) is a transaction processing system designed for online processing.
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Ques 2. What is a BMS map in CICS?
Basic Mapping Support (BMS) map is used to define the layout of screens and messages in CICS applications.
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Ques 3. Explain the concept of a CICS task.
A CICS task represents the execution of a transaction from start to finish, including the processing of one or more units of work.
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Ques 4. What is the purpose of the EIB in CICS?
The Execution Interface Block (EIB) contains information about the current task, including transaction ID and terminal details.
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Ques 5. What is a CICS resource definition?
Resource definitions in CICS include files, transactions, queues, and other system objects that programs may access.
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Ques 6. What is a CICS terminal and terminal control program?
A CICS terminal is a device used for user interaction. Terminal Control Program (TCP) manages the flow of control between terminals and CICS programs.
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Ques 7. What is the CEMT transaction used for in CICS?
CEMT (CICS Execution Management Transaction) is used for monitoring and managing CICS resources, transactions, and tasks during runtime.
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Ques 8. Explain the purpose of the COMMAREA in a CICS program.
The COMMAREA (Communication Area) is a reserved area for passing data between cooperating programs in a CICS transaction.
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Ques 9. What is the significance of the EXEC CICS RETURN command?
EXEC CICS RETURN is used to explicitly terminate a CICS program and return control to the calling program or transaction.
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Ques 10. Explain the purpose of the DFHRESP field in the EIB in CICS.
DFHRESP in the EIB contains the response code indicating the success or failure of the last CICS command executed in the program.
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Ques 11. Explain the function of the CICS transient data queues.
Transient data queues (TDQ) are used for temporary storage of data within a CICS region and are typically used for communication between tasks.
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Ques 12. What is the significance of the RESP field in CICS?
The RESP field in CICS contains the response code returned by the last CICS command, indicating the success or failure of the operation.
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Ques 13. What is the significance of the CICS EXEC Interface Block (EIB)?
The CICS EIB contains information about the current execution environment, including transaction ID, program name, and other system-related details.
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Intermediate / 1 to 5 years experienced level questions & answers
Ques 14. Explain the difference between XCTL and LINK commands in CICS.
XCTL transfers control to another program and does not return, while LINK transfers control and returns after execution.
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Ques 15. How do you define a transaction in CICS?
A CICS transaction is defined using a PCT (Program Control Table) entry, specifying program and transaction ID.
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Ques 16. What is a CICS pseudo-conversational program?
Pseudo-conversational programs simulate a conversational style by using the XCTL command to transfer control between transactions.
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Ques 17. How do you handle errors in CICS programs?
Errors are often handled by checking the RESP code after CICS commands and taking appropriate actions, such as rolling back the transaction.
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Ques 18. Explain the purpose of the SYNCPOINT command in CICS.
SYNCPOINT is used to synchronize resource updates, ensuring that changes are either committed or rolled back together.
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Ques 19. What is the significance of the DFHCOMMAREA in CICS programs?
DFHCOMMAREA is a CICS reserved area used for communication between programs within the same task. It allows passing data between program invocations.
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Ques 20. Explain the purpose of the HANDLE CONDITION command in CICS.
HANDLE CONDITION is used to define exception-handling conditions, specifying actions to take when certain conditions occur during program execution.
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Ques 21. How do you define a CICS file control entry?
File control entries define file-related information in the File Control Table (FCT), specifying attributes like file name, organization, and access mode.
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Ques 22. What is the purpose of the XCTL and LINK parameters in the CICS program definition?
The XCTL and LINK parameters in the program definition specify whether a program is to be executed using XCTL or LINK when called from another program.
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Ques 23. Explain the difference between a transient data queue and a temporary storage queue in CICS.
Transient data queues hold data within a task and are deleted when the task ends. Temporary storage queues persist data even after the task terminates.
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Ques 24. What is a CICS symbolic map?
A CICS symbolic map is a map generated at runtime based on the mapset and containing symbolic field names defined in the mapset.
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Ques 25. What is the CICS Journaling feature used for?
CICS Journaling is used to capture and log changes made to recoverable resources, providing a means for recovery in case of failures.
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Ques 26. How do you define a CICS program entry in the Program Control Table (PCT)?
A CICS program entry in the PCT includes information such as program name, load module location, and language compiler options.
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Ques 27. What is the purpose of the ENABLE and DISABLE commands in CICS?
ENABLE and DISABLE commands are used to control the processing of interrupts in a CICS region, allowing or preventing certain events.
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Ques 28. How can you handle dynamic memory allocation in CICS?
Dynamic memory allocation in CICS is often handled using commands like GETMAIN and FREEMAIN to allocate and free storage during program execution.
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Ques 29. Explain the purpose of the XCTL and LINK commands in CICS.
XCTL is used to transfer control to another program or transaction and does not return, while LINK transfers control and returns after execution.
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Experienced / Expert level questions & answers
Ques 30. How can you handle deadlock situations in CICS?
Deadlocks can be handled by defining proper timeouts, using SYNCPOINT and HANDLE CONDITION, or implementing deadlock detection and resolution mechanisms.
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Most helpful rated by users:
- What is a BMS map in CICS?
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