CICS-FCTD is an online menu-driven system utility, operating under CICS, that provides the means to dynamically create and maintain all file definitions required by CICS. These file definitions are those contained within the CICS File Control Table (FCT).
CICS-FCTD's facilities provide for the creation and maintenance of all file definitions, all required labels, and all required disk assignments for any VSAM or BDAM type file. Sequential files can be defined to CICS through the CICS-FCTD utility, allowing applications and other file utilities to access sequential type files for inquiry and modification.
CICS-FCTD builds and maintains FCT-like file control definitions. These file definitions are retained in a VSAM file and are keyed by the 8-character DDNAME operand. The key to the CICS-FCTD file definition is the same as the DDNAME of the FCT. This allows the functions of other CICS utilities, such as CSMT and CEMT, to function and operate according to the same set of rules.
Any VSAM or BDAM type file can be defined through CICS-FCTD including fixed-length sequential files. File label information is specified through CICS-FCTD. FCTD in turn properly builds the DLBL, EXTENT, and ASSGN information for DOS or the DD statement information for MVS.
CICS-FCTD will dynamically create the actual CICS FCT table entry and append this entry to the CICS File Control Table that resides in memory. These requests are handled dynamically and according to the specifications defined in the CICS-FCTD file definition.
The CICS-FCTD file definitions contain all of the information that would ordinarily be kept within the FCT entry, plus additional information. This additional information provides greater control and flexibility over the files that are used through CICS, but with far less work required to define a new file to CICS.
When a new file is created, various status values can be assigned for the file. These values can be dynamically modified by authorized personnel at any time, through CICS-FCTD.
Dynamically create and maintain all file definitions required by CICS.
Powerful file maintenance using the file service functions, allowing you to display, modify, add and delete records to any file known to CICS
Define nearly any file in the system to CICS by using FCTD, allowing you to have online maintenance functions to virtually any file in the environment
Eliminate the system requirement of re-assembling the FCT when a new file is introduced
Improve your CICS startup performance
Gain new insights through statistical reporting
Improve audit control and satisfy compliance requirements with ease
Isolate duplicate keys
Schedule file deactivation
Improve productivity and performance with time-saving file definition capabilities.
FCT administration
Hot FCT updates to CICS
Increase CICS performance
Mitigate CICS downtime
File availability
Reduce CICS resource utilization
Increase productivity
Automated file deactivation
Schedule file closure
Easy file maintenance
File Audit
Status code
BDAM integrity
Batch capability
Transaction and program disablement
File statistics and reporting
Support for remote file definitions
Online file manipulation
Hex view and update facility
Record search
Search using LOCATE
Online record reformatting
Duplicate key isolation
Non-numeric search
Extend variable length records
Sequential file administration
Batch interface
Documentation and help facility