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Status Delivered
Categories Runtime
Created by Guest
Created on Apr 18, 2016

Patching Applications without downtime

The major problem we have is very simple described. We want to patch an application without downtime.

Introducing a new minorversion is no problem, but fixing an existing (microversionchange) one without downtime is not possible at the moment (as I see it). Unfortunately this is very important, because we don't want to have downtimes in production. The applicaiton allways has to run. And waiting to a mentenance window is not possible.

Here is and extended scenario now:

Environment: 2 Cics Regions (Region A, Region B) below a platform hosting the same application.
Language: It should not matter if java or pli
Entrypoint: hostname/application/majorversion/minorversion
Old Applicaiton: app1, Version 1.0.0 - State is enabled and available
New Application: app1, Version 1.0.1 State is defined
Requirement: Switching to the new Applicaiton as soon as all transactions on the old end.

A scenario to enable the new application could be as followed:

-> As soon as you move the new application to availabe state, Cics should finish all running transactions in Region A.
-> Then cics should make the entrypoint of the application unavailbale in Region A and all the work for this application should now only go to Region B.
-> Next the new application should be made available in Region A.
-> Now Region A is hosting the new application. This is the time when Cics should switch hosting the applications only on Region A.
-> Cics now should switch all transactions for the application to Region A and start upgrading the Applicaiton in Region B.
-> If this is finished both Regions should be able to take the work again.

If there is only one cics region below I understand this can not work and of course there would be a downtime. But also with only one cics region at least a switch to the selected version with one click in cics explorer should be possible.

Idea priority High
  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Jun 12, 2020

    This RFE is satisfied by CICS Transaction Server for z/OS V5.6 which is Generally Available today 12th June 2020.
    CICS TS 5.6 supports pause/resume via a new ENDPOINT SPI and also as a server script command. For more information see the CICS TS V5.6 Knowledge Center https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSGMCP_5.6.0/whats-new/intro.html#intro__new-jvm-commands

  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    May 12, 2020

    This RFE is satisfied by CICS Transaction Server for z/OS V5.6 which was announced on 7th April 2020 and which has a planned availability date of 12th June 2020.
    For more information see the CICS TS V5.6 announcement letter
    https://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/ShowDoc.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/7/897/ENUS220-077/index.html&request_locale=en

    CICS TS 5.6 will support pause/resume via a new ENDPOINT SPI and also as a server script command,