CICS Web support and non-HTTP requests

You can use CICS® Web support to process inbound TCP/IP client requests which are not in the HTTP format. In CICS Transaction Server for z/OS®, Version 3 Release 1, this facility is primarily intended to provide support for requests from user-written clients that use nonstandard request formats. The processing that takes place for requests, and the response that is provided, are defined by the user. No specific support is provided for any formally defined protocols which are used for client-server communication.

CICS Web support only handles non-HTTP messages when CICS is the server. Non-HTTP requests cannot be made by CICS as a client. Client requests made through CICS Web support use the HTTP protocol.

When CICS Web support facilities are used for handling non-HTTP requests: Some CICS Web support facilities are not available for non-HTTP requests:

The support that CICS Web support provides for non-HTTP messages is not the same thing as the TCP/IP Sockets interface for CICS. The z/OS Communications Server IP CICS Sockets interface provides an application programming interface to allow clients to communicate directly with CICS application programs over TCP/IP. CICS Web support is not involved with this process.

The CICS Sockets interface is supplied with z/OS Communications Server, not with CICS. z/OS Communications Server: IP CICS Sockets Guide, SC31-8807, describes the CICS Sockets interface.