The routing transaction (CRTE) is a CICS®-supplied transaction that enables a terminal operator to invoke transactions that are owned by a connected CICS system. It differs from normal transaction routing in that the remote transactions do not have to be defined in the local system. However, the terminal through which CRTE is invoked must be defined on the remote system (or defined as "shippable" in the local system), and the terminal operator needs RACF® authority if the remote system is protected. CRTE can be used from any 3270 display device.
To use CRTE, the terminal operator enters:
CRTE SYSID=xxxx [TRPROF={DFHCICSS|profile_name}]
where xxxx is the name of the remote system, as specified in the CONNECTION option of the DEFINE CONNECTION command, and profile_name is the name of the profile to be used for the session with the remote system. (See Defining communication profiles.) The transaction then indicates that a routing session has been established, and the user enters input of the form:
yyyyzzzzzz...
where yyyy is the name by which the required remote transaction is known on the remote system, and zzzzzz... is the initial input to that transaction. Subsequently, the remote transaction can be used as if it had been defined locally and invoked in the ordinary way. All further input is directed to the remote system until the operator terminates the routing session by entering CANCEL.
In secure systems, operators are normally required to sign on before they can invoke transactions. The first transaction that is invoked in a routing session is therefore usually the signon transaction CESN; that is, the operator signs on to the remote system.
Although the routing transaction is implemented as a pseudoconversational transaction, the terminal from which it is invoked is held by CICS until the routing session is terminated. Any ATI requests that name the terminal are therefore queued until the CANCEL command is issued.
The CRTE facility is particularly useful for invoking the master terminal transaction, CEMT, on a particular remote system. It avoids the necessity of installing a definition of the remote CEMT in the local system. CRTE is also useful for testing remote transactions before final installation.