We know how important it is to minimize the impact of delivering software changes to your application platform. To help, we’ve updated and provided enhanced support for our mainframe technologies in Test Workbench 9.1.1. Let me share what we’ve done in this space.
Working with Shared Queues just got easier
When working with WebSphere® MQ shared queues in previous releases, you had to record each physical queue manager or have a separate stub for each queue manager. As of 9.1.1, running Integration Tester with WebSphere® MQ queue sharing groups on z/OS®, you can now record traffic using mirror queues and stub applications using fixed queues, capturing messages from all queue managers within the group using just the single transport.
CICS testing improved with recording of channel-based calls
In our previous releases, we made it easier to virtualize applications that carried large amounts of data in CICS by adding support for channel-based calls. We’ve now extended this in the 9.1.1 release to include the CICS® Transaction Gateway. You can now record and virtualize channel-based requests through Transaction Gateway if you use CICS TG version 9.1 or newer.
COBOL data files and app testing updated with COBOL Copybook Enhancements
Our support for COBOL Copybook-formatted messages has been greatly enhanced with enhanced support for the REDEFINES directive. Our previous support required testers, when attempting to work with messages provided by their mainframe infrastructure, to manipulate the definitions in order to be able to work with REDEFINES based structures.
With 9.1.1 this enhancement allows you to change a field’s type without losing its content. Part of this enhancement changed the numeric field representation as displayed. For example, padding zeros are stripped, positive signs are removed and decimal places are inserted into fields in line with their picture clause. We tried to minimize the impact of this change with automatic migration. There are some known issues: for example, we know that automatic migration does not occur if copybooks are used in parameterized stubs where the lookup values in the data source might no longer match. If you do experience problems, please contact support so that we can take a closer look and help you resolve them.
Secure communications between CICS DPL and RTCP
In 9.1.1, HTTPS security has been extended to Rational Test Control Panel communications. This means that it is now possible to secure traffic between the CICS Distributed Program Link (DPL) intercept and Rational Test Control Panel.
Simplified sign in with Certificate Presentation for the Terminal Emulator
The terminal emulator in Functional Tester has been updated in this release to include capability to automatically present client certificates for authentication purposes.
This enables clients who require certificate based secure connections to continue to work with their existing tests with Terminal Emulator.
Matt Tarnawsky
Offering Manager Service Virtualization, HCL Technologies