Creating your own JVM profiles and JVM properties files

Follow this procedure if you want to create a JVM profile or JVM properties file with a different name to the supplied sample files. When you create a file with a new name:
  • For JVM profiles, you will need to specify the profile name in the PROGRAM resource definition for any applications that you want to use your new JVM profile.
  • For JVM properties files, you will need to specify the file name in any JVM profiles that you want to reference your new JVM properties file.
To minimize administration, if you want to set up JVM profiles and JVM properties files that are to be used by most of your applications, you might prefer to customize the supplied sample files and keep their existing names, following the procedure in Customizing the supplied sample JVM profiles and JVM properties files. However, if you want to set up a JVM profile or JVM properties file that is to be used by a small number of applications, or if you want to ensure that the default JVM profile DFHJVMPR is not affected by your modifications, you might want to create a file with a new name.
To create your own JVM profiles and JVM properties files, follow this procedure:
  1. Base your JVM profile or JVM properties file on one of the supplied sample JVM profiles or JVM properties files. Choosing a JVM profile and JVM properties file lists and describes these files. Note that the supplied sample JVM profile DFHJVMPS is not recommended for use with new Java applications and especially enterprise beans, so if you are creating a profile for a JVM in which these applications will execute, do not base it on DFHJVMPS.
  2. Create the JVM profile or JVM properties file in a standard text editor, using the lists of options in the CICS® System Definition Guide for reference. Each parameter or property is specified on a separate line, and the parameter or property value is delimited by the end of the line. Follow the coding rules in the CICS System Definition Guide.
  3. If you want to enable Java 2 security, you need to include some system properties in the JVM properties file, and set up one or more security policy files to define security properties for the JVM. Protecting Java applications in CICS by using the Java 2 security policy mechanism tells you what system properties you need to include in the JVM properties file, how to set up a security policy file, and about the CICS-supplied sample security policy file dfjejbpl.policy, which defines security properties that are suitable for JVMs that are used by enterprise beans.
  4. Give your JVM profile or JVM properties file a suitable name. The name of a JVM profile can be up to 8 characters in length. The name of a JVM properties file can be any length, but for ease of use, choose either the name of the JVM profile that references it, or another short name.
    The name of a JVM profile or JVM properties file can include the following characters:
    A-Z a-z 0-9 @ # . - _ % & ¢ ? ! : ∨ " = , ; < >

    When creating your own JVM profile or JVM properties file, do not give it a name beginning with DFH, because these characters are reserved for use by CICS.

    As JVM profiles and JVM properties files are HFS files, case is important. Remember that when you use the name of a JVM profile or JVM properties file anywhere in CICS, you need to enter it using the same combination of upper and lower case characters that is present in the HFS file name. Although the CEDA panels accept mixed case input for a JVM profile name irrespective of your terminal's UCTRAN setting, this does not apply when the name of a JVM profile is entered on the CEDA command line, or in another CICS transaction such as CEMT or CECI. Bear this in mind when choosing a name for your JVM profile or JVM properties file.

  5. For JVM profiles:
    1. Store your JVM profile in the HFS directory that is specified by the JVMPROFILEDIR system initialization parameter. CICS loads the JVM profiles from this directory. Enabling CICS to locate the JVM profiles and JVM properties files explains how to identify and change this directory. Ensure that CICS has read and execute access on HFS for your JVM profile and the directory containing it. Giving CICS regions permission to access HFS directories and files tells you how to do this.
    2. Specify the name of your JVM profile on the JVMPROFILE option of the PROGRAM resource definitions for the Java programs that you want to use this JVM profile. (Enabling applications to use a JVM tells you more about doing this.) Alternatively, you can use a CEMT SET PROGRAM JVMPROFILE command (or the equivalent EXEC CICS command) to change the JVM profile from that specified on the installed PROGRAM resource definitions. However you specify the JVM profile, ensure that you use the same combination of upper and lower case characters that is present in the HFS file name of the JVM profile.
  6. For JVM properties files:
    1. Store your JVM properties file in any HFS directory. Ensure that CICS has read and execute access on HFS for your JVM properties file and the directory containing it. Giving CICS regions permission to access HFS directories and files tells you how to do this.
    2. Specify the full path name for the JVM properties file, using the JVMPROPS option, in all the JVM profiles that you want to reference that JVM properties file. For example, a JVM profile that states JVMPROPS=/usr/lpp/cicsts/cicsts31/myprops/myjvm.props references the JVM properties file myjvm.props, in the directory /usr/lpp/cicsts/cicsts31/myprops. Ensure that you use the same combination of upper and lower case characters that is present in the HFS file name of the JVM properties file.

Now that you have created your own JVM profiles or JVM properties files, if you have specific applications (standard Java programs, CORBA stateless objects or enterprise beans) to run, Enabling applications to use a JVM tells you how to set up applications to use a JVM profile, and how to add the classes for the application to the class paths. If you are following a procedure to set up IIOP support or support for enterprise beans, and you do not yet have any specific applications to run, you can return to the procedure Setting up the host system for IIOP or Setting up an EJB server.