DBCTL is an IMS™ facility that provides an IMS Database Manager (IMS DM) subsystem that can be attached to CICS®, but runs in its own address spaces. The benefits of DBCTL are summarized
below and are discussed in more detail in Benefits of using DBCTL.
- Release independence--you do not need to regenerate the DL/I support
in CICS if you change to a new release of CICS or IMS.
- Access to more IMS functions for CICS users--DBCTL gives one or more CICS systems online access to data entry databases (DEDBs) as well as full
function DL/I databases.
- Virtual storage constraint relief for CICS systems that currently contain DL/I because
DL/I code is outside the CICS address space.
- Improved throughput on multiprocessors, because DL/I requests run under
task control blocks (TCBs) separate from those used by CICS and because CICS and DBCTL reside in separate address spaces.
- Improved logging--DBCTL uses a separate log (the IMS log), so DL/I
activity does not appear on the CICS system log. This means that all DL/I
information is on a single log and can be processed using IMS logging facilities.
IMS logging facilities include dual logging and are well integrated with
database recovery control (DBRC). For more information, see IMS logging.
- Ability to use CICS support for the extended recovery facility (XRF).
In addition, if your CICS system is connected to an IMS Database Manager/Transaction Manager (IMS DM/TM)
system to obtain DBCTL support, you can use IMS XRF facilities.
- Improved failure isolation between CICS and IMS--a DBCTL failure should not cause
your CICS system to fail.
- Batch jobs can be run as batch message processing programs (BMPs), which
are application programs that perform batch type processing online using the
same DBCTL as CICS and sharing its databases. You can usually run the
same program as a BMP or as a batch program. Using DBCTL gives you concurrent
access to IMS databases from BMPs and from CICS.

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