The background—connectors

Frequently, new Java™ applications can be developed more quickly and reliably by harnessing the power of existing (non-Java) CICS programs. A CICS connector is a software component that allows a Java client application to invoke a CICS application. Typically, the Java client programs that use a CICS connector are servlets.

For several releases, CICS has supported CICS connectors that enable a Java client program, running outside CICS (on, for example, Windows, UNIX, or native z/OS®), to connect to a specified program on a CICS server. The CCI Connector for CICS® TS enables a Java program or enterprise bean running on CICS Transaction Server for z/OS to link to a CICS server program.

The CCI Connector for CICS TS implements the industry-standard Common Client Interface (CCI) defined by the J2EE Connector Architecture Specification, Version 1.0.
Note: The CICS Connector for CICS TS, introduced in CICS TS for z/OS, Version 2.1, is no longer supported. Unlike the CCI Connector for CICS TS, the CICS Connector for CICS TS implemented a non-standard, IBM-proprietory, client interface. For advice on upgrading existing applications that use the CICS Connector for CICS TS to use the CCI Connector for CICS TS instead, see Migrating from the CICS Connector for CICS TS to the CCI Connector for CICS TS.