Use restrictions for Link3270 bridge mechanism

The Link3270 bridge mechanism has as a prerequisite CICS® Transaction Server for z/OS® Version 2 Release 2 or higher. However, the Link3270 bridge mechanism CICS API support varies depending upon the version and release of CICS Transaction Server for z/OS.
Note: CICS Service Flow Runtime only supports the Link3270 bridge mechanism. The START BREXIT bridge mechanism supported in CICS versions prior to CICS Transaction Server for z/OS Version 2 Release 2 is not supported.

Although CICS Service Flow Runtime has a prerequisite for CICS Transaction Server for z/OS Version 3 Release 1, there is no such prerequisite for the target CICS application regions (i.e., the CICS region where your user transactions and target applications are running). If CICS Service Flow Runtime is running user transactions via the Link3270 bridge mechanism and if those user transactions are running in CICS Transaction Server for z/OS Version 2 Release 2 environment, CICS Service Flow Runtime and those user transactions are restricted to the CICS Transaction Server for z/OS Version 2 Release 2 Link3270 bridge mechanism supported CICS APIs.

If your user transactions are running in CICS Transaction Server for z/OS Version 2 Release 3, via the Link3270 bridge mechanism and those user transactions are running in a CICS Transaction Server for z/OS Version 2 Release 3 environment, then CICS Service Flow Runtime and those user transactions are restricted to the CICS Transaction Server for z/OS Version 2 Release 3 Link3270 bridge mechanism supported CICS APIs.

See the IBM® provided sample restrictions table, DFHEIDBR, in the CICS provided sample library (hlq.SDFHSAMP) and the CICS External Interfaces Guide for your version(s) and release(s) of CICS Transaction Server for z/OS for further information.

The restrictions table, DFHEIDBR, identifies commands which may not be supported when the generated CICS Service Flow Runtime Link3270 server adapter is run using the Link3270 bridge mechanism. This table can be used with an IBM supplied load module scanner utility, DFHEISUP, to analyze your user transactions/target applications. See the CICS Operations and Utilities Guide for CICS Transaction Server for z/OS Version 2 Release 2 and/or Version 2 Release 3 or higher.

If the scanner shows that these commands are found, then please refer to the section on Bridging to 3270 transactions in the appropriate CICS External Interfaces Guide for CICS Transaction Server for z/OS for further information. There are other restrictions which may limit the generated Link3270 server adapter functionality when using the Link3270 bridge mechanism, therefore this table is a guide rather than a definitive statement.

The following list provides further restrictions of user transactions when using the Link3270 bridge mechanism with CICS Service Flow Runtime.