IMS Fundamentals

Learn about the basic Information Management System (IMS) facilities: the IMS Database System and the IMS Transaction Manager (IMS/TM). Explore how these facilities work together and how application programs interact with them in today’s complex enterprise systems.

• Understand the components and benefits of an IMS Database system
• Describe the processing of a database record in hierarchic sequence
• Identify the different IMS database organization types
• Understand the differences between Database Description (DBD) and Program Specification Block (PSB) control blocks
• Contrast the requirements and effects of sequential versus direct access of database segments
• Explain the reasons for the use of secondary indexes and logical relationships
• Contrast full-function and Fast Path database organizations
• List the basic IMS Data Communications functions of the IMS Transaction Manager (IMS/TM)
• Identify the roles of messages, queues, and logical terminal names
• Explain the different scheduling characteristics of the IMS/TM regions types: Message Processing, Batch Message Processing, and Interactive Fast Path
• Describe the role of commit points in recovery and restart
• Identify the functions of dynamic and batch backout, the system log and the benefits of periodically backing up a database
• Explain the capabilities of a conversational program and its implications on processing and performance
• Describe the function of Database Recovery Control (DBRC), Integrated Resource Lock Manager (IRLM) for data sharing and distributed processing
• Understand how DB2 data can be accessed by IMS TM, IMS DB databases can be accessed through the DBCTL interface by CICS, and how IMS DB data and IMS TM transactions can be accessed from the internet