Test IMS Application

This topic contains the following sections:

•	IMS Execution Environment

•	Upload Customized Scripts

•	IMS MPP Test Case (Online Transactions)

•	IMS BMP Test Case (Batch Programs)

ART Test Manager can be used to test rehosted IMS TM or DC applications running on Tuxedo ART for IMS. Before doing any testing, a project needs to be created as described in the previous chapters. After the project is created and associated with a deployed APPDIR location on a test machine, all available IMS test units are identified by scanning imstrans.desc and imsapps.desc files in the specified APPDIR for transaction and program definitions. These two files are generated by the ART Workbench from the TRANSACT and APPLCTN macros defined in IMS system configuration on z/OS. Once the project has been created and associated with an APPDIR on a test machine, the scan is performed automatically and all identified test cases are added into a default test group named as IMS_RT. An IMS test case can be executed in this default group or a new group with a customized name created manually, or in a test plan, which is created in a group. The user interface of an IMS group is shown below.

Clicking on the navigator on the left side will expand the tree menu and show the project, group, test plan and test case names. Detailed information and operation buttons are available on the top and the right side of the main panel.

IMS Execution Environment

IMS cases are executed in an IMS region in a Tuxedo domain. Each IMS group has independent IMS MPP (online) and IMS BMP (batch) regions in a Tuxedo domain. Before executing a case, the Tuxedo domain with these regions should be booted up. Once started, IMS regions remain running and available for all IMS test cases until they are shutdown.

Start/Shutdown Tuxedo Domain with IMS Region

To start/shutdown CICS domain, enter a test group of IMS type, and then click “Startup Domain” or “Shutdown Domain”. “Domain up”, “Domain up (partial)”, or “Domain down” status will be indicated on the right side of the panel. The detailed startup or shutdown process and related messages can be viewed in the Console area at the bottom of the main operations panel.

If the status indicates the domain is up only partially, examine the messages in the Console area to determine which servers failed to start and whether they will impact your test cases. If they do, examine Tuxedo ULOG messages (click Result button for the group in the Project view) and related logs to determine the cause. Once the underlying issue has been resolved, shutdown the domain, run Cleanup Domain if any configuration changes have been made, and start it up again.

Monitor Tuxedo Domain with IMS Region

Click “Monitor Domain” to open the IMS Domain Monitoring screen and view information on executing transactions and programs. The view is updated dynamically based on a polling interval that can be changed at the top of the screen by changing the number and clicking Apply button. Two tabs are provided to access information from MPP region for online transactions and BMP region for batch programs as shown in the two figures below. If there is a transaction or program executing, the view will display the current execution information, if there is no task running, the view will display the last execution record.

This provides basic monitoring of IMS execution within the ART Test Manager. For more advanced monitoring capabilities, Tuxedo System and Application Monitor Plus (TSAM Plus) provides additional capabilities, including real-time and historical performance monitoring, execution detailed tracing, SLA alerting, and much more.

Cleanup Tuxedo Domain with IMS Region

To apply domain configuration changes, such as the ubbconfig or setenv changes, a cleanup operation is needed before re-starting the domain, e.g., deleting tuxconfig and TLOG generated in the setup phase. Click on the “Cleanup Domain” button to have ART Test Manager perform the cleanup tasks. If the domain is up, first shut it down before clicking “Cleanup Domain” since these operations aren’t allowed while the domain is up.

Upload Customized Scripts

ART Test Manager provides built-in extension framework that can run user-provided pre- and post-execution scripts or executables as well as a result checking script. These custom scripts are supported for IMS group/plan/case.

•	Pre-execution file and post-execution files are executed before and after running a group/test plan/case. They can be either scripts or executable binary files.

•	Result check script can be used to extend the built-in results checking with additional steps to help determine whether a case failed or succeeded after it’s been executed.

Clicking the “Upload” button on group/test plan/case panel will open the upload dialog. These custom scripts are optional and are not required to run the test cases.

IMS MPP Test Case (Online Transactions)

When the project is created, the IMS MPP test cases are automatically detected by analyzing the configuration files imstrans.desc and imsapps.desc produced by ART Workbench from the IMS system definition macros on z/OS.

Description

Tuxedo ART for IMS provides 3270 support that enables online transactions to interact with tn3270 emulators based on screen definitions in IMS MFS maps. That interaction, in the form of 3270 data stream, is identical to the interaction with online IMS MPP transactions running on z/OS. In order to automate the testing, the ART Test Manager enables capturing the baseline during mainframe interaction, and then replaying it against rehosted transactions in Tuxedo ART for IMS environment and comparing the corresponding 3270 data streams and screens.

Testing an IMS MPP case involves the following:

1.

Running an IMS MPP transaction (or sequence of screen interactions) on the mainframe to capture the baseline 3270 data stream using the ART Test Manager provided TN3270 Recorder tool. A complete guide for it can be found in Appendix I. Baseline captured by TN3270 Recorder contains three components packaged as a compressed tar file with “.tgz” extension:

•	Blueprint file (input part): the data stream sent from tn3270 to IMS TM or DC on z/OS;

•	Benchmark file (output part): data stream sent from IMS TM or DC on z/OS to tn3270;

•	Screen view rendered in HTML file (output part): the HTML view of the 3270 screenshot.

2.	Uploading the baseline to the test case configuration in ART Test Manger using the Upload dialog.

3.

Execute the same 3270 transaction sequence in the ART IMS environment using the blueprint (input part of the baseline), capturing the result. This is simply a matter of running the test case individually or as part of a test plan, the uploaded blueprint is then used to replay the interactions as they were captured.

4.

Compare the captured ART IMS output data stream against the benchmark captured from z/OS interaction and show any differences. The comparison is performed automatically after running the test case and the results can be viewed after clicking the Result icon for the test case. Console tab shows any execution messages or errors, and Screen Diff tab shows screen differences either as a list of fields or actual side-by-side view of the baseline (z/OS) and actual (ART IMS) screens.

Note that there may naturally be some differences if the IMS screens include date/time fields, or fields sensitive to the execution environment, for example host name, IP address, name of the batch job that started the IMS region, userid, or other external attributes. To help overcome these expected differences the ART Test Manager supports field filtering for 3270 fields. The filter simply enables users to remove certain fields from comparison. Filters can be set up at a test case level, and defined pro-actively when configuring a test case, or post-execution when comparing the results. In the latter case, the test case will initially show Failed status, which user can change to Passed after verifying all the other fields and selecting fields to filter out of the comparison. Subsequent execution of the test case will automatically apply the filter and, barring any other differences, will mark the case as Passed.

Configuration

For IMS MPP case there’s one mandatory configuration item, tn3270 recorder’s baseline, and five optional: pre- and post-execution scripts, 3270 field filter, field filter pattern, and comments. Click the icon in the Configuration column to open the detail configuration dialog tor the IMS MPP case.

The configuration dialog provides six tabs that can be used to enable checking the Pre/Post-Execution scripts already uploaded, to generate the baseline using tn3270 recorder, to check or edit the 3270 field filter list, to add or edit the 3270 field filtering pattern, and to add or edit text comments for this test case.

These tabs are:

 

Table 7‑1 Tabs

Tab	Description
Pre-Execution	Showing the Pre-Execution script uploaded by user
Post-Execution	Showing the Post-Execution script uploaded by user
tn3270rcd	tn3270 recorder’s baseline is loaded here. Further information can be found in Using tn3270 Recorder and Uploading Captured Baseline
tn3270cpr filter	3270 fields filter configuration consisting of the page number and field position settings for fields to ignore during the comparison
tn3270cpr pattern	3270 field filter pattern Differences, which match the pre-defined pattern, would be marked
Comments	Showing comments added by the user

Using tn3270 Recorder and Uploading Captured Baseline

Before running an IMS MPP test case, the transaction must be run on z/OS, capturing the 3270 data stream as a baseline in “.tgz” file. The tn3270 recorder tool is used to accomplish this. For the detailed usage of the tn3270 recorder in a standalone mode, refer to Appendix I - tn3270 Recorder.

In the case detail view, click Upload button to open the upload wizard where the baseline “.tgz” file can be uploaded along with optional pre- and post-execution scripts and result checking script for additional custom verification steps (e.g., MQ message has been sent or retrieved from a queue, file or DB have been updated, etc.).

Alternatively, there is another (more user-friendly) way to generate the IMS MPP case baseline and upload it using the steps described in Using tn3270 Recorder and Uploading Captured Baseline. After the baseline has been uploaded, the MPP case is ready to run.

Setting Up Field Filtering

Assuming the application is executing correctly, most screen fields will match the mainframe baseline. However, some explainable differences may exist, precluding 100% match during the compare. For example, if the screen includes a date or timestamp, this value may differ between the captured z/OS baseline and the date or time of execution on ART for IMS. The difference will cause the ART Test Manager to fail this test case, even if all other fields match. However, if differences in some 3270 fields are not important, they can be added to the filter specification to be ignored when comparing the captured z/OS output with ART IMS.

There are two ways to define the fields to be filtered out of comparison: pre-execution and post-execution. To add fields to the filter before running the test case, open “Configuration” of the related case and click the “tn3270cpr filter” tab.

Each line defines the position of a field to be ignored.

The filter format is:

Pagenumb;rowXcolumn

For example, to ignore the field in line 1 column 70 in the second screen, enter:

0002;001X070

Alternatively, there is another (more user-friendly) way to add a filter for a test case post-execution. After running the test case, the differences are shown in the case’s Result view under the “Screen Diff” tab in table form (under Diffs tab) and in side-by-side screen view (under Screens tab). Choose one or more fields from the list under the Diffs tab and click the “Add to filter file” button. The corresponding fields would be added to the filter and ignored the next time the case is executed and the captured results compared. Click "Add to group filter file" to add corresponding fields to the group filter file. The group filter is applied to each case in the group if no filter is specified for the case.

After adding fields successfully, the list of the filtered fields (pagenum;position) can be checked under “tn3270cpr filter” tab in the case configurations view.

If the fields are added to the group filter file, the filterd fields list can be checked in the "tn3270cpr filter" tab of group view panel.

Execute Test Case and Check the Results

After generating the baseline, the IMS MPP case can be executed individually or as part of a test group or test plan by clicking the “Run” button. The 3270 replayer will run the case using the captured blueprint (input) and capture a new benchmark (output), which will then be compared to the baseline benchmark. The log will be displayed in the Console view as shown in the figure below.

Datastream Compare

After the test case finishes, the detailed result can be viewed in the “result” dialog. Click the icon in the “Result” column on the row corresponding to the case to open the result dialog. In this dialog, the comparison result is displayed under “Screen Diff” tab in two ways: data stream difference and side-by-side screen capture rendered in HTML.

The data stream difference result can be found under “Diffs” tab. After examining differences, the results can be accepted by clicking the “Accept” button, which will change the status of the case to “PASS”. To reject the results, click the “Reject” button, which will change the status of this case to “FAIL”.

The differences are listed in the table as follows:

 

Table 7‑2 Data Stream Differences

Column	Description
Page	The page number of screen.
Position	The field position in screen, format it: rowXcolumn
Content in Mainframe	Value in Mainframe
Content in ART IMS	Value in ART for IMS
ATTRB	Format: value in Mainframe|value in ART CICS. A: ASKIP, B: BRT, D: DET, R: DRK, F: FSET, I: IC, O: NORM, N: NUM, P: PORT, U: UNPROT.
COLOR	Format: value in Mainframe|value in ART CICS. D: DEFAULT, B: BLUE, R: RED, P: PINK, G: GREEN, T: TURQUOISE, Y: YELLOW, N: NEUTRAL.
HILIGHT	Format: value in Mainframe|value in ART CICS. O: OFF, B: BLINK, R: REVERSE, U: UNDERLINE.
OUTLINE	Format: value in Mainframe|value in ART CICS. B: BOX, L: LEFT, R: RIGHT, O: OVER, U: UNDER.
Predefined?	Y: The field could match the predefined pattern. N: The field is different, and no predefined pattern could be matched.

For more information about 3270 data stream field attributes, please refer to: http://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSGMCP_4.2.0/com.ibm.cics.ts.applicationprogramming.doc/topics/dfhp473.html.

Side-by-Side Screen Compare

The screens comparison result in HTML format is displayed by clicking the “Screens” tab. The mainframe screen is shown on the left, with the corresponding ART screen on the right. This view is intended as a visual aid to field list under Diffs tab and can also be snipped for inclusion in any test report or for further analysis.

Examining Server Logs and Traces

The ULOG and server traces in IMS group can be checked by viewing the result dialog for the test group.

The logs accessible through this dialog are listed under four tabs and described in the table below.

 

Table 7‑3 Log Descriptions

Log type	Explanation
ULOG	Tuxedo ULOG with messages pertaining to Tuxedo domain and key messages from all the servers
Trace	ART IMS server traces for all ART IMS server types: online transactions (MPP), batch programs (BMP), 3270 terminal listener and MFS services (ARTICTL), and terminal control handler (ARTICTLH). For IMS MPP testing the servers executing online transactions are in the MPP region and their logs are named in the following format: trace.ARTIMPP*.
stdout	stdout file displays normal program output information
stderr	stderr file displays program error information

Under each tab, multiple logs can be listed based on what’s available in the runtime. Click on the one that corresponds to the time of the test and it will be displayed with search and pagination capabilities as shown in the figure below.

IMS BMP Test Case (Batch Programs)

When project is created, the IMS BMP test cases are automatically detected by analyzing the configuration files imstrans.desc and imsapps.desc produced by ART Workbench from the z/OS IMS system definition macros.

Description

Tuxedo ART for IMS provides BMP region support, which can execute batch IMS programs. In real world these are typically launched through the batch jobs using a DFSRRC00 launcher specified on EXEC PGM statement in JCL with the BMP program as a parameter. This mode of executing IMS BMP programs is supported in the Test Manager and described under the chapter Test Batch Application. In addition, IMS BMP programs can be tested directly as IMS BMP test cases in a test group, individually, or as part of a test plan under IMS group. Click “Run” button to execute IMS BMP cases directly.

Configuration

For IMS BMP test cases all configuration elements are optional. Click the icon in the Configuration image to open the detail configuration dialog for BMP case.

In the configuration dialog, you can view or edit the Pre/Post-Execution scripts and Result Check script if uploaded, and add or edit comments for this case, besides, you can specify parameters listed in Table 7‑4 under the DFSRRC00 sub-tab.

 

Table 7‑4 DFSRRC00 Parameters

Parameter	Description	Default Value
PSB	Specifies PSB Name	Program name
IN	Specifies an input transaction queue
CKPTID	Specifies checkpoint for program restart	0

Execute Test Case and Check the Results

The BMP case execution log will be displayed in the Console view.

Click the corresponding icon under Result column to further check the results of the test case.

The results can be accepted by clicking the “Accept” button, which will change the status of the case to “PASS”. To reject the results, click the “Reject” button which will change the status of this case to “FAIL”.

“Execution Info” tab displays the case execution start time, end time, server id and group id of the processed server. For BMP cases, process id also will be displayed. To enable collection of this execution information export IMS_PRO_LOG=Y by editing env settings at the group level. “SYSOUT” tab displays the redirected program output.

Examining Server Logs and Traces

The ULOG and server traces in IMS group can be checked by viewing the result dialog as shown in the figure below. For details see Examining Server Logs and Traces. Under Trace tab, the servers executing BMP programs are in BMP region and their logs are under BMP tab named trace.ARTIBMP*. If multiple files are listed, click on the one with the timestamp matching the execution timeframe of the test case. The trace log will be displayed below in a view with search and pagination capabilities.