PK68858: NEED TO BE MORE SELECTIVE IN ISSUING THE OPTIONS REQUEST WHEN MAKING AN OUTBOUND HTTP REQUEST IN CICS TS 3.1.

Obtain the fix for this APAR.

APAR status

• Closed as unreproducible.

Error description

• CICS will always send the "OPTIONS" Request when a WEB OPEN is
  done in CICS TS 3.1.  There isn't any setting that controls
  this behaviour.
  .
  We need to change the behavior of the "OPTIONS" Request in CICS
  TS 3.1 to behave more like it does in CICS TS 3.2.  In TS 3.2
  the "OPTIONS" Request is issued more selectively depending on
  the type of Outbound HTTP request being issued.  In TS 3.2 it is
  sometimes issued on the EXEC CICS WEB OPEN command and sometimes
  later on as part of the EXEC CICS WEB SEND or EXEC CICS WEB
  CONVERSE.  If no aspect of the outbound HTTP Request requires
  the "OPTIONS" Request to be sent then it is bypassed completely
  in CICS TS 3.2.  In CICS TS 3.2 a straightforward HTTP POST or
  GET without HTTVNUM, HTTPRNUM, ACTION(EXPECT), CHUNKING, or a
  TRAILER Header would not get an "OPTIONS" Request issued.
  .
  Additional Symptom(s) Search Keyword(s):
  KIXREVSCB
  

Local fix

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED: All.                                         *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: CICS always sends a HTTP OPTIONS        *
  *                      request to a remote server on every     *
  *                      WEB OPEN even if the information        *
  *                      returned is not required.               *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  ****************************************************************
  A CICS web client application issues an EXEC CICS WEB OPEN
  command.  As part of the WEB OPEN processing DFHWBCL sends an
  HTTP OPTIONS request to the remote server.  The remote server
  may fail to process the OPTIONS request, sending an error
  response back to CICS and possibly recording the error in
  its own system logs.
  
  The information that the OPTIONS request is expecting to
  receive may not even be required by the CICS application
  so the OPTIONS request is not necessary in those cases.
  
  This is not the case with CICS TS 3.2 which only issues
  the OPTIONS request when necessary.
  
  Additional keywords
  PK48539 SSL 404 400 500 501
  

Problem conclusion

Temporary fix

• FIX AVAILABLE BY PTF ONLY
  

Comments

• To reduce the response time of CICS WEB client programs the
  OPTIONS flow used to determine the HTTP level of the server
  is only generated if necessary.
  
  If a server response has not been received by the client
  program when the following commands are issued a OPTIONS
  flow is required:
  
    1. If the WEB OPEN command specifies HTTPVNUM or HTTPRNUM. In
       this case a server response has never been received so
       a OPTIONS flow is always generated.
    2. If the WEB SEND command sends a chunked body.
    3. If the WEB SEND command specifies ACTION EXPECT and
       METHOD PUT or POST.
    4. If WEB EXTRACT command specifies HTTPVERSION.
    5. If WEB CONVERSE command specifies ACTION EXPECT and
       METHOD PUT or POST.
  
  In all other situations either the HTTP level of the server is
  not required or is already known.
  ž**** PE09/03/11 FIX IN ERROR. SEE APAR PK80492  FOR DESCRIPTION
   **** PE09/07/27 FIX IN ERROR. SEE APAR PK89616  FOR DESCRIPTION
  ž**** PE09/07/27 FIX IN ERROR. SEE APAR PK89616  FOR DESCRIPTION
  

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

  UK39614 UK39615 UK39616 UK39617

Modules/Macros

•    DESEIWB  DESPITH  DESSOSO  DESWBCL  DFHEIWB
  DFHPITH  DFHSOSOC DFHSOS00 DFHSOS01 DFHSOS02 DFHSOS03 DFHSOS04
  DFHSOS05 DFHSOS06 DFHSOS07 DFHSOS08 DFHSOS09 DFHSOS10 DFHSOS11
  DFHSOS12 DFHSOS13 DFHSOS14 DFHSOS15 DFHSOS16 DFHSOS17 DFHSOS18
  DFHSOS19 DFHSOS20 DFHSOS21 DFHSOS22 DFHSOS23 DFHWBCL  DFHWBCLA
  DFHWBCLB DFHWBCLC DFHWBCLD DFHWBCLH DFHWBCLI DFHWBCLJ DFHWBCLL
  DFHWBCLM DFHWBCLO DFHWBCLT DFHWBCLV
  

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  CICSTS V3 Z/OS

• Fixed component ID

  5655M1500

Applicable component levels

• R400 PSY UK39614

     UP08/09/10 P F809

• R401 PSY UK39615

     UP08/09/10 P F809

• R402 PSY UK39616

     UP08/09/10 P F809

• R403 PSY UK39617

     UP08/09/10 P F809

Fix is available

• Select the PTF appropriate for your component level. You will be required to sign in. Distribution on physical media is not available in all countries.