Windows CSA Server

Client Services Applications (CSAs) are customer-written, CICS or batch programs, that can access LAN-based DBMS systems using SQL. CSAs are initiated from the mainframe, and allow mainframe applications to both retrieve result sets, and to update data on the LAN.

The Windows CSA Server runs on Windows NT, 2000, or 2003 and provides the connectivity between the CSAs on the mainframe, and the LAN-based DBMS systems.

When the CSA Server receives an SQL request from the mainframe application, EBCDIC to ASCII conversion is perfomed, and the request is passed to the target database for execution. Depending on the environment, the request is processed using either the standard ODBC or JDBC interface, or in the case of a SQL Server, Oracle, or Sybase database, the native database API.

As data is returned to the CSA Server, ASCII to EBCDIC conversion is performed, and the LAN datatypes are converted into their equivalent S/390 datatypes. The data, along with any SQL codes and messages are transmitted to the requesting mainframe application.