The service flow project tools are a comprehensive toolset
that aids in transforming traditional host applications to fit the
modern service model.
The software consists of a series of wizards and editors which
create and manage various resources. The service flow project tools
can be used to convert the following types of applications:
- CICS® screen applications
with a terminal interface (terminal)
- CICS transaction applications
without a terminal interface (nonterminal)
- A combination (aggregate) of terminal and nonterminal applications
In all cases, the developer first creates a flow on the Rational® Developer for System z® workbench and then
uses that flow to generate code that is then deployed to a host runtime
environment.
A flow is a program-like sequence of operations from which
the service flow project tools can generate runtime code for a supported
runtime environment. A flow is functionally the primary type of artifact
of the service flow project tools, because it draws other types of
artifacts together into a purposeful sequence of program interactions
with existing application processes. In the flow editor, a flow is
displayed as a graph of connected nodes, each node containing connection
points called terminals (see Developing flows).