MacKinney Track

The architecture of MacKinney Track is designed to provide a robust and efficient debugging environment for CICS applications on z/OS and z/VSE/VSEn. The main components include the Command Processor, Debugging Engine, Data Display Module, Trace Facility, and Session Manager. The Command Processor is responsible for interpreting user commands, such as SET, DISPLAY, TRACE, BREAK, and MODIFY.

The Debugging Engine controls the execution flow of the application, interacting with the CICS environment to manage breakpoints and variable monitoring. The Data Display Module presents the debugging information in a user-friendly format, allowing developers to easily view variable values and program states. The Trace Facility provides detailed execution path information, aiding in the identification of program logic errors.

The Session Manager handles the overall debugging session, managing the connection to the CICS region and coordinating the activities of the other components. Communication between components is primarily through internal interfaces and control blocks. The Debugging Engine interacts directly with the CICS environment using standard z/OS and z/VSE communication protocols.

Configuration files are used to define debugging sessions and specify application-specific settings. The tool integrates with the security features of the z/OS and z/VSE platforms, utilizing existing authentication and access control mechanisms. Audit and logging capabilities are provided to track user actions and system events.

The tool does not use any specific databases or storage mechanisms beyond those provided by the z/OS and z/VSE environments. Network requirements are minimal, relying on standard z/OS and z/VSE communication ports.