Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteIBM Cross System Product (CSP) was a licensed set of programs for developing and running applications in defined IBM environments. It separated application development from application execution: CSP/AD supported creating and preparing applications, while CSP/AE ran them. The name refers to this specific IBM product, not to cross-system integration as a general software concept.
What does IBM Cross System Product mean?
IBM’s glossary defines Cross System Product (CSP/AD and CSP/AE) as “A set of licensed programs designed to permit the user to develop and run applications using independently defined maps (display and printer formats), data items (records, working storage, files, and single items), and processes (logic).” In plain terms, CSP organized an application around its screens and printed layouts, the information it used, and the logic that processed that information. IBM’s glossary describes the set as two related components.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
What do CSP/AD and CSP/AE stand for?
IBM’s glossary says, “The Cross System Product set consists of two parts: Cross System Product/Application Development (CSP/AD) and Cross System Product/Application Execution (CSP/AE).” These names describe different stages of an application’s lifecycle, not two competing products.
Recommended Free Tools
| Component | Role | Lifecycle stage |
|---|---|---|
| CSP/AD (Application Development) | Facilities for developing, testing, and generating applications | Preparing an application for use |
| CSP/AE (Application Execution) | Production execution of applications | Running an application |
The development/execution distinction is also reflected in IBM’s historical DMS/CSP product descriptions: Definition offerings handled application development, testing, and generation; Execution offerings handled production execution.
#1 Best Overall
Which systems did IBM CSP run on?
IBM’s August 1983 product summary describes DMS/CSP offerings for several then-current IBM environments. It names SSX/VSE and also describes DMS/CSP for CICS/VS, TSO, and VM/CMS. These are historical platform references, not evidence of support for modern systems or non-IBM platforms. The summary is available in the IBM DMS/CSP product summary from August 1983.
What did “cross system” mean in CSP’s context?
CSP’s history is tied to IBM’s effort to provide consistency across specified IBM environments. A 1988 IBM Systems Journal article on CSP describes its development from a single-environment product into a multienvironment one and discusses its relationship to Systems Application Architecture (SAA). IBM characterizes SAA as “a set of software interfaces, conventions, and protocols” intended to provide a framework for application design and development with cross-system consistency; see its SAA reference.
Rank #2
- Murach's Mainframe COBOL
- Mike Murach & Associates
- ABIS BOOK
That context helps explain the product’s name, but it should not be read as a promise of universal portability. The sources describe consistency across identified IBM environments; they do not establish compatibility with arbitrary systems or current platforms. They also do not establish CSP’s present-day commercial availability or support status.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
How CSP differs from cross-system integration
“Cross-system integration” is a broad description of connecting software or data across systems. IBM Cross System Product, by contrast, is the name of a particular historical IBM licensed-program set with development and execution components. The shared words do not make them the same thing.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
