Enterprise Server for .NET allows programs and data files that are used by CICS transactions and batch jobs to be defined on either a local or network file system, or within a database.
When working with a scaled-out system it is important that any given program or file is available to all machines in the scale-out using the same file location URL. This means that to minimise configuration complexities either a network file system or database should be used in preference to a local file system. The benefit of using a database in preference to a file system is that all artefacts associated with a given region (e.g. region startup file, resource definition file, region database, cross-region database, programs and data files) can reside within a single central location, so simplifying their administration.