IMS application as a REST API provider with z/OS Connect EE

Application programming interfaces (APIs) are the digital glue that links services, applications, and systems. You can enable IMS™ applications as REST services and define REST APIs for these services. This sample uses IBM® z/OS® Connect Enterprise Edition (z/OS Connect EE) V3 as the solution.

Scenario

The IMS sample telephone book application (also known as the phonebook application, or the IVTNO transaction) is exposed as a REST service, and a REST API is created to issue a GET request to look up the contact information for a given last name.

Program flow and architecture

This scenario uses a z/OS Connect EE server to host the REST API and the service. The IMS service provider that comes with z/OS Connect EE handles the communication with IMS Connect.

z/OS Connect EE provides an API toolkit, an Eclipse plugin to install into IBM Explorer for z/OS, that lets you:

• Create a service from a COBOL copybook or PL/I include.
• Define the request and response service interfaces.
• Specify how the service can access and interact with IMS.

After a service is created, use the API toolkit to create a REST API from the service.

Technology demonstrated

• z/OS Connect EE V3/open beta
  There are two options to try out this solution:

  • Option 1. To try out z/OS Connect EE with no cost, installation, or configuration, go to the IBM Z Trial Program site, look for the z/OS Connect Enterprise Edition box, and register. A sandbox environment will be prepared for you. A tutorial is provided in the sandbox based on the IMS phonebook application.

  • Option 2. Download the z/OS Connect EE open beta code to try out in your own environment. Follow the following Quick Start scenarios in the z/OS Connect EE documentation:

    • Create a server and connect to IMS
    • Create an IMS service using the API toolkit
    • Create an API to invoke the IMS phone book service

    With option 2, you must download and install the z/OS Connect EE API toolkit V3, as described next.

• z/OS Connect EE API toolkit V3
  You can download the z/OS Connect EE API toolkit from the Mainframe DEV site. The API toolkit is a plug-in that you must install into or along with IBM Explorer for z/OS, which is also available from the same location.

  Note: IBM Explorer for z/OS Aqua is an Eclipse-based integration platform with an extensible and compatible suite of z/OS tools and capabilities. Choose the z/OS Explorer Aqua V3.1 (Eclipse Neon V4.6) path to install the correct version of API toolkit and IBM Explorer for z/OS.