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Seamless Integration: Publishing Payloads from IBM i to Azure

By Nirmal Khatri posted 20 days ago

  

As organizations increasingly leverage cloud capabilities, the efficient transfer of data between on-premises systems like IBM i and cloud platforms such as Azure becomes critical. This guide explores how to publish payloads as messages from an IBM i environment to Azure, enabling robust and flexible data exchange. 

 

Introduction 

In today's connected world, seamless communication between different systems is key. A common challenge is integrating IBM i with Azure. This article covers sending data (payloads) from IBM i as messages to Azure, detailing the process and its advantages. 

 

Benefits of Using Payloads as Messages 

  • Seamless Integration: IBM i-Azure connection enables seamless data flow from on-premise to cloud, linking processes, breaking silos, and boosting efficiency. 

  • Flexibility: Azure provides diverse services and tools for all business needs, from real-time data to scalable storage. Its adaptability lets you build responsive, evolving solutions. 

  • Cost-Efficiency: Azure's "pay-as-you-go" means you only pay for what you use. This avoids big upfront hardware costs, allows flexible scaling, and optimizes IT spending. 

 

Prerequisites 

To successfully implement this integration, ensure you have the following in place: 

  • Access to Azure Environment: You need proper Azure access (subscription and permissions) to manage Azure Queues, Topics, Subscriptions, and other resources. 

  • Azure Queue/Topic Name: Identify the specific Azure Queue or Topic where your messages will be published. 

  • Queue: An Azure Queue ensures one-to-one, FIFO message processing, guaranteeing each message is handled by a single consumer. Ideal for single-consumer scenarios. 

  • Topic: Unlike queues, Azure Topics (with subscriptions) enable one-to-many communication via pub/sub. Publishers send to the topic, and all registered subscribers get a copy from their respective subscriptions, ideal for broadcasting. 

  • Subscriber Details (for Topics): For Azure Topics, you'll need Azure Subscription details. These are logical units linked to your Azure account, acting as billing units for resources and defining unique views of messages published to the topic. 

  • App Registration Details: An Azure AD App Registration is essential. This Azure AD object defines your application (name, logo, API dependencies, redirect URIs, etc.) and is key for secure authentication/authorization, enabling your IBM i to interact with Azure services. 

  • Client ID and Client Secret: These essential credentials, obtained during App Registration, are vital for getting the Authentication Bearer Token. Keep them secure as they grant Azure resource access. 

  • Authentication Bearer Token: This token, created at runtime using Client ID and Secret, authenticates IBM i (AS400) to securely post JSON messages to Azure Queues or Topics. 

  • SSL Certificates: To ensure secure and reliable communication between IBM i and Azure services, make sure the necessary SSL certificates are properly installed on your IBM i system. 

 

IBM i System Process  

 

(Disclaimer: For this illustration, YAJL libraries were used for JSON processing on IBM i.) 

The RPGLE program on your IBM i system needs to be configured following these steps: 

 

  1. Generate JSON Payload: First, prepare your data in structured JSON format for easy Azure consumption. 

Example JSON Payload: 

A screen shot of a computer program AI-generated content may be incorrect. 
 

  1. Obtain Authorization Token: Before sending data, your IBM i needs to authenticate. Generate an authorization token by sending your Client ID and Client Secret to Azure's authentication endpoint with Content-Type: multipart/form-data. 

 

Conceptual Example of multipart/form-data Request Body: 

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Within your RPGLE program, you would typically use an HTTP client library (like HTTPAPI by Scott Klement) and set the content type using a function such as http_SetOption. For example: 

 
 

  1. Execute HTTP Request for Token: Then, use a function like http_req (from HTTPAPI) to send an HTTP POST to Azure AD's token endpoint. The output variable will capture the JSON response, including the access token. 

 

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  1. Send JSON Message to Azure: With the Authorization Bearer Token now acquired, you can proceed to send your prepared JSON-formatted message to the target Azure Queue or Topic. 

  • Important Note: If you are publishing an Azure Topic, it is critical to pass appropriate Subscriber details as a header value in your HTTP request. This helps Azure route the message correctly to the intended subscribers of that topic. 

 

Example HTTP Request Header for a Topic (conceptual): 

 
 

The final HTTP request function call to send your message into Azure Topics/Queues would conceptually look like this: 

            

  • Note: An RC (Return Code) value of 201 (HTTP 201 Created) generally indicates a successful post operation to Azure Service Bus. Other successful codes like 200 (OK) might also be seen depending on the specific Azure service configuration. 

 

Conclusion 

Publishing a payload as a message from an IBM i environment to an Azure environment can significantly enhance the capabilities of your business applications. By diligently following these steps and choosing the right Azure service (Queue for one-to-one, Topic for one-to-many) for your specific needs, you can achieve seamless, secure, and efficient data exchange between your robust IBM i system and the scalable Azure cloud. This integration empowers you to leverage the full power of Azure for advanced analytics, real-time processing, and broader cloud adoption, ultimately driving your business forward in the digital age. 

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