IBM z/OS Connect now supports generating API projects from both OpenAPI 2.0 and OpenAPI 3.0 documents for API-first development, accelerating modernization efforts. The ZosConnect Custom Resource (CR) is enhanced to use container platform volumes to mount keystores for your z/OS Connect API image, enabling secure and flexible TLS configuration without rebuilding the image. Additionally, the IBM z/OS Connect Operator is updated to 1.0.14 and the CASE package to 1.0.15.
For more information on these updates, refer to PH69148. If you’re new to IBM z/OS Connect, you can find more information about its features and benefits by visiting this page.
New
Enhanced API Project Generation in z/OS Connect
z/OS Connect now provides greater flexibility for API-first development by supporting the generation of API projects from both OpenAPI 2.0 and OpenAPI 3.0 documents. When deploying to a z/OS Connect Server with the zosConnect-3.0 feature, developers can start with either OpenAPI specification, thereby enabling modernization. This enhancement simplifies the process of creating APIs that integrate with z/OS assets while maintaining compatibility with existing workflows.
This dual support for OpenAPI 2.0 and OpenAPI 3.0 documents with a z/OS Connect Server configured with the zosConnect-3.0 feature allows organizations to adopt the benefits of using the zosConnect-3.0 features while preserving stability for legacy APIs, offering a smooth transition path toward modern API practices.
For environments using the zosConnect-2.0 feature, you can continue to generate API projects from OpenAPI 2.0 documents for existing deployments.
For more information, see Developing APIs with “API-first”.
Enhancements
- Enhanced Keystore Management with Volume Mounting in ZosConnect Custom Resource (CR)
The ZosConnect CR has been enhanced to allow the use of container platform volumes for mounting keystores directly into the z/OS Connect API image. This improvement enables secure and flexible management of TLS keystore files without embedding them in the container image. By leveraging OpenShift volumes, organizations can follow best practices for handling sensitive data, simplify certificate rotation, and maintain separation of concerns between application code and cryptographic material.
With this capability, administrators can define volumes and mount points in the CR specification, making keystore files available at runtime for SSL configuration. This approach supports TLS and mutual TLS (mTLS) setups for z/OS Connect APIs while integrating seamlessly with container orchestration security features like RBAC and secret management. Overall, the enhancement streamlines secure API deployment and reduces operational overhead by eliminating the need for image rebuilds when updating certificates.
For more information, see Configure volumes.
Fixes
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PH65523 - Incorrect HTTP status code 500 and response returned when a request times out.
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PH68109 - Message BAQH4005E: Unable to send request to the z/OS Connect Server can be misleading.
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PH68964 - The default value for the z/OS Connect Gradle plug-in property wideComp3 is incorrectly documented as “YES”.
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