Unlocking value with z/OS Connect and App Connect Enterprise

Connecting IBM App Connect Enterprise to mainframe systems isn’t new. For years, App Connect Enterprise (ACE) has supported direct integration with IBM CICS and IBM IMS, enabling customers to invoke transactions and access data on z/OS using protocols like MQ, HTTP, and SOAP. These capabilities have helped enterprises modernize their core systems and expose legacy assets to the broader IT landscape.

Now, we are introducing a third powerful option for ACE customers to connect to their mainframes: The z/OS Connect Connector

Why this matters

Applications and data residing on z/OS form the critical backbone for most modern enterprises, with around 70% of the top 100 banks worldwide using IBM Z Mainframe for critical core applications and data (The State of IBM Mainframe at 60, Gartner).

With many IT shops adopting a hybrid cloud approach to deploying systems and applications, integration with IBM Z is becoming more critical than ever. Additionally, the value that IBM Z brings to your organisation can range from high processing power, scalability, reliability, and applications with market leading security.  Integrating these systems can unlock significant value, enabling you to do more with the core through seamless data flow and operational efficiency.

With the prevalence of IBM Z and z/OS across retail, insurance, finance, and healthcare, a common question we hear from integration specialists working outside the platform is: how can I connect to z/OS applications and data?

Introducing the New z/OS Connect Connector in ACE

With the release of a new connector in App Connect Enterprise (ACE), things just got a lot easier! IBM has delivered a first-class experience for integrating with z/OS through a connector designed specifically for z/OS Connect APIs. This connector provides a seamless experience to integrate OpenAPIs, exposing mission-critical transactional data on z/OS to those integrating across the organization.

The latest release of App Connect Enterprise introduces a new connector in the App Connect palette, available for both Toolkit and Designer

Why?

• Easily discover APIs published by the z/OS development teams
• Wave goodbye to complex COBOL copybooks
• No More Asking System Programmers for Permissions to access IMS or CICS

To Enable:

• The ability to create tightly coupled automation flows with z/OS data and the rest of the enterprise.
• Reducing the time to value of unlocking the power of z/OS applications and easily integrating them with any other platform.
• Delivering first-class, enterprise standard API calls to z/OS without the need for specialized skills.
• Gaining valuable data in seconds without dealing with complex COBOL copybooks.
• Eliminating manual handovers and the need to raise internal tickets for to ask system programmers for permission to call specific subsystems like IMS or CICS.

How it Works

The connector is now in the palette alongside all the other connectors for other applications to make it as easy as possible to connect to IBM Z. To use the connector, ask the z/OS team for their z/OS Connect server information, and a username and password. For example, this is the experience with IBM App Connect Enterprise Toolkit:

Similarly, in App Connect Enterprise Designer, the experience is streamlined. You can easily access the z/OS Connect connector through the Applications and APIs section:

How to get the Connector?

The connector allows for out-of-the-box integration across the enterprise, and you can read more information at this link: https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/app-connect/13.0?topic=apps-zos-connect