API Enablement

  • 1.  Calling API from ZOS batch

    Posted Thu December 23, 2021 03:14 AM
    Hello 
    Currently developing a batch process that should call a external API to indicate the completion of the job with batch number and few other details ?  my set up is as follows .
     
    Web App Calls a External Stored Procedure(DB2 ZOS) , which then calls a COBOL module that uses "CICS Spool commands SPOOLOPEN, SPOOLREAD, SPOOLWRITE and SPOOLCLOSE to form JCL statements into INTRDR and routes to the JES"
    The job will execute the . the Need is to add a last Step to  the same job to "Trigger/Call an External API"
    Client does not want to install any new on Z/OS (So Z/OS Connect is not allowed)
    Please advice any suggestions.


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    GIRISH VENKATARAMANAPPA
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  • 2.  RE: Calling API from ZOS batch

    Posted Wed December 29, 2021 02:57 PM

    OpenLegacy provides a platform which enables to create APIs and call APIs to and from mainframes including batch.

    It doesn't require an install on the mainframe. We can schedule a session to explain how it's done. Regards - Alain



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    alain portenier
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  • 3.  RE: Calling API from ZOS batch

    Posted Thu December 30, 2021 02:27 AM
    Hi Girish,

    the easiest way to do so is to use the "z/OS client web enablement toolkit" which is integral part of z/OS.
    https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/zos/2.4.0?topic=languages-zos-client-web-enablement-toolkit

    It includes http-routines for batch and some examples, which are really helpful.
    If you need further information, please let me know.
    Helmut

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    Helmut Roese
    COM Software GmbH
    Eschborn
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  • 4.  RE: Calling API from ZOS batch

    Posted Tue November 29, 2022 06:39 AM
    Hello Helmut,

    Would you be able to please share merits & demerits of using "z/OS client web enablement toolkit" as against z/OS Connect EE? In my case the requirement is to execute off-host Microservices from Mainframe COBOL batch, and customer already using z/OS Connect EE for other use cases (exposing CICS services to off-host as REST APIs).

    Thanks in advance!
    Atul


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    Atul
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  • 5.  RE: Calling API from ZOS batch

    Posted Wed November 30, 2022 06:07 AM
    Hello Atul,

    The z/OS Client Web Enablement Toolkit would allow your COBOL batch application to talk directly to the off-host micro services. Your application would be responsible for managing the connection, creating and parsing the JSON and any security required for the call.

    With z/OS Connect, like with the CICS usage you would get generated copybooks for the request and response payloads of the micro service and have z/OS Connect handle any security requirements and tokens for calling the off host service. It obviously would then require an additional process to be managed but this could be the same servers as are currently handling the CICS workloads.

    Andrew

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    Andrew Smithson
    Software Engineer
    IBM
    Winchester
    01962 817190
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  • 6.  RE: Calling API from ZOS batch

    Posted Fri December 02, 2022 07:38 AM
    Hello Andrew, Thanks a lot for your inputs. It helps, and I understand that in terms of ease of implementation, z/OS Connect as a platform provides rich features to manage security, connection establishment, JSON parsing etc. Which, in the case of z/OS Client Web Enablement Toolkit, has to be handled by the application with the help of toolkit components.
    However, are there any comparisons (which one could give better results) that can be drawn between these two patterns, in terms of below parameters?

    1. Transactions Per Second - Which method could handle more throughput
    2. Average Response Time - which method could offer lesser latency
    3. CPU usage - which method would consume lesser CPU usage
    4. Potential zIIP offloading - which method would offer more zIIP benefits

    Really appreciate any insight with respect to these parameters. Thanks!
    Atul

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    Atul
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  • 7.  RE: Calling API from ZOS batch

    Posted Mon December 05, 2022 05:16 AM
    Hi Atul,

    you mentioned in your first message, that z/OS Connect is available. I do not have any measures available for the 4 points mentioned in your last message, but if you think of maintainability and expandability, you should put your focus on z/OS Connect.
    Only if you have high transaction volume and someone gives you detailed figures of a much better performance, you might choose the toolkit. But only then....
    Regards
    Helmut

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    Helmut Roese
    COM Software GmbH
    Eschborn
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  • 8.  RE: Calling API from ZOS batch

    Posted Wed December 07, 2022 11:20 AM
    Hi Atul

    There is a performance report available here for z/OS Connect API Requester, the report uses a CICS scenario but the results are comparable for Batch applications. I don't have a comparison with the toolkit.

    Thanks

    Andrew

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    Andrew Smithson
    Software Engineer
    IBM
    Winchester
    01962 817190
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