Developing web-based applications

The z/OSMF framework provides the infrastructure, security, and services you need to create the web-based applications to be included in your plug-ins.

Specifically, z/OSMF provides the following resources:
JavaScript APIs
z/OSMF core provides application programming interfaces (APIs) that allow you to create plug-ins that interact with z/OSMF core and share data with the tasks in your plug-ins. Exploiting these APIs provides users with a consistent experience across z/OSMF tasks. For more details, see Using the z/OSMF core JavaScript APIs and Using the Application Linking Manager JavaScript APIs.
REST Services
z/OSMF provides several REST interfaces, which you can use to simplify the creation of your z/OSMF plug-ins. For more details, see Using the z/OSMF REST services.
Client Side Logger
z/OSMF provides a client-side logging framework that you can use to route client messages to the z/OSMF log, which is the same log used by plug-ins that ship with z/OSMF. For more details, see Logging client messages in the z/OSMF log.
File Retrieval Service
z/OSMF provides a file retrieval service that you can use to specify the file for z/OSMF core to display when it launches your application and to specify any additional files or resources your application may need. For more details, see Retrieving files and resources for your application.
Secure Environment
z/OSMF uses the System Authorization Facility (SAF) interface on the z/OS host system to authenticate users and to grant users access to z/OS system management tasks. z/OSMF security also depends on plug-in developers identifying and remediating security vulnerabilities in their applications. For more details, see Securing your applications.

Requirements

Your application must:

  • Be written in a markup or programming language that a Web browser can interpret, such as HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. z/OSMF does not support markup or programming languages that must be interpreted by the z/OSMF server.
  • Use Dojo 1.7 or later to interface with z/OSMF core; however, you are not required to code your application using Dojo.
  • Be stored in the UNIX file system with 644 permissions for files and 755 permissions for folders.
  • Add new function to z/OSMF or update a plug-in that you created and previously imported. You cannot use plug-ins to modify the z/OSMF framework, the z/OSMF user interface, or other z/OSMF plug-ins.
Parent topic: Creating your own z/OSMF plug-ins