Overview of IMS Connect XML Conversion Support

For certain IMS Connect clients, IMS Connect can convert the XML data contained in an input message into the data structures used by IMS application programs written in either COBOL or PL/I. The data in the corresponding output message is also converted from programming language of the IMS application program back to the XML data that IMS Connect client expects.

The IMS Connect XML conversion support enables IMS to accept messages in an XML format without having to create or modify IMS application programs to support XML.

The IMS Connect XML conversion support uses the HWSSOAP1 user message exit to identify the appropriate XML adapter and XML converter. The HWSSOAP1 user message exit is used by both IMS Enterprise Suite SOAP Gateway and IMS Web 2.0 Solution for IBM® Mashup Center.

IMS Connect calls the XML adapter, which serves as the interface to the XML converter. The XML converter is generated based on either the COBOL copybook or the PL/I source of the IMS application program, depending on which language the IMS application program is written in. After the XML data has been converted into the data structures of the programming language of the IMS application program, the input message is passed to OTMA.