IMS Data Provider for Microsoft .NET overview

The IMS™ Data Provider for Microsoft .NET extends IMS support for the ADO.NET interface and delivers high-performing, secure access to IMS data.

IMS Data Provider for Microsoft .NET simplifies development of Microsoft .NET applications that are written in C#, Visual Basic, and other ADO.NET-compliant languages to access IMS data. This access eliminates the need for intermediate steps or tools, such as DB2® stored procedures, web services, InfoSphere® Classic Federated Server, and other third-party products, for access to IMS databases.

A .NET data provider features implementations of the following basic classes:

Connection: Establishes and manages a database connection.
Command: Executes an SQL statement against a database.

DataReader: Reads and returns result set data from a database.

DataAdapter: Links a DataSet instance to a database. Through a DataAdapter instance, the DataSet can read and write database table data.

This following diagram shows how the IMSConnection object in the data provider communication with the Distributed Relational Database Architecture™ (DRDA) server in IMS Connect and Open Database Manager (ODBM) on the host system. The DRDA server communicates with the SQL engine that enables the SQL support in the host native environment. The SQL engine takes advantage of the metadata in IMS catalog to access and manipulate IMS data.

Begin figure description. This diagram shows that the IMSConnection object in the data provider talks to the DRDA target server in IMS Connect and ODBM, which communicates with the SQL engine that enables the SQL support in the host native environment. The SQL engine takes advantage of the metadata in IMS catalog to access and manipulate IMS data. End figure description.