Figure 4 shows the main interfaces to IMS DB (IMS TM, the ODBA interface, and the DRA interface), along with some of the products that use the ODBA and DRA interfaces.

Figure 4. Accessing IMS DB from Other Programs

The following components and products are shown in Figure 4:

• DL/I.
• DRA: The DRA comes with IMS DB, but is run where it is used, not within IMS.
• ODBA: ODBA comes with IMS DB, but, like the DRA, is run where it is used, not within IMS.
• Distributed z/OS applications: Any z/OS application that follows the guidelines and rules associated with the ODBA interface can access IMS.
• WebSphere Application Server for z/OS.
• CICS: IBM CICS Transaction Server for z/OS, an IBM licensed program that provides online transaction-processing services and management for business applications. CICS can be a transaction manager for either IMS DB or DB2 UDB for z/OS. In Figure 4, CICS application programs that need to access IMS DB can do so in two ways:
  • Directly through the DRA by issuing CICS EXEC DL/I calls.
  • Through the DRA using the IMS Java function and issuing the supported SQL calls.
• DB2 UDB for z/OS: IBM's premier database manager for relational databases. Stored procedures that run in DB2 UDB for z/OS can access IMS DB through ODBA.
• IBM WebSphere MQ for z/OS: A z/OS subsystem that supports the transfer of messages across z/OS address spaces and to other WebSphere MQ products on both IBM and non-IBM platforms. The platforms include AIX®, iSeries™, OS/2®, VSE/ESA™, HP-UX, Solaris, Windows, Compaq NonStop Kernel, Compaq Tru64 UNIX, Compaq OpenVMS (Alpha), and Linux, using the IBM SNA LU 6.2 or TCP/IP communications protocols.
• IBM IMS DataPropagator™: Figure 4 also shows WebSphere MQ for z/OS working in conjunction with IMS DataPropagator and DB2 UDB for z/OS to replicate IMS data across the DB2 family of databases.