Call an API from a CICS application

Use this scenario to call an API from a CICS application through IBM® z/OS® Connect .

This scenario involves two CICS applications:
  • The CICS catalog manager example application that must be exposed as a REST API for call preparation.
  • The CICS application that plays as a client application to call the exposed catalog manager API.

This scenario shows you how to connect the client CICS application to the IBM z/OS Connect server, how to connect the IBM z/OS Connect server to the request endpoint where the CICS catalog manager API is deployed, how to use the Command Line Interface (CLI) of the build toolkit to generate artifacts for an API requester based on the Swagger file of the API, how to deploy the API requester to the IBM z/OS Connect server and how to invoke the API requester from the client CICS application.

The following diagram shows the topology that is used in this scenario:
Diagram showing the flow from an API request through CICS, and z/OS Connect (OpenAPI 2), to the request endpoint.

When a CICS application is developed to call a RESTful service, the IBM z/OS Connect server that is used to process the request can be chosen at run time within the CICS application. This option allows for splitting of workloads between servers, for example, based on business area. This dynamic routing capability is available for CICS applications only. For more information, see Overriding the URIMAP in a CICS application