Exposing z/OS assets as REST APIs

To access and act on a resource on a z/OS® subsystem through REST APIs, create a service that defines how the JSON schemas for the request and response messages map to the resource. Then, design a REST API to define how an HTTP action such as GET, PUT, POST, or DELETE would act on the service.

Depending on the service provider and the z/OS subsystem you are accessing, create z/OS Connect services and the related service archive (.sar) files by using the z/OS Connect EE API toolkit, the build toolkit, or other required utilities. The z/OS Connect EE API toolkit also provides a user interface for designing and creating REST APIs for your services.

  • The API toolkit is an Eclipse-based tool that provides a graphical interface for defining a CICS®, IMS or IBM® MQ service, with powerful data mapping and service redaction support. Db2® services can also be created using the API toolkit through the REST client service provider.
  • The build toolkit provides a command -line interface and also an SDK to build your service archive file.
    • For service providers that are supported by the API toolkit, the build toolkit can build the service archive file from the service project directory created by the API toolkit.
    • For service providers that are not supported by the API toolkit, the build toolkit builds the service archive file from a properties file that was created for the CICS and IBM MQ service providers.

Regardless of how your service is created and defined, the build toolkit enables scripting and an automated process for continuous integration and delivery of services.

In the z/OS Connect EE API toolkit (the z/OS Connect Enterprise Edition perspective in the Eclipse environment), you can do the following work:

  • Create and export a service project based on CICS channels and containers, CICS COMMAREA, or IMS messages and segments or IBM MQ messages. A service interface editor is provided for you to define the request and response service interfaces, specifying which fields can be exposed, and how they are exposed.
  • Create, edit, delete, deploy, and export an API project.
  • Create a connection to a z/OS Connect server in the Host Connections view.
  • Browse, start, stop, and remove deployed APIs on connected servers in the z/OS Connect Servers view.
  • Examine and test the operations of an API in Swagger UI that is included in the API toolkit.