Which is the best approach to connect IBM Mainframe application using Java Connector Architecture (JCA)?

Question

Which is the best approach to connect IBM Mainframe application using Java Connector Architecture (JCA)?

Answer 1

IBM's approach should be pretty good.

Here's an IBM tutorial to get you started: Introduction to the J2EE Connector Architecture

Answer 2

DAO Design Pattern approach

Could connect using the DB2 connector db2jcc-db2jcc4.jar

My Connection Factory (excerpt from the Class):

`Class.forName("com.ibm.db2.jcc.DB2Driver");
 uniqueConn = 
 DriverManager.getConnection("jdbc:db2://204.90.115.200:5040/DALLASC", "Zxxxxx", "********");`

Used the IBM zxplore learning platform mainframe - https://www.ibm.com/it-infrastructure/z/education/zxplore. Replace Zxxxxx with your zxplore user id and ******** with your password.

Used 3 packages: dao (Data Access Object), model, ctrl (control)

Classes:

• under model package: Employee class with 4 attibutes: First Name, Last Name, Work Dept and Job (a subset of all colunms from DB2 table IBMUSER.EMP)
• under dao package: ConnFactoryDB2 - a class using the Singleton Design Pattern to connect to the database (main point shared above)
• under dao package: EmployeeDAO class, with only a getList method, containing the code including the "select FIRSTNME, LASTNAME, WORKDEPT, JOB from IBMUSER.EMP"
• under ctrl package: a "test drive" class, putting together the DAO Design Pattern approach used:
  • database connection using the ConnFactoryDB2 class;
  • database browsing using the combination of the dao.EmployeeDAO and model.Employee

Final result:

run: Starting Employee Display - Sáb 2022.11.12 at 08:22:52 AM BRST Connecting DB DALLASC - IBM Zxplore! 1st Name | Last Name | Dept | Job

CHRISTINE | HAAS | A00 | PRES

MICHAEL | THOMPSON | B01 | MANAGER

SALLY | KWAN | C01 | MANAGER

JOHN | GEYER | E01 | MANAGER

IRVING | STERN | D11 | MANAGER

EVA | PULASKI | D21 | MANAGER

EILEEN | HENDERSON | E11 | MANAGER

THEODORE | SPENSER | E21 | MANAGER

VINCENZO | LUCCHESI | A00 | SALESREP

SEAN | O'CONNELL | A00 | CLERK

DOLORES | QUINTANA | C01 | ANALYST

HEATHER | NICHOLLS | C01 | ANALYST

BRUCE | ADAMSON | D11 | DESIGNER

ELIZABETH | PIANKA | D11 | DESIGNER

MASATOSHI | YOSHIMURA | D11 | DESIGNER

MARILYN | SCOUTTEN | D11 | DESIGNER

JAMES | WALKER | D11 | DESIGNER

DAVID | BROWN | D11 | DESIGNER

WILLIAM | JONES | D11 | DESIGNER

JENNIFER | LUTZ | D11 | DESIGNER

JAMES | JEFFERSON | D21 | CLERK

SALVATORE | MARINO | D21 | CLERK

DANIEL | SMITH | D21 | CLERK

SYBIL | JOHNSON | D21 | CLERK

MARIA | PEREZ | D21 | CLERK

ETHEL | SCHNEIDER | E11 | OPERATOR

JOHN | PARKER | E11 | OPERATOR

PHILIP | SMITH | E11 | OPERATOR

MAUDE | SETRIGHT | E11 | OPERATOR

RAMLAL | MEHTA | E21 | FIELDREP

WING | LEE | E21 | FIELDREP

JASON | GOUNOT | E21 | FIELDREP

DIAN | HEMMINGER | A00 | SALESREP

GREG | ORLANDO | A00 | CLERK

KIM | NATZ | C01 | ANALYST

KIYOSHI | YAMAMOTO | D11 | DESIGNER

REBA | JOHN | D11 | DESIGNER

ROBERT | MONTEVERDE | D21 | CLERK

EILEEN | SCHWARTZ | E11 | OPERATOR

MICHELLE | SPRINGER | E11 | OPERATOR

HELENA | WONG | E21 | FIELDREP

ROY | ALONZO | E21 | FIELDREP

Employees List Completed - Total Employees Listed = 42 Fim do Processamento - Sáb 2022.11.12 at 08:22:54 AM BRST CONSTRUÍDO COM SUCESSO (tempo total: 1 segundo)

Answer 3

This is not a JCA solution, but you can also use telnet and screen scraping. This is pretty simple, but not the most efficient way as to have to wait for the screen to appear, etc

Answer 4

You have many options... I've tried them all.

Their CTG product can be a bottleneck and the licensing is ridiculously expensive. I recommend staying away from the Cics Transaction gateway.

You can homebrew a solution using just plain data sockets. We're currently doing this. We developed a standard Java annotation library and a standard COBOL copybook.

Consider mainframe webservices. The XML parsing/marshaling can be ZIIP/ZAAP eligible, so you don't incur those MIPS charges.

You may also consider an ESB like Sonic from progressive software. They offer a product called Shadow that takes the guesswork out of mainframe webservices.