IMS SOAP Gateway
The IMS SOAP Gateway is a Web service solution that integrates IMS assets in a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) environment.
IMS SOAP Gateway enables IMS applications to interoperate outside of the IMS environment through SOAP to provide and request services independent of platform, environment, application language, or programming model. It assists you to enable your IMS application as a Web service provider as well as a consumer. Different types of client applications, such as Microsoft .NET, Java, and third-party applications, can submit SOAP requests into IMS to drive the business logic of the COBOL applications. Your IMS application can also make outbound requests to access Web services.
The IMS SOAP Gateway assists an organization in the following areas:
- Enterprise modernization
- Application development
- Business-to-Business (B2B) integration
- Service-oriented architecture (SOA) implementation
IMS SOAP Gateway Version 10.1 and Version 9.2.1 are available at no additional charge to all IMS Version 10 and Version 9 customers.
- Integrates IMS assets in a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) environment by providing direct SOAP support, without the need of a full-blown application server. For example, a J2EE server.
- Makes IMS applications accessible as Web service providers through easy deployment and configuration steps.
- Enables IMS applications as Web service consumers to make outbound calls to Web services through easy deployment and configuration steps (IMS SOAP Gateway Version 10.1 with IMS Version 10 only).
- Communicates with Web services through IMS Connect.
- Supports Web service specifications and leverages open standards - SOAP/HTTP 1.1, WSDL 1.1, WS-I Basic Profile 1.0.
- Provides SSL and HTTPS security, allowing data to be transferred in a secure manner between the Web service and IMS SOAP Gateway as well as between IMS SOAP Gateway and IMS Connect.
- Runs on multiple platforms including Microsoft Windows XP, Windows 2000, AIX, zLinux and z/OS (z/OS support is in IMS SOAP Gateway Version 10.1 only).
- Integrates with the IMS Connect XML adapter function, which provides XML conversion support that allows you to send and receive XML data without modifying your existing IMS applications.
- Works with tooling in IBM Rational Developer for System z (RDz), previously known as WebSphere Developer for System z, to easily generate Web service artifacts such as the WSDL file, the correlator XML file, and the XML converters. RDz generates the XML converter from your COBOL copybook to be used by the IMS Connect XML adapter.
- Provides the IMS SOAP Gateway Deployment utility that aids the creation of Web service artifacts if tooling support is not available in your environment.
Two limited usage licenses (without support) of Rational Developer for System Z are provided for each license of IMS Version 10 for customers who also use IMS SOAP Gateway for creating or accessing Web services. Terms and conditions are outlined in the RDz licensing along with RDz on the IMS SOAP Gateway download website.
The following table lists the supported IMS, IMS Connect, and integrated development environment (IDE) for IMS SOAP Gateway.
| IMS SOAP Gateway | IMS and IMS Connect | IDE |
|---|
| 10.1* | V10*
V9** | Rational Developer for System z Version 7.1.1* |
|---|
| 9.2.1 | V10***
V9** | Rational Developer for System z Version 6 and Version 7 (formerly known as WebSphere Developer for System z) |
|---|
* IMS SOAP Gateway V10.1 offers two new features- the asynchronous callout function and z/OS support. The asynchronous callout function requires IMS Version 10. All other features work with IMS Version 9.
If you are using Rational Developer for System z to generate the correlator file for IMS SOAP Gateway Version 10.1, Version 7.1.1 is required. IMS SOAP Gateway also provides a deployment utility that assists the creation of the correlator file if you do not have Rational Developer for System z Version 7.1.1.
** To use the IMS Connect XML adapter function with IMS Version 9 you must have PTF UK 17000 (includes APAR PK29938 and APAR PK 24912) applied to IMS.
*** If you are upgrading from IMS Version 9 to IMS Version 10, you can continue to use IMS SOAP Gateway Version 9.2.1 with IMS Version 10 with no changes to the correlators or converters. If you want to use IMS SOAP Gateway Version 10.1, you must migrate your correlators. See the README file that is included in the IMS SOAP Gateway Version 10.1 download or the IMS SOAP Gateway FAQs for more information.
You can download IMS SOAP Gateway Version 10.1 and Version 9.2.1. You can also download the samples that demonstrate how to enable IMS applications as Web services, and how to call out to a Web service from an IMS application.
