Frank Swarbrick wrote:
>We are still on z/OS 1.13.... I'm still open to other ideas.

Do you have CICS Transaction Server Version 4.2 or later? If so, you could
have CICS TS handle these outbound requests from your batch program(s). For
earlier CICS Transaction Server releases (4.2 and 5.1) you'll need the CICS
Transaction Server Feature Pack for Mobile Extensions, a no additional
charge, supported download available here:

http://www.ibm.com/software/htp/cics/mobile/

CICS Transaction Server Version 5.2 and above incorporate JSON and REST
support as a base feature, so you shouldn't have to download or add
anything to newer CICS releases.

Yes, this support is bidirectional, so outbound requests from CICS should
be perfectly fine. You can refer to IBM Redbook SG24-8161 and SHARE 2014
Session #15856 for more information. If you're not familiar with how to
access a CICS service from a batch program, please post a follow-up.

Another possible approach is to create a WebSphere Liberty application that
includes the outbound service you need and run it on z/OS. Then call that
WebSphere Liberty service from your batch program(s) via the WebSphere
Optimized Local Adapter (WOLA) Native APIs. In WOLA parlance this is called
an "inbound" call, inbound to Liberty from your batch program(s). You'll
need WebSphere Liberty Version 8.5.5.2 or higher, preferably the latest
release. The latest release (as I write this) should be fine on z/OS 1.13.

Both of these approaches should be at least reasonably durable. With the
first approach you just continue forward with z/OS and CICS TS releases.
With the second approach you would presumably move to the z/OS Client Web
Enablement Toolkit when you get to z/OS Version 2.2 and retire your
"homegrown," small Liberty application.

I might have some other ideas, but these two are good ones if you cannot
get a z/OS 2.2 (or 2.1) LPAR going for some reason.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Timothy Sipples
IT Architect Executive, Industry Solutions, IBM z Systems, AP/GCG/MEA
E-Mail: [email protected]

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