IMS Enterprise Suite SOAP Gateway (IMS SOAP Gateway)

IMS Enterprise Suite SOAP Gateway, previously a separate product named IMS SOAP Gateway, is a Web service solution that integrates IMS assets in a service-oriented architecture (SOA) environment.

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.

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 is the last release of IMS SOAP Gateway as a product. IMS Enterprise Suite Version 1 SOAP Gateway continues to support IMS Version 10, but has new features that require IMS Version 11. IMS Enterprise Suite SOAP Gateway is available as part of the no-charge IMS Enterprise Suite. 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

To take advantage of the most current SOAP Gateway features, customers should migrate to using the IMS Enterprise Suite SOAP Gateway.

• Integrates IMS assets in an 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 secure outbound calls to Web services through easy deployment and configuration steps (IMS Enterprise Suite SOAP Gateway or IMS SOAP Gateway Version 10.1 with IMS Version 10 only).

• Runs on multiple platforms including Microsoft Windows XP, Windows 2000, AIX, Linux for System z, and z/OS (z/OS support is for IMS Enterprise Suite SOAP Gateway and IMS SOAP Gateway Version 10.1 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. This security feature is provided when IMS applications are enabled as either Web service providers or Web service consumers

• 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 to easily generate Web service artifacts such as the WSDL file, the correlator XML file, and the XML converters. Rational Developer for System z generates the XML converter from your COBOL copybook to be used by the IMS Connect XML adapter.

• Provides the IMS Enterprise Suite SOAP Gateway Deployment utility, which aids the creation of Web service artifacts if tooling support is not available in your environment.

• Enables IMS applications to send business event data to business event processing and monitoring engines such as such as IBM WebSphere® Business Events and IBM WebSphere Business Monitor. Using the graphical tooling interface and runtime engines in WebSphere Business Events and WebSphere Business Monitor, business users are empowered to define and manage business events, proactively monitor IMS business activities, instrument IMS business logic, identify new business opportunities, and mitigate risks.

• Supports Web Services Security (WS-Security) for dynamic authentication on a per-message basis for accessing IMS applications as Web services. Instead of static authentications on a per-Web service basis, each request for a Web service is authenticated dynamically based on the IMS Connect security setup.

Two limited usage licenses (without support) of Rational Developer for System z are provided for each license of IMS Version 11 and IMS Version 10. Terms and conditions are outlined in the Rational Developer for System z licensing along with Rational Developer for System z on the IMS Enterprise Suite SOAP Gateway download Web site.

IMS Enterprise Suite SOAP Gateway

The following table lists the supported IMS, IMS Connect, and integrated development environment (IDE) for IMS Enterprise Suite SOAP Gateway:

* New features as well as the multi-segment support in IMS Enterprise Suite V1.1 SOAP Gateway require IMS Version 11 and Rational Developer for System z Version 7.6. All other base features work with IMS Version 10 and Rational Developer for System z Version 7.1.1.1.

IMS SOAP Gateway

The following table lists the supported IMS, IMS Connect, and integrated development environment (IDE) for IMS SOAP Gateway

* IMS SOAP Gateway V10.1 offers three new features- the callout function, z/OS support, and multi-segment messages support. The callout function and multi-segment messages support require IMS Version 10. All other features work with IMS Version 9. Apply the latest IMS SOAP Gateway V10.1 iFix for the new features. For IMS applications to issue synchronous callout requests, you must apply the following APARS: PK 70078, PK 73224, PK 70330, PK 71135, and PK 74168. If the applications run in a Java dependent region, you must also apply APAR PK 75209.
** If you are using Rational Developer for System z to generate the correlator file and XML converter for IMS SOAP Gateway Version 10.1, a minimum of Version 7.1.1.3 is required. For multi-segment messages support, a minimum of Version 7.5.1 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.
*** 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.

• IMS Enterprise Suite SOAP Gateway
• IMS SOAP Gateway Version 10.1, Version 9.2.1, and related samples