What is the IMS resource adapter?

The IMS resource adapter is used by Java applications to access IMS transactions running on host IMS systems. The IMS resource adapter is available in a number of Java integrated development environments (IDEs) provided by IBM. Two of these IDEs are WebSphere Studio Application Developer Integration Edition and Rational Application Developer with the optional J2EE Connector Architecture (J2C) feature. The IMS resource adapter is also used at runtime by WebSphere Application Server when a Java application accesses an IMS transaction running on a host IMS system. The IMS resource adapter is also called IMS Connector for Java.

The process of using Rational Application Developer with the J2C Connector tools to build a Java application that runs an IMS transaction is summarized by the following steps:
  1. Import C or COBOL definitions of the IMS transaction input and output messages into the Java Data Binding wizard to map to Java data structures. This wizard creates Java data bindings for the input and output messages.
  2. Provide Java data bindings to the J2C Java Bean wizard. This wizard creates a J2C Java bean with methods that can be used to run IMS transactions on the host.
  3. Provide the J2C Java bean to the J2C dynamic wizard used to create a J2EE resource. This J2EE resource can be deployed to WebSphere Application Server and used to run your IMS transactions. The types of J2EE resources that can be created from a J2C Java bean are:
    • JSP
    • Web Service
    • EJB
  4. Test the J2EE resource directly from the development environment using the WebSphere test environment provided with Rational Application Developer.
  5. Export the J2EE resource, packaged as an EAR file by Rational Application Developer, so that it can be deployed to and run on a stand alone WebSphere Application Server.

The following figure illustrates the use of the IMS resource adapter during development:

C, COBOL, MFS are imported into WSADIE where the information is run through the Enterprise Service and the IMS Resource Adapter, tested on the WebSphere Test Environment, and then exported into an EAR file.

At run time, the IMS resource adapter is used with IBM WebSphere® Application Server. When a Java™ application runs, it submits a transaction request to IMS™ through the host product, IMS Connect. The IMS resource adapter communicates with IMS Connect using TCP/IP or Local Option. IMS Connect then sends the transaction request to IMS OTMA using XCF (Cross-system Coupling Facility), and the transaction runs in IMS. The response is returned to the Java application using the same path. The following figure illustrates the run-time process:

A diagram showing how the IMS resource adapter is used during runtime.

Two IMS resource adapters are provided as part of the J2C feature of Rational Application Developer. IMS Connector for Java Version 9.1.0.1.X is based on Version 1.0 of the J2EE Connector Architecture and IMS Connector for Java Version 9.1.0.2.X is based on Version 1.5 of the J2EE Connector Architecture. A license for IMS V9.1 is required to run an application that uses IMS Connector for Java V9.1.0.x.x. This information does not describe the J2EE Connector architecture in general. For information on the JCA architecture and its concepts, see the J2EE Connector Architecture Specification at http://java.sun.com/j2ee/download.html.

Both IMS resource adapter:

See IMS resource adapter APIs for additional information on the IMS resource adapter's J2C classes and interfaces.

The IMS resource adapter is included in WebSphere Studio Application Developer Integration Edition and the optional J2EE Connector Architecture (J2C) feature of Rational Application Developer for use in the development of Java applications. The IMS resource adapter runtime is a component of the IMS product. It is packaged as a Resource Adapter Archive (RAR) file and can be deployed to WebSphere Application Server for use by J2EE applications. The IMS resource adapter runtime is available for download from the IMS Web site (www.ibm.com/software/data/ims) and is also available for installation on z/OS using SMP/E.

The IMS resource adapter is primarily intended for use by services that submit transactions to IMS. However, the IMS resource adapter can also be used by services that submit IMS commands to IMS.

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