Calling Integration Server from COBOL under IBM i

This document covers the following topics:

This scenario uses the EntireX Workbench tools IDL Extractor for Integration Server and COBOL Wrapper of the Software AG Designer.

Introduction

graphics/is2cob-common_intro.png

graphics/blue_1.gif Use IDL Extractor for Integration Server to generate Integration Server connections and listeners from the Integration Server service to be called.
graphics/blue_2.gif Generate client interface objects and build COBOL client application.
graphics/blue_3.gif Execute the call from the COBOL client to the Integration Server service.

This scenario makes the following important assumptions:

For Task 1:

  • You have an Integration Server with the EntireX Adapter installed.

For Task 3:

  • You have an Integration Server with the EntireX Adapter installed.

  • You can call the Integration Server service at runtime using different methods:

    • EntireX RPC
      For the EntireX RPC connection method you need EntireX Broker on one of the supported platforms: z/OS | UNIX | Windows | BS2000/OSD | z/VSE.

      graphics/is2cob-common_intro_assume.png

    • EntireX Direct RPC
      For the EntireX Direct RPC connection method there are no additional prerequisites.

      graphics/is2cob-common_intro_assume-directRpc.png

Task 1: Generate Integration Server Connections and Listeners

This section describes your first steps to create a new Integration Server connection. This process creates the following:

  • a Software AG IDL file (metafile) in the EntireX Workbench; an IDL file contains definitions of the interfaces between client and server. See Software AG IDL File in the IDL Editor documentation and Mapping Software AG IDL to Integration Server Data Types in the Integration Server Wrapper documentation

  • a server connection

  • one of the following in Integration Server, depending on connection type specified in Step 4: Select the Connection Type below:

    • an RPC Listener

    • a Reliable RPC Listener

    • a Direct RPC Listener

The following steps are described in more detail under IDL Extractor for Integration Server.

Step 1: Start the IDL Extractor for Integration Server

Start of instruction setTo start the IDL Extractor for Integration Server

  1. The IDL Extractor is a New Wizard in Eclipse. Choose New from the file menu, select IDL Extractor for webMethods IS in the following page and choose Next.

    Note:
    You can also choose New from the toolbar or context menu of a view showing resources. Also Ctrl-N starts the selection of the New Wizards.

  2. If you are using the wizard for the first time without any predefined Integration Server connections, continue with Step 2: Connect EntireX Workbench with Integration Server below.

graphics/using_startExtractor.png

Step 2: Connect EntireX Workbench with Integration Server

Start of instruction setTo create a new Integration Server connection

  1. Define the new Integration Server connection on the following wizard page. The only required field is Server. graphics/toc_closed.png More info

    graphics/using_createNewConnection.png

  2. Choose Next and continue with Step 3: Select the Integration Server Package to Extract.

Step 3: Select the Integration Server Package to Extract

graphics/using_selectPackage.png

Start of instruction setTo extract the IDL from the selected package

  1. Select the package to extract (from the list indicated by Source), for example the package "Default" in the screen above.

  2. Specify the target. By default, the wizard tries to find a valid container based on your position in the Navigator or Package Explorer View.

    Or:
    Choose Browse... to select a container from your workspace.

    Notes:

    1. The IDL file name is based on the selected Integration Server package from the list below, but this is only a proposal and can be changed.
    2. If the file name already exists in your container, a warning will be displayed in the title area of the wizard page.
    3. If the extension "idl" is not specified, it will be added automatically.

  3. Optimize the extracted IDL. Use the combo-box and select the target programming language:

    • COBOL
      For usage with the COBOL Wrapper. Enter the default length for IDL type A(default-length) fields which map then to COBOL alphanumeric data items PIC X(default-length).

  4. For this scenario, make sure Create Listener Objects in Integration Server is checked.

  5. Choose Next to store the IDL file in the selected container in the Eclipse workspace. When you go to the next page, the Back button is disabled, because the IDL file has already been created and this step cannot be reverted.

Step 4: Select the Connection Type

graphics/using_selectConnection.png

Start of instruction setTo select the connection type

As a prerequisite, the IDL file has been stored in the workspace and the Back button is now disabled.

  • Select a Connection type and click Next.

    Notes:

    1. An EntireX RPC Listener connection is always available.
    2. An EntireX Reliable RPC Listener connection is available if all IDL programs contain only IN parameters.
    3. An EntireX Direct RPC Listener connection is available if it is enabled by the license for the webMethods EntireX Adapter.

Step 5: Define a Listener

graphics/using_defineListener.png

Start of instruction setTo define a listener

  1. Select an Integration Server package where the listener will be stored.

  2. Specify the names for Folder Name (default: library name), Connection Name (default: library nameConnection) and Listener Name (default: library nameListener).

  3. Advanced users: You can alter the Integration Server services in the table headed by the RPC Program Name and IS Service Name. Note that a selected service must exist in some package of the Integration Server! This step is not recommended. Only perform it if required.

  4. If necessary, edit the Broker settings for the Listener (Broker ID, Server Address, User ID, Password, and Encoding).

  5. The check box Overwrite existing Objects in Integration Server can be used to re-generate the objects after you have changed the IDL file.

    Notes:

    1. The check box Overwrite existing Objects in Integration Server is useful for re-generating objects created previously. However, you cannot overwrite an RPC Listener Connection or a reliable RPC Listener Connection with a connection of a different type. If the connection is deleted with the Adapter Administration UI, it is not possible to overwrite the objects. In this case, you have to delete the adapter services in the Designer.
    2. When creating a connection, a package dependency is added such that the selected package depends on webMethods EntireX (the package WmEntireX) with the version currently used.

  6. Choose Finish.

    As a result, the following objects will be created:

    • one connection of type EntireX RPC Listener, EntireX Reliable RPC Listener or EntireX Direct RPC Listener

    • one listener object

    For a connection of type EntireX Reliable RPC Listener the following objects will be created in addition for each IDL program:

    • one notification object

    • one trigger object

    • one document type object

Task 2: Generate Client Interface Objects and Build Client Application

This section covers the following topics:

Set Generation Options (Properties) for the COBOL Wrapper

From the context menu on the IDL file extracted as described under Task 1: Generate Integration Server Connections and Listeners above, choose Properties > EntireX COBOL Wrapper and set the following properties:

  • Set the Target Operating System to "BS2000/OSD".

  • Set the Client Interface Type to "Batch with standard linkage calling convention".

    In this scenario, the COBOL client program, every generated client interface object, generic RPC services module and the broker stub are linked together to the client application.

    Use the COBOL Wrapper for batch if you need to embed the client interface object into your application with a standard linkage calling convention.

graphics/is2cob-i_generate-client_props.png

Build the Client Application with a Call Interface to Client Interface Objects

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The following steps are described in more detail under Using the COBOL Wrapper for Batch (z/OS, BS2000/OSD, z/VSE and IBM i):

Start of instruction setTo use the COBOL Wrapper for batch

  1. Generate the client interface object(s) for the target operating system and use interface type "Batch with standard linkage calling convention". See Generating COBOL Source Files from Software AG IDL Files. You do not need to generate the generic RPC service module COBSRVI because it is already installed on the mainframe, so clear the check box. graphics/toc_closed.png More info

  2. If necessary, use FTP to transfer the client interface object(s) to the target platform where you write your client application.

  3. If you have generated the generic RPC service module and you plan to (re)install it within CICS, you may need to adapt the broker stub that supports the required transport (TCP, SSL, NET). See Adapting the Used Broker Stub.

  4. Write your COBOL client program. See Writing Applications with the COBOL Wrapper, in particular the section Using the RPC Communication Area with a Standard Call Interface, and take into consideration the information given in Software AG IDL to COBOL Mapping.

  5. Using a COBOL compiler supported by COBOL Wrapper, compile:

    • the generated client interface object(s)

    • if required, the generic RPC service module COBSRVI

    • your COBOL client program

    Take care the generated copybooks (see Using the Generated Copybooks) are accessed correctly by the compiler and not confused with the client interface objects, because the copybooks and client interface objects have identical file names. See your compiler documentation.

    • Use the command CRTCBLMOD (create COBOL module) and compile all modules above to ILE modules.

    • Use the IBM i compiler command with the options shown below: 

      CRTCBLMOD
OPTION(*NOMONOPRC) EXTDSOPT(*NODFRWRT) LINKLIT(*PRC)

  6. Using the standard linker (binder) of the target platform, link (bind) the following programs:

    • the generated client interface object(s)

    • if required, the generic RPC service module COBSRVI

    • if required, the broker stub

    • your COBOL client program

    Use the IBM i command CRTPGM to bind all compiled modules to an executable ILE program of type *PGM.
    To link the main program, use the following create program command with the options shown: 

    CRTPGM
   MODULE(*LIB/myapplication mystub1 mystub2 ..)
   BNDSRVPGM(EXX/EXA) ...

    where EXX is the EntireX product library and EXA the broker stub.

  7. Make sure that the correct broker stub module is used and, if linked (bound) dynamically, that it can be called dynamically.

    The broker stub EXA is located by default in the EntireX product library EXX.

Task 3: Execute the Call from COBOL to Integration Server

After building your client application in Task 2 above, you can test your scenario.