Planning to use optimized local adapters for z/OS

Use this high-level task when you are planning to implement the optimized local adapters for z/OS® in your environment.

Before you begin

For CICS® Transaction Server for z/OS to communicate with optimized local adapters, the minimum required version of CICS Transaction Server for z/OS is version 3.1. If you want to use two-phase commit or resource manager local transactions (RMLT) support for outbound calls from WebSphere® Application Server to CICS, you must use CICS Transaction Server for z/OS Version 4.1.

About this task

Optimized local adapters and the supporting native API callable services provide a different path for enterprise architecture and application development on the z/OS platform. Optimized local adapters can be used to make inbound calls from an external address space to Enterprise JavaBeans (EJB) applications that are deployed on a local WebSphere Application Server for z/OS server, and make outbound calls from an application running under WebSphere Application Server for z/OS to a server program that is running in an external address space.

Procedure

Review existing business and middleware applications in your environment to determine which processes would benefit from using optimized local adapters.
Using optimized local adapters provides applications that are written in native languages like Cobol, PL/I, C/C+, and high-level assembler, and are running under environments such as z/OS batch, Customer Information Control System (CICS) and UNIX System Services (USS), a different way to call Java™ applications that are implemented as EJB applications on WebSphere Application Server for z/OS.
You can read about several different types of scenarios where optimized local adapters are used with existing business and middleware applications in the topic, Optimized local adapters for z/OS usage scenarios.
Make sure that you are running WebSphere Application Server in 64-bit mode.
When you create an application server, it is automatically configured to run in 64-bit mode.
Make sure that WebSphere Application Server is using a SAF-based user registry if you plan to propagate a SAF user ID from WebSphere Application Server for z/OS to the enterprise information system (EIS).

Optimized local adapters can be used to connect with CICS and Information Management Systems (IMS), over OTMA support.
Review the optimized local adapters samples.
There are several examples that are included when you install WebSphere Application Server for z/OS. See the topic Optimized local adapters Samples on how to locate and use the samples.
Decide how to use optimized local adapters.
You can use the optimized local adapters to make inbound or outbound calls.
1. Use the optimized local adapters for inbound support.
  
  You can use the optimized local adapters support to call inbound to WebSphere Application Server for z/OS EJB applications. The following image shows the flow of an inbound CICS call to a WebSphere Application Server EJB application.
  
  Figure 1. Using CICS
  
  Figure 2. Using IMS
2. Use the optimized local adapters for outbound support.
  
  You can use the optimized local adapters support to call programs in external address spaces from WebSphere Application Server for z/OS applications.
  
  The following illustration shows the flow of an outbound WebSphere Application Server call to a CICS transaction.
  
  The following illustration shows the flow of an outbound WebSphere Application Server call to a IMS transaction.