IBM® Open Enterprise SDK for Apache Kafka® is a no-charge SDK that allows COBOL or C/C++ code running on z/OS® to natively communicate with a Kafka broker and to transform between COBOL copybooks and JSON events.
Many z/OS application architects and developers face the challenge of integrating their applications with Kafka clusters due to unclear options and reliance on external technologies, hindering their autonomy and solution implementation.
IBM Open Enterprise SDK for Apache Kafka is a revolutionary solution that enables a direct connection between IBM mainframes and Kafka clusters. Empowering developers to consume and publish events independently from their native applications, it provides:
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Use the Kafka APIs to directly call your Kafka broker from COBOL or C/C++ source code on z/OS.
Extend your z/OS native COBOL or C/C++ applications to consume and publish Kafka events to the Kafka broker.
Use the data transformation utility to transform between COBOL copybooks and the event format in JSON.
Enable an application to publish a stream to a Kafka topic. Kafka Producer APIs can be called from COBOL or C/C++ source code.
Enable an application to subscribe to one or more topics and to ingest and process the stream stored in the topic. Kafka Consumer APIs can work with records in the topic in real-time, or they can ingest and process past records. Kafka Consumer APIs can be called from COBOL or C/C++ source code.
Transform between native COBOL copybooks and the event format in JSON, which eases the use of the Kafka APIs.
The pax (portable archive exchange) download format is widely used in UNIX environments, including z/OS UNIX System Services, and provides a do-it-yourself installation experience.
The SMP/E (CBPDO, ServerPac and Open Source Software) format makes managing installable images and fix packs easy, ideal for production. Optional IBM Service and Support (S&S) is available for world-class IBM support, and both the license and S&S can be obtained through Shopz.
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IBM Open Enterprise SDK for Apache Kafka is available in two installation formats, pax and SMP/E. Select the installation format that applies to you:
Open Enterprise SDK for Apache Kafka is available with a no cost license. Priced Open Enterprise SDK for Apache Kafka S&S is optional. With S&S, IBM Support addresses questions and issues related to Open Enterprise SDK for Apache Kafka to help reduce risks to businesses that are using the Kafka APIs on z/OS.
Read the instructions on how to obtain it through Shopz, or contact your IBM representative to place the Shopz order on your behalf.
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