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web services client z/os

Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 11:36 am
by usaajrm
I found a pdf containing information about a Share session in 2007.
SHARE Session #8368 - February 14, 2007 (http://dovetail.com/docs/jzos/s8368jza.pdf)
There is a topic about java web client: "Recipe: Java job as web service client". Can anyone provide additional information on how to create a working web client on z/os? What are good sources to help?

Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 12:31 pm
by dovetail
The "BatchSample" download, available from the JZOS downloads page contains sample code that includes a SOAP web services client. It uses the Apache Axis framework to generate the RPC code. (It is the "EmailValidator" sample).

See: http://dovetail.com/downloads/jzos/index.html

The following PDF contains the guide for the SHARE lab used along with this sample project:

http://dovetail.com/docs/jzos/s8368jza.pdf

Take a look, and if you have any questions feel free to ask here.

Some progress

Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 2:13 pm
by usaajrm
I got the BatchSample loaded and eclipse configured. Essentially, all the major pieces working. I can run the EmailValidator. I don't understand the underpinnings, but working on it. In the meantime, does anyone know if and how to use this as a model to work with Host rexx? We do alot of host / omvs rexx coding.

Any recommended reading to understand the mechanics behind EmailValidator to compose a new client.

Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 2:35 pm
by dovetail
The "EmailValidator" sample uses the Apache Axis client. Basically, Apache Axis allows you to take a SOAP WSDL and generate the client RPC stub for making a SOAP call to the service defined by the WDSL.

More information on Axis can be found here:
http://ws.apache.org/axis/

I'm not sure how you intend to use Rexx: as a SOAP client?
The base technology for this would be to implement an HTTP client in REXX and be able to generate and parse XML. I am not aware of any SOAP client implementations for REXX.

REXX will invoke the client

Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 5:31 pm
by usaajrm
The objective would be to return the web services information to a rexx for further processing. I hope to have rexx successfully call the java web client to retrieve the information.

Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 5:50 pm
by dovetail
You could certainly write a java web service client and call it from rexx, but you would of course have to start the Java JVM each time. If this is prohibitive for your application, you might want to look at other web services toolkits.

For example, I believe that there are web services apis for perl and php. You might be able to get these to work and then call the perl/php program from REXX.

The best performing solution might be to write a small web services client in a toolkit like "gsoap" or "Apache Axis C++", which generate C++ client stubs, and then call these from REXX. These tools are open source, but would have to be ported to z/OS.

If you want to discuss off-line, please send me an email at info@dovetail.com.

z/os Java web client information at Share

Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 12:28 pm
by usaajrm
Do you know if you guys are presenting at share any information related to creating a java web client on z/os?

Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 12:48 pm
by dovetail
We are unfortunately not going to be at SHARE in Austin.

We have, however, done some work recently on adding a new section to the JZOS cookbook which shows how to build a web services client in (batch) Java using the open source Apache Axis2 library. It should be available on alphaWorks in the next week, but if you don't see it please post something here or send me a note at info@dovetail.com and I'll see if I can expedite.

Kirk Wolf

web services client z/os

Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 11:18 am
by usaajrm
Quick update and a follow on question. We were able to create a working client that connected to our vendor's web service. Thanks.

Question: Is there enough infrastructure on the z/os 1.9 to create a working web service on z/os? The possibility has us interested in converting a process implemented on multiple platforms to one web service. And we are supporters on looking to z/OS first.

Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 11:28 am
by dovetail
You can create Web services (servers) under z/OS with several products, including CICS, Websphere, and also Tomcat.

java web client

Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 11:58 am
by usaajrm
Ok, Tomcat. Can you point to additional information? I will need to communicate adequately to our z/OS administrator to help me set one up.

Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 9:57 am
by dovetail
Tomcat runs as a Java application on z/OS. You can use the same Tomcat distribution that runs on other platforms and run it on z/OS. Its best, however, to setup a job or started task using the JZOS batch launcher to run it.

There are instructions here on how to do this:
http://dovetail.com/docs/jzos/tomcat.html

We also have a z/OS Tomcat forum:
http://dovetail.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=2

Some expertise in z/OS Unix, Java, and Tomcat will be required. We offer consulting services if you require them.

Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 12:31 pm
by dovetail
A new JZOS Cookbook release is now available on alphaWorks which includes a chapter on how to implement Soap web services using JZOS and Apache Axis2.

See: http://dovetail.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=750