The latest features of z/OS Connect are now generally available.  Therefore, the z/OS Connect open beta is no longer available

Get Started with z/OS Connect Designer : https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/zos-connect/zos-connect/3.0?topic=getting-started-tutorials

z/OS Connect is designed for the future of the API economy.

The use of REST APIs for z/OS has matured as a key mechanism for modernizing and unlocking the value of existing applications and data. With this maturity has grown the number and diversity of development teams engaging with the mainframe. This requires a development and deployment model that supports agility and enables self service provisioning. z/OS Connect is enhanced to provide capabilities in support of these requirements.

New z/OS Connect components

Available through a choice of purchase options, z/OS Connect protects an existing investment in REST APIs, and at the same time provides new experiences with IBM integration and DevOps tooling.

z/OS Connect delivers two new, key components: 
  - z/OS Connect Designer
  - z/OS Connect Server

 
The z/OS Connect Designer is available to try free of charge from the IBM Container Registry.  See z/OS Connect Documentation for more details here
This will give you the opportunity to experience the enhancements IBM are investing in. IBM are focused particularly on the way that z/OS Connect APIs are developed and deployed. Seeking to empower teams to develop APIs faster, more reliably, and with greater flexibility than ever before!

IBM values your vital expertise and industry experience to enable us to design a solution that will benefit you and all our users around the world. As such IBM appreciates any feedback on the z/OS Connect offering you wish to provide.  Please sign up to the API Enablement Community and post your comments here


z/OS Connect Designer

z/OS Connect Designer is delivered as a container image with the following capabilities:

  • Web user interface that provides a no code approach to allow APIs to be created in minutes. z/OS Connect Designer is delivered as a stand alone container image, ready to run in Red Hat OpenShift, alongside IBM Wazi Developer for Red Hat CodeReady Workspaces, to deliver a cloud native experience for creating and managing end-to-end flows.
  • OpenAPI 3 support to provide enterprises with the confidence that the APIs being built will meet company and industry standards. This support allows OpenAPI 3 interfaces to be created for all z/OS assets that are supported by z/OS Connect.
  • API first functional mapping to create an API first process that puts the API specification at the heart of a project. This capability allows the transformation of native Z data and services into schema designs to meet clients' business demands.

z/OS Connect Server

z/OS Connect Server is delivered as a container image with the following capabilities:

  • Decentralized ownership of API integrations is achieved by using the containerized z/OS Connect Server and its provided Kubernetes operator. This decentralized ownership enables teams to work in parallel. Developers have the freedom to build and deploy APIs in isolation and system administrators maintain control through the use of a container orchestration platform.
  • Enhanced role-based security model to provide more control to security administrators. This security model takes advantage of the improved security schemes provided by the OpenAPI 3 specification, to deliver more granular control of user authorization at the API operation level.
  • Access to metrics and near real-time statistics to provide to third-party tooling, such as Prometheus, to track usage data, such as how many times an API operation is called or how long those calls take.

With the z/OS Connect Designer you are free to explore the following enhanced capabilities of z/OS Connect with a focus on the development experience for creating a Db2® API or a CICS®  API. 

The accompanying documentation allows you to explore the following:

  • Create a z/OS Connect API project by using a pre-defined OpenAPI 3 Specification contract as a starting point.
  • Create a Db2 or CICS  z/OS Asset.
  • Use the powerful JSONata expression language to perform complex mapping functions such as splits, joins, and trims. 
  • Test an API within the z/OS Connect Designer.
  • Learn all about the OpenAPI 3 support through a series of tutorials.

Further functions and subsystem support will be added in subsequent releases




Disclaimer

IBM's statements regarding its plans, directions and intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice at IBM's sole discretion. Information regarding potential future products is intended to outline our general product direction and it should not be relied on in making a purchasing decision. The information mentioned regarding potential future products is not a commitment, promise, or legal obligation to deliver any material, code or functionality. Information about potential future products may not be incorporated into any contract. The development, release, and timing of any future features or functionality described for our products remains at our sole discretion.