Methods for accessing IBM Z data sources

File Manager Service Provider supports two methods for accessing data: generic and specific.

The generic method involves using service archives (SAR files) provided by File Manager. This method provides a generic mapping of file data to a prescribed response format, that is, one format for all data sources. For example:

"records" :
[
    {
        "fields" : 
        [
            {
                "field" : "CUSTOMER-NO",
                "value" : 7688
            },
            {
                "field" : "CUSTOMER-NAME",
                "value" : "MR JOHN DOE"
            }, …
        ]
    }, …
]

When using generic mappings, customers do not need to create SAR files.

Alternatively, customers who require a response mapping specific to a data resource can create their own SAR files using the provided File Manager Build Toolkit plug-in. APIs created using SAR files that are built by the Build Toolkit plug-in map data responses according to a given File Manager template or copybook. For example:

"records" :
[
    {
        "CUSTOMER-NO" : 7688,
        "CUSTOMER-NAME" : "MR JOHN DOE",
        …
    }, …
]

When using specific mappings, customers must create and manage their own SAR files using the File Manager z/OS Connect Build Toolkit plug-in.