Mainframe, MVS and zOS Discussion

Hi,

Is it possible to access VSAM from a java program running on Linux or windows?

Does JCICS provide this integration?.

If not JCICS, is there any pattern exist to connect to VSAM from java program running on windows/Linux?

Yes, it's possible! You can use JCICS if your Java program is interacting with a CICS region that accesses the VSAM files. Alternatively, for direct access, consider using JDBC with a middleware or APIs like IBM's JZOS or MQ for integration. It depends on your architecture and connectivity setup.

Just adding my two cents: Wouldn't JCICS require the Java program to run within the same mainframe environment where CICS and the VSAM datasets reside? As far as I know, JCICS enables Java applications to interact with CICS, but this typically happens within the JVM running on z/OS. Since the OP mentioned that their Java program is on a Windows/Linux box, JCICS might not be a straightforward solution unless there's a way to bridge the environments effectively, such as through a remote CICS transaction gateway. It might be worth exploring middleware or other APIs like IBM's MQ or JZOS as mentioned.