Mainframe Virtual User Group: Unlocking the Core—API-Driven Data Access in CICS
Mainframe data is no longer a “black box.” As organizations push for real-time insights and seamless hybrid cloud integration, the ability to access CICS-managed data via modern APIs has become a strategic necessity. This webinar cuts through the complexity of legacy integration, focusing on how to transform CICS into a high-performance data service provider.
We will move beyond basic connectivity to explore the mechanics of API-driven data abstraction. You will learn how to expose VSAM, Db2, and Datacom directly to external applications using standardized RESTful endpoints.
Key areas of focus include:
- Data Transformation: Efficiently mapping “raw” mainframe data structures to consumable JSON payloads.
- Access Patterns: Choosing between Direct Data Access and Programmatic Access (wrapping existing business logic).
- Performance at Scale: Managing the overhead of JSON parsing and ensuring thread-safe execution in a high-volume environment.
What You Will Learn
- How to eliminate middleware bottlenecks by hosting APIs directly within CICS.
- The difference between top-down (API-first) and bottom-up (data-first) development workflows.
About the Presenters
Mihir Shah is a Software Architect at Broadcom, currently leading the technical vision for HB.js. While his focus has pivoted to the Mainframe ecosystem over the past year, Mihir’s foundation is built on 13+ years of multi-disciplinary engineering. His expertise spans the entire software development lifecycle, including IoT, blockchain, and cloud services. He brings a deep technical pedigree in containerization, networking, and infrastructure, along with specialized experience in embedded systems and hardware acceleration, enabling him to bridge the gap between low-level hardware and high-level distributed systems.
Scott Brod has held numerous roles on both the buy and sell sides of Mainframe. Currently, at Broadcom as the Product Manager for the HostBridge products. Starting in mainframe 24 years ago, he has held many roles. He had led technical teams across the mainframe platform and distributed environments, and for the last 5 years, has been an evangelist for Mainframe Modernize and DevOps. He joined Broadcom in 2019 and has been working heavily in the Mainframe modernization arena. After the Broadcom acquisition of HostBridge, he is now the PM for the HostBridge products, centered around Application Integrations.