For many enterprises, especially those operating mainframe systems, integration remains one of the most complex and time-consuming challenges. Bridging the gap between core systems like COBOL, CICS, IMS, and modern applications is typically resource-heavy and slow—until now.
In a recent webinar, Adaptigent Sales Engineer Matt Lauer provided a detailed walkthrough of how Adaptigent’s Fabric Studio and Fabric Server address these challenges through a low-code, drag-and-drop interface that makes modern API development not only possible but also efficient.
Watch the full segment here
Wrapping the Mainframe in a Modern Interface
The core innovation behind Fabric Studio lies in its ability to encapsulate existing mainframe components—COBOL programs, CICS transactions, IMS PL/I logic, and VSAM data—into a visually driven integration framework. Rather than modifying the core systems themselves, Adaptigent wraps them with a layer of abstraction that allows users to access their functionality using prebuilt nodes. These nodes can be selected, dragged, and dropped into a visual canvas to create full API workflows without writing code.
Each node corresponds to a function, such as calling a batch job, retrieving data, or interacting with a transaction. Users can orchestrate these functions using the Studio’s intuitive interface, aligning them with business logic and requirements. Whether a process involves one step or multiple parallel branches, it can be modeled, built, and adjusted directly in the development environment.
Designing and Deploying in Two Seamless Phases
Fabric’s architecture is designed around two primary components: the Fabric Studio and the Fabric Server.
- Fabric Studio is the design-time interface. This is where developers build their API flows using the drag-and-drop functionality. Each flow can be as simple or complex as necessary, integrating both internal systems and external API-enabled applications.
- Fabric Server is the runtime engine. Once an API flow is completed in Fabric Studio, it is deployed to the Fabric Server for execution. From that point, the API becomes accessible to any authorized system or user. This runtime environment is responsible for processing incoming API requests, executing transformations, and applying business logic.
This two-step model ensures a clean separation between development and execution, making the deployment process straightforward and scalable.
Enterprise Flexibility and Deployment Options
One of the key advantages highlighted by Matt Lauer is the flexibility of the Fabric Server. Unlike many other solutions that are constrained to a specific environment, the Fabric Server can be deployed either on or off the mainframe. Supported environments include z/OS (as a started task within CICS), Linux, and Windows.
This flexibility allows enterprises to offload some processing workloads from the mainframe to modern platforms, optimizing performance and reducing operational costs. The runtime engine handles everything from XML and data transformations to business rule execution and flow branching. By supporting multi-threaded API flows, decision logic, and concurrent processing within the server, Fabric enables organizations to scale their integration strategies without restructuring existing systems.
Unified Access to Legacy and Modern Systems
Fabric Studio not only exposes legacy system functionality via REST or SOAP APIs but also allows for the inclusion of third-party APIs in the same flow. This enables enterprises to connect their internal systems with external services or cloud platforms seamlessly. Whether integrating with a server-side application, a mobile interface, or a web app, the API flows built in Fabric provide the extensibility required for hybrid IT environments.
By turning complex mainframe logic into manageable, accessible APIs, Fabric eliminates many of the delays and development overhead traditionally associated with enterprise integration.
Learn more about Adaptive Integration Fabric