As enterprise IT environments grow more distributed, the ability to handle both inbound and outbound integrations between core systems and modern applications becomes critical. Adaptive Integration Fabric enables teams to manage both flows with precision, flexibility, and minimal code dependency—bridging the gap between mainframe-based programs and external APIs.
In this webinar clip, Matt Lauer, Sales Engineer at Adaptigent, breaks down how Fabric handles each type of integration, using real-world runtime examples to highlight where they differ and where they converge.
Watch the full segment here
Inbound Integration: From Modern Application to Mainframe
Inbound integration refers to external applications initiating communication with mainframe systems. In this model, the request originates from a modern interface—such as a mobile app, web application, or enterprise platform—and is routed through the Fabric runtime.
The request first reaches a Fabric-developed API, where any logic, data transformation, or conditional processing is handled. From there, Fabric securely executes the call to the backend system, such as a CICS transaction or batch program, and returns the output along the same path in reverse.
“The Fabric runtime environment is the orchestrator between what’s on the outside and what’s on the inside,” Matt notes. “This architecture helps decouple the application interface from the underlying transaction logic.”
This decoupling allows teams to expose mainframe capabilities as reusable services without altering core codebases, while also standardizing interaction across systems.
Outbound Integration: From Mainframe to Modern Services
Outbound integration starts from the mainframe. It’s commonly used when legacy programs need to invoke modern APIs or interact with third-party platforms, such as cloud services or REST-based endpoints.
This flow requires an additional step: building lightweight, self-contained COBOL or PL/I subroutines that initiate outbound REST calls. Adaptigent’s Fabric provides tools to automatically generate these routines and integrate them into existing programs.
Once implemented, the execution path follows a similar architecture to inbound calls—originating from the mainframe, flowing through the Fabric runtime for orchestration, and routing the response back to the initiating program.
“There’s some extra work up front to incorporate outbound REST calls,” Matt explains, “but once set up, the flow behaves almost identically—just in the opposite direction.”
This capability is especially valuable in event-driven systems where the mainframe needs to trigger updates or synchronizations in external applications.
Integration That Supports Real-World Complexity
With support for both inbound and outbound flows, Adaptive Integration Fabric gives IT organizations complete integration symmetry. Teams can expose legacy functionality to new channels and also enable legacy programs to consume modern services—all while maintaining control over logic execution, data handling, and service performance.
And because Fabric leverages a no-code orchestration layer and auto-generated subroutines, integration doesn’t require rewriting existing programs or introducing brittle point-to-point connections.
Learn more about Adaptive Integration Fabric