Calling COBOL containers
Call remote COBOL programs.
Similar to the CICS mechanism for calling remote programs (EXEC CICS LINK), you can make calls between COBOL programs deployed in different containers.
The following is a graphical description of the execution flow
loanmain.cbl <–> d8link.go <———————–> main.go <–> loancalc.cbl
- The COBOL program loanmain.cbl makes a CALL to the gRPC connector d8link, which simulates an EXEC CICS LINK statement:
- The program to be called
- The data exchange area (COMMAREA)
- And the length of the COMMAREA
- The gRPC connector d8link receives the data (COMMAREA) and calls the corresponding COBOL microservice.
- The gPRC controller (main.go) handles the protocol message, converts it to a compatible structure and calls the COBOL program loancalc.cbl.
- The COBOL program updates the data area and returns control to the gRPC controller.
- The data is sent back to the d8link connector, which copies it into the memory area defined by the COBOL program.
Create a directory structure like this
├── d8link
│ └── link_client
│ └── link_server
│ └── link
│ go.mod
│ go.sum
In the link directory we will define our proto message (link.proto).
syntax = "proto3";
option go_package = "github.com/driver8soft/examples/d8link/link";
package link;
// The Link service definition.
service LinkService {
rpc CommArea (CommReq) returns (CommResp) {}
}
// The request message containing program to link, commarea and commarea length.
message CommReq {
string link_prog = 1;
int32 comm_len = 2;
bytes input_msg = 3;
}
// The response message containing commarea
message CommResp {
bytes output_msg = 1;
}
Next, we will create the d8link.go program in the link_client directory.
package main
/*
#include <string.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
*/
import "C"
import (
"context"
"flag"
"log"
"unsafe"
pb "github.com/driver8soft/examples/d8link/link"
"google.golang.org/grpc"
"google.golang.org/grpc/credentials/insecure"
)
var (
addr = flag.String("addr", "localhost:50051", "the address to connect to")
)
//export D8link
func D8link(c_program *C.char, c_commarea *C.char, c_commlen *C.int) C.int {
flag.Parse()
// C variables to Go variables
program := C.GoStringN(c_program, 8) // max length of COBOL mainframe program = 8
commarea := C.GoBytes(unsafe.Pointer(c_commarea), *c_commlen)
commlen := int32(*c_commlen)
log.Println("INFO: Call program -", program)
// Set up a connection to the server.
conn, err := grpc.NewClient(*addr, grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()))
if err != nil {
log.Fatalf("did not connect: %v", err)
}
defer conn.Close()
client := pb.NewLinkServiceClient(conn)
// Contact the server
r, err := client.CommArea(context.Background(), &pb.CommReq{LinkProg: program, CommLen: commlen, InputMsg: commarea})
if err != nil {
log.Fatalf("ERROR: calling program - %s - %v", program, err)
}
outMsg := r.GetOutputMsg()
C.memcpy(unsafe.Pointer(c_commarea), unsafe.Pointer(&outMsg[0]), C.size_t(commlen))
return 0
}
func main() {
}
We are going to export the D8link function so that it can be called from a COBOL program, to do this it is necessary to compile it using the c-shared option of Go.
The Go compiler will generate an object (D8link.dylib D8link.so) and a file (D8link.h) that will be called dynamically from the COBOL code.
Finally, we will create the gRPC server (main.go) in the link_server directory, which will be in charge of receiving the proto message and calling the target COBOL program.
package main
/*
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <libcob.h>
#cgo CFLAGS: -I/opt/homebrew/Cellar/gnucobol/3.2/include
#cgo LDFLAGS: -L/opt/homebrew/Cellar/gnucobol/3.2/lib -lcob
static void* allocArgv(int argc) {
return malloc(sizeof(char *) * argc);
}
*/
import "C"
import (
"context"
"flag"
"fmt"
"log"
"net"
"strings"
"time"
"unsafe"
pb "github.com/driver8soft/examples/d8link/link"
"google.golang.org/grpc"
)
var (
port = flag.Int("port", 50051, "The server port")
)
type server struct {
pb.UnimplementedLinkServiceServer
}
func (s *server) CommArea(ctx context.Context, in *pb.CommReq) (out *pb.CommResp, err error) {
start := time.Now()
// remove trailing spaces from program name
program := strings.TrimSpace(in.GetLinkProg())
c_program := C.CString(program)
defer C.free(unsafe.Pointer(c_program))
c_commlen := C.int(in.GetCommLen())
// allocate argc & argv variables
c_argc := C.int(1)
c_argv := (*[0xfff]*C.char)(C.allocArgv(c_argc))
defer C.free(unsafe.Pointer(c_argv))
c_argv[0] = C.CString(string(in.GetInputMsg()))
defer C.free(unsafe.Pointer(c_argv[0]))
// check COBOL program
n := C.cob_resolve(c_program)
if n == nil {
log.Println("ERROR: Module not found. Program name =", program)
} else {
log.Printf("INFO: %s started", program)
ret := C.cob_call(c_program, c_argc, (*unsafe.Pointer)(unsafe.Pointer(c_argv)))
log.Printf("INFO: %s return-code %v", program, ret)
}
c_msg_output := C.GoStringN(c_argv[0], c_commlen)
elapsed := time.Since(start)
log.Printf("INFO: %s elapsed time %s", program, elapsed)
return &pb.CommResp{OutputMsg: []byte(c_msg_output)}, nil
}
func main() {
flag.Parse()
// d8 Initialize gnucobol
C.cob_init(C.int(0), nil)
lis, err := net.Listen("tcp", fmt.Sprintf(":%d", *port))
if err != nil {
log.Fatalf("ERROR: failed to listen: %v", err)
}
grpcServer := grpc.NewServer()
pb.RegisterLinkServiceServer(grpcServer, &server{})
log.Printf("INFO: server listening at %v", lis.Addr())
if err := grpcServer.Serve(lis); err != nil {
log.Fatalf("ERROR: failed to serve: %v", err)
}
}
Try to make remote calls between COBOL programs by exchanging a data area (COPYBOOK). To do this, remember that
- The calling program must be compiled to produce an executable (option -x GNUCobol).
- The called program must be compiled to produce a shared library (option -m GNUCobol).
- Both programs must be compiled with the same byte order to share binary data.
- To simplify testing, COBOL programs can be located in the directories defined above (link_client link_server).
You can use the example COBOL programs loanmain.cbl and loancalc.cbl.
******************************************************************
*
* Loan Calculator Main Program
* ==========================
*
* A sample program to demonstrate how to create a gRPC COBOL
* microservice.
*
******************************************************************
IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. loanmain.
ENVIRONMENT DIVISION.
CONFIGURATION SECTION.
DATA DIVISION.
FILE SECTION.
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
* Declare program variables
01 PROG-NAME PIC X(8) VALUE "loancalc".
01 COMMLEN PIC 9(9) COMP.
01 COMMAREA.
05 INPUT-MSG.
10 PRIN-AMT PIC S9(7) USAGE IS DISPLAY.
10 INT-RATE PIC S9(2)V9(2) USAGE IS DISPLAY.
10 TIMEYR PIC S9(2) USAGE IS DISPLAY.
05 OUTPUT-MSG.
10 PAYMENT PIC S9(7)V9(2) USAGE IS DISPLAY.
10 ERROR-MSG PIC X(20).
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
* code goes here!
INITIALIZE COMMAREA.
DISPLAY "Compound Interest Calculator"
DISPLAY "Principal amount: " WITH NO ADVANCING.
ACCEPT PRIN-AMT.
DISPLAY "Interest rate: " WITH NO ADVANCING.
ACCEPT INT-RATE.
DISPLAY "Number of years: " WITH NO ADVANCING.
ACCEPT TIMEYR.
COMPUTE COMMLEN = LENGTH OF COMMAREA.
CALL "D8link" USING PROG-NAME COMMAREA COMMLEN.
DISPLAY "Error Msg: " ERROR-MSG.
DISPLAY "Couta: " PAYMENT.
GOBACK.
******************************************************************
*
* Loan Calculator Subroutine
* ==========================
*
* A sample program to demonstrate how to create a gRPC COBOL
* microservice.
*
******************************************************************
IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. loancalc.
ENVIRONMENT DIVISION.
CONFIGURATION SECTION.
DATA DIVISION.
FILE SECTION.
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
* Declare program variables
01 WS-MSG.
05 WS-ERROR PIC X(01).
05 WS-MSG00 PIC X(20) VALUE 'OK'.
05 WS-MSG10 PIC X(20) VALUE 'INVALID INT. RATE'.
05 WS-MSG12 PIC X(20) VALUE 'INVALID NUMBER YEARS'.
01 AUX-VARS.
05 MONTHLY-RATE USAGE IS COMP-2.
05 AUX-X USAGE IS COMP-2.
05 AUX-Y USAGE IS COMP-2.
05 AUX-Z USAGE IS COMP-2.
LINKAGE SECTION.
* Data to share with COBOL subroutines
01 LOAN-PARAMS.
05 INPUT-MSG.
10 PRIN-AMT PIC S9(7) USAGE IS DISPLAY.
10 INT-RATE PIC S9(2)V9(2) USAGE IS DISPLAY.
10 TIMEYR PIC S9(2) USAGE IS DISPLAY.
05 OUTPUT-MSG.
10 PAYMENT PIC S9(7)V9(2) USAGE IS DISPLAY.
10 ERROR-MSG PIC X(20).
PROCEDURE DIVISION USING BY REFERENCE LOAN-PARAMS.
* code goes here!
000-MAIN.
MOVE "N" TO WS-ERROR.
DISPLAY "PRIN-AMT: " PRIN-AMT.
DISPLAY "INT-RATE: " INT-RATE.
DISPLAY "TIMEYR: " TIMEYR.
PERFORM 100-INIT.
IF WS-ERROR = 'N'
PERFORM 200-PROCESS
END-IF.
PERFORM 300-WRAPUP.
100-INIT.
IF INT-RATE <= 0
MOVE WS-MSG10 TO ERROR-MSG
MOVE 10 TO RETURN-CODE
MOVE 'Y' TO WS-ERROR
ELSE
IF TIMEYR <= 0
MOVE WS-MSG12 TO ERROR-MSG
MOVE 12 TO RETURN-CODE
MOVE 'Y' TO WS-ERROR
END-IF
END-IF.
200-PROCESS.
INITIALIZE AUX-VARS.
COMPUTE MONTHLY-RATE = (INT-RATE / 12 / 100).
COMPUTE AUX-X = ((1 + MONTHLY-RATE) ** (TIMEYR*12)).
COMPUTE AUX-Y = AUX-X * MONTHLY-RATE.
COMPUTE AUX-Z = (AUX-X - 1) / AUX-Y.
COMPUTE PAYMENT = PRIN-AMT / AUX-Z.
MOVE WS-MSG00 TO ERROR-MSG.
MOVE 0 TO RETURN-CODE.
DISPLAY "PAYMENT: " PAYMENT.
DISPLAY "ERROR-MSG: " ERROR-MSG.
300-WRAPUP.
GOBACK.