OSLC™ is an HTTP-based protocol that uses unique URLs to identify data so that you can link to resources in other products.

OSLC simplifies tool integration across the software delivery lifecycle. OSLC-compliant tools expose their resources or consume the resources that other OSLC-compliant tools provide. OSLC uses Representational State Transfer (REST) to get or update data regardless of its type or location. Servers run REST services, which process incoming client requests and respond to them appropriately.

OSLC facilitates data access without complex installations or configurations that other integrations sometimes require. It also reduces tool incompatibilities and prevents users from being confined to specific products or product versions. The OSLC protocol helps remove barriers between the tools in the product and application lifecycle and makes it easier to use lifecycle tools in combination.

Familiarity with the following OSLC terminology is helpful for linking resources:

A provider is a server with data that OSLC-compliant tools can access.

A consumer gets data that a provider makes available. Products can be a provider and consumer, or just one.

A resource is an artifact on a server that can be accessed through OSLC.

OAuth is the authentication method that OSLC uses.

A friend is an OAuth way of communication. An application on a Jazz Team Server makes outbound requests to consume the services that a friend provides. Friends use a consumer