This section provides an overview of the connector development
process, which includes the following high-level steps:
- Install and set up the IBM WebSphere business integration
system software and install the Java Development Kit (JDK).
- Design and implement the connector.
Before you start the development process, the following must be
true:
- The IBM WebSphere business integration system software is
installed on a machine that you can access.
WebSphere InterChange Server |
If your business integration system uses InterChange Server,
refer to the System Installation Guide for UNIX or
for Windows (in the WebSphere InterChange Server
documentation set) for information on how to install and start up
the InterChange Server system.
|
Other integration brokers |
If your business integration system uses a WebSphere message
broker (WebSphere MQ Integrator, WebSphere Integrator Broker,
WebSphere Business Integration Message Broker), refer to the
installation chapter of the Implementing Adapters for
WebSphere Message Brokers for information on how to install
and start up the IBM WebSphere business integration system. If your
business integration system uses WebSphere Application Server,
refer to the installation chapter of the Implementing
Adapters for WebSphere Application Server for information on
how to install and start up the IBM WebSphere business integration
system.
|
- The Java Development Kit (JDK) 1.3.1 or
a JDK-compliant development product is installed on the development
machine.
The Java compiler is part of the JDK. Therefore, the JDK must be
installed for you to be able to create a new connector:
- For Windows platforms, the IBM JDK is provided on the product
CD. However, the product Installer does not automatically
install it on your system. For more information about how to
install the JDK as part of the InterChange Server product, see the
System Installation Guide for Windows. For information
on how to install it as part of the WebSphere Business Integration
Adapters product, see the WebSphere Business Integration
Adapters Installation Guide.
- For UNIX platforms, you must download the JDK from a website
and install it on your system. For more information about how to
install the JDK as part of the InterChange Server product, see the
System Installation Guide for UNIX. For information on
how to install it as part of the WebSphere Business Integration
Adapters product, see the WebSphere Business Integration
Adapters Installation Guide
- Ensure that the development environment can access the
directories that contain the connector library files. To compile
the connector, the compiler must be able to access the
connector library.
For information on compiling a connector, see Compiling the
connector.
- If your business integration system uses InterChange Server,
the InterChange Server repository's database
server and ICS are running.
- Note:
- This step is required only when you are ready to configure the
connector with Connector Configurator. For development only, you
can create the connector class, without connecting to ICS.
For an overview of how to configure a connector, see Adding a connector to the
business integration system. For information on starting up the
IBM WebSphere business integration system, see your system
installation guide.
- Note:
- To create a connector, you do not need to run the messaging
software. However, the messaging software must be running before
you can execute and test the connector.
As part of the connector development
process, you code the application-specific component of the
connector and then compile and link the connector source files. In
addition, the overall process of developing a connector includes
other tasks, such as developing application-specific business
objects. Here is an overview of the tasks in the connector
development process:
- Identify the application entities that the connector will make
available to other applications, and investigate the integration
features provided by the application.
- If your business integration system uses InterChange Server,
identify generic business objects that the connector will support,
and define application-specific business objects that correspond to
the generic objects.
- If your business integration system uses InterChange Server,
analyze the relationship between the generic business objects and
the application-specific business objects, and implement the
mapping between them.
- Define a connector base class for the application-specific
component, and implement functions to initialize and terminate the
connector.
- Define a business object handler class and code one or more
business object handlers to handle requests.
- Define a mechanism to detect events in the application, and
implement the mechanism to support event subscriptions.
- Implement error and message handling for all connector
methods.
- Build the connector.
- Configure the connector.
WebSphere InterChange Server |
If your business integration system uses InterChange Server, use
Connector Configurator to create the
connector definition and save it in the
InterChange Server repository. You can call Connector Configurator
from System Manager.
|
Other integration brokers |
If your business integration system uses a WebSphere message
broker (WebSphere MQ Integrator, WebSphere MQ Integrator Broker, or
WebSphere Business Integration Message Broker) or WebSphere
Application Server, use Connector Configurator to define and create
the connector configuration file.
|
- If WebSphere MQ will be used for messaging between connector
components, add message queues for the connector.
- Create a startup script for the new connector.
- Test and debug the connector, recoding as necessary.
Figure 12 provides a visual
overview of the connector development process and provides a quick
reference to chapters where you can find information on specific
topics. Note that if a team of people is available for connector
development, the major tasks of developing a connector can be done
in parallel by different members of the connector development
team.
Figure 12. Overview of the Java
Connector development process

