Connectors

A connector mediates between an application and the integration broker on a local network. It can be specific to an application--such as SAP R/3, version 4--or to a data format or protocol, such as XML or WebSphere MQ. It consists of an application-specific component and a connector framework.

All connectors share certain common behaviors, differing only in the manner in which they interact with applications and with business objects. This chapter is an introduction to both the common behavior of connectors and to the areas in which they differ. It includes the following sections:

In some environments, connectors are "black boxes"; you can simply install, configure, administer, and use a connector without much concern for its internals. If you need to create a custom connector, however, you need more detailed knowledge of connector behavior. For information on creating or modifying a connector, refer to the Connector Development Guide for Java or the Connector Development Guide for C++.

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