Terminology

To understand the adapter framework, you must understand these terms:

adapter
The component in the WebSphere business integration system that provides components to support communication between an integration broker and either an application or a technology. An adapter always includes a connector, message files, and the Connector Configurator Tool. It can also include an Object Discovery Agent (ODA). Some adapters also may require a data handler.

adapter environments
There are four adapter environments:

adapter framework
The software that IBM provides to configure and run an adapter. The runtime components of the adapter framework include the Java runtime environment, the connector framework, and the Object Discovery Agent (ODA) runtime. This connector framework includes the connector libraries (C++ and Java) needed to develop new connectors. The ODA runtime includes the library in the Object Development Kit (ODK) needed to develop new ODAs. The configuration components include the following tools:

Adapter Development Kit (ADK)
A development kit that provides some samples for adapter development, including sample connectors and Object Discovery Agents (ODAs).

BiDi
An abbreviation of "bidirectional" that refers to languages whose text orientations are left-to-right or right-to-left.

integration broker
The component in the WebSphere business integration system that integrates data among heterogeneous applications. An integration broker typically provides a variety of services that include: the ability to route data, a repository of rules that govern the integration process, connectivity to a variety of applications, and administrative capabilities that facilitate integration. Examples of integration brokers: the WebSphere Business Integration Message Broker; WebSphere Business InterChange Server; WebSphere Application Server

WebSphere business integration system
An enterprise solution that moves information among diverse sources to perform business exchanges, and that processes and routes information among disparate applications in the enterprise environment. The business integration system consists of an integration broker and one or more adapters.

WebSphere Integration Message Broker, Version 2.1
A message broker product that transforms and routes messages between WebSphere MQ queues. The technology enables applications to communicate asynchronously by delivering messages to and receiving messages from potentially remote queues. A major change with WebSphere Integration Message Broker is the addition of message flows that add the ability to format, store, and route messages based on user-defined logic.

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