The Connector Configurator tool provides a graphical user interface for configuring the connector. When you are finished specifying values for the connector's configuration properties, the Connector Configurator generates a configuration file for the connector.
The connector configuration that you create through Connector Configurator is used as the source for the .wsdl file used in generating a Service Project for the interaction pattern in WebSphere Application Server, and it is also used as the local configuration file that is installed at the same location where the connector agent (also referred to as the adapter agent) is installed. When you have completed the steps for creating a configuration file, you will be able to both save the configuration as an Integration Component Libraries project in the System Manager perspective (so that it can be used in generating a *.wsdl file) and save the configuration as a file that can accompany the connector agent in the location where the agent is installed.
Depending on the adapter product that you have purchased, you may already have a starting point for your connector configuration, either as a connector definition file in the directory ProductDir\connectors\repository\ConnName, or as a sample configuration file. You can open such files in Connector Configurator, and then revise them to create a complete configuration file for the connector. Note that while the connector definition file provides some starting values for the configuration file, a completed configuration file contains all the standard and application-specific properties for the connector, and specifies its supported business objects. Standard configuration properties for connectors, describes these properties in detail.
If no connector definition file or sample configuration file has been provided, you must create a new configuration file for that connector, using Connector Configurator.
The sections below discuss Connector Configurator settings that apply to every connector working with WebSphere Application Server.
Use Connector Configurator to create a new connector configuration, to revise an existing connector configuration that already has been saved to the System Manager integration component libraries, or to open an existing connector connector file that exists outside of System Manager.
Regardless of how you begin the process, in order to use the connector configuration with WebSphere Application Server as the integration broker, you must save the completed connector configuration to a project in the integration component libraries of System Manager.
To start and run Connector Configurator, do one of the following:
If you are creating a new connector configuration:
To edit an existing configuration that has been previously saved in System Manager:
To use an existing file to configure a connector, you must open the file in Connector Configurator, revise the configuration, and then save the configuration to the Integration Components Library in System Manager.
Follow these steps to open a *.txt, *.cfg, or *.in file from a directory:
Choose this option if a repository file was used to configure the connector in an ICS environment. A repository file may include multiple connector definitions, all of which will display when you open the file.
Choose this option if a *.txt file was delivered in the adapter package for the connector, or if a definition file is available under another extension.
After you have opened Connector Configurator as described above, you can set the properties (includingthe properties that specify queues) and designate supported business objects, as described in this section. When you have completed the configuration, choose Save To Project.
Configuration of a connector requires that you set values for both standard properties and connector-specific properties. For connector-specific properties, see the documentation for the specific adatper that you are using. For standard properties, see"Standard configuration properties for connectors" later in this guide.
Note that the following property settings are mandatory for connectors that use WebSphere Application Server as the integration broker:
In order to designate business objects as supported by the connector, the business objects must first have been saved to projects in an Integration Components Library folder, as described in "Adding business objects to ICLs". The following instructions assume that you have already done that.
To designate existing supported business objects for the connector:
In Creating the WebSphere MQ queues, you defined a set of queues to be used by the connector to communicate with WebSphere Application Server. In the Connector Configurator, click the Standard Properties tab and assign these queues to the connector by setting values for the following standard properties:
The default connection mode is bindings mode. Specify client mode as follows:
For example:
jms.MessageBrokerName = WMQIB.Queue.Manager:CHANNEL1:RemoteMachine:1456
Logging is used to communicate system messages, component state changes,
failures, and tracing information. The following files are
generated:
Table 7. Connector logging and tracing files.
Default file name and path | Description |
---|---|
Temporary log file: ProductDir\broker_name_connector_name_tmp.log.
|
During startup, the connector generates a temporary log file. This
file contains all messages that are logged during startup, including connector
properties and business object definitions that are passed to the connector
framework. and the file is written to the directory in which the
product is installed.
|
Connector log file: UNIX: A connector logs messages to STDOUT by default, then those messages are rerouted to ProductDir/logs/connector_manager_ConnName.log.
WINDOWS: A connector logs messages to STDOUT by
default, but can be configured to send to a local destination log file in the
ProductDir directory.
|
The connector's log file is used to store messages issued by the
connector. It also contains messages regarding WebSphere MQ
communication errors.
|
Connector message file:
ProductDir\connectors\messages\ConnName_LocaleName.txt
|
This file contains the full text for each message issued by the
connector. You can use this file to look up the text of message IDs you
see in the log file. If the locale specified in the connector
configuration file is not supported, the file
ConnName.txt is used.
|
Trace file: Defaults to STDOUT for both UNIX and Windows.
|
Contains trace messages as specified by the selected trace level.
|
The logging system is always active and provides an accurate monitor of the connector.
To troubleshoot a problem, you can turn on tracing. Trace messages help you monitor actions taken in components of the business integration system. Trace levels define the amount of detail written to the trace file. The higher the trace level, the more detail you receive. Tracing differs from logging in the following ways:
Tracing is off by default because it produces messages that are more detailed than you normally need.
For information about viewing logging and tracing messages using LogViewer, see Using Log Viewer to view connector messages.
To configure connector logging options, click the Trace/Log Files tab and specify the following:
For more information about managing log files, see Managing log and trace files.
To configure connector tracing options:
Refer to the adapter user guide for the connector you are configuring for
more details about the information generated by the different trace levels for
that connector. You can set connector tracing to one of the following
levels:
Table 8. Connector trace levels.
Trace level | Description |
---|---|
1 | Traces initialization and the sending and receipt of business objects. |
2 | Prints messages for level 1. In addition, provides more details than Level 1 for the same types of events. |
3 | Prints messages for levels 1 and 2. In addition, traces the exchange of messages between the connector agent and the messaging driver. |
4 | Prints messages for levels 1 through 3. In addition, traces the passing of business objects between internal levels of the connector. |
5 | Prints messages for levels 1 through 4. In addition, traces the passing of administrative messages between internal levels of the connector. |
A new or changed tracing level takes effect when you restart the connector.
For more information about archiving trace files, see Managing log and trace files.
The procedure for starting a connector and the set-up tasks required both depend on the platform where the connector is running.
When you install WebSphere Business Integration Adapters on Windows, a shortcut is created for each installed connector on the WebSphere Business Integration Adapters program menu (Start > Programs > IBM WebSphere Business Integration Adapters > Adapters > Connectors). You must use the startup options listed in Connector startup options to customize the following:
In the UNIX environment, you start a connector by running connector_manager_connName script, which is a wrapper for the generic connector manager script (ProductDir/bin/connector_manager). This wrapper includes the following information:
If you have created a custom adapter or if you have installed an adapter using electronic software delivery (ESD), you need to do the following before you start up the connector for the first time:
Alternatively, you can navigate to the ProductDir/bin directory and edit the connector_manager_connName file to specify the name of the connector's configuration file. In the file, locate the AGENTCONFIG_FILE variable and set it to the full-path name of the configuration file as follows:
AGENTCONFIG_FILE=ConfigFile
The generic connector manager script calls the appropriate start_connector.sh script, which is the actual script that manages the particular connector. The WebSphere Business Integration Adapters Installer includes a start_connector.sh script with each connector you install. You can modify start_connector.sh script to include any of the supported startup options listed in Connector startup options.