Saving configurations as ICLs

The WebSphere Business Integration adapters use configured resources--referred to as integration components--that are managed through the System Manager perspective. Integration components are organized in sets, referred to as Integration Component Libraries (ICLs). The integration components commonly used for all adapters are connectors and business object definitions.

To implement an adapter, you must configure the connector and designate the business object definitions that the connector supports. You must save both the business object definitions and the connector configurations into Integration Component Library projects in System Manager. To do so:

  1. In the System Manager perspective, right-click on the Integration Component Libraries perspective, and choose New Integration Component Library.
  2. In the New Integration Component Library dialog, provide a name for the library in the Project name field, and choose Finish. A new folder, with the name you have chosen, is added to the Integration Component Libraries. The folder contains subfolders for several types of integration components; for the purpose of implementing a connector with WebSphere Application Server as the broker, you will require only the Business Objects and Connectors folders.
  3. Select the Business Objects folder and choose File>Import. The Import dialog displays.
  4. Select File System and choose Next. The Import File system dialog displays. In the Directory dropdown list, browse to a folder where you have placed business object definition (.xsd) files that you want to use with the connector in the interaction pattern that you have created.
  5. Select the folder and choose OK. The Import dialog appears, with checkboxes next to each of the available resources. Check the box for each .xsd file that you expect to use, and choose Finish.
  6. In System Manager, in the Business Objects folder under Integration Component Libraries, right click on the Business Objects folder and refresh the view. Icons for the imported business object definitions will appear under the folder.
  7. Select the Connectors folder, then, from the Tools menu, choose Connector Configurator. The Connector Configurator tool is activated, and the New Connector dialog displays.
  8. You will use the Connector Configurator tool to set configuration properties and specify supported business objects for your connector. If you already have a sample or partial connector configuration file, cancel the New Connector dialog. Then, in the Connector Configurator dialog, choose File>Open>From file. The Open File Connector dialog appears. Navigate to your existing sample or partial connector configuration file, select it, and choose Open. The Connector Configurator properties screen, named for the selected connector configuration, displays.
  9. If you are creating a completely new connector configuration, select WAS connectivity as the Integration Broker, provide a name for the new connector configuration, select a property template (choose None if you don't already have one), and click OK. The Connector Configurator properties screen, named for the new connector configuration, displays.
  10. For any connector used with WebSphere Application Server, set configuration values in the following tab:
    1. In the Standard Properties tab, set required values for the use of your integration broker, including the queues that are used to implement the interaction patterns. See Specifying the queues to be used by the connectorand "Configuring WebSphere MQ queues for WebSphere Application Server".
    2. In the Supported Business Objects tab, specify the business objects supported for use with the connector you are implementing. See "Designating supported business object"
    3. When you have completed the tabs, choose File>Save as>To Project. The Save As dialog appears. Choose the Integration Component Library into which you want to save this connector configuration, enter the name you want to use for the connector, and choose Save. The Connector Configurator validates your connector configuration and displays a message for either success or failure. If you have no more changes to make to the configuration properties of this connector, close the Connector Configurator.
  11. In the System Manager perspective, under the Integration Component Library project that you created, an icon for your connector configuration is now displayed under the Connectors folder.
  12. Your connector is now configured as part of an Integration Components Library, with the properties and supported business objects that you specified. If you need to make a change in the configuration, you can do so by double-clicking this specific connector icon to open its configuration file in Connector Configurator. Note that if you wish to add additional supported business objects to the configuration for this connector, you must first save the business objects into the same Integration Component Library in which this connector resides. Then you can open Connector Configurator, select the Supported Business Objects tab, and click in the Business Object Name dropdown box to see the additional available business objects.

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