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.
- 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 for
information on how to install and start up the InterChange Server
system. |
WebSphere MQ Integrator Broker |
---|
If your business integration system uses WebSphere MQ Integrator Broker,
refer to the installation chapter of the Implementation Guide for
WebSphere MQ Integrator Broker for information on how to install and
start up the IBM WebSphere business integration system. |
- 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 base 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. |
WebSphere MQ Integrator Broker |
---|
If your business integration system uses WebSphere MQ Integrator Broker,
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 C++ connector development process

