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WebSphere Message Brokers
File: ab00026_
Writer: Kate Hostler

Concept topic

This build: July 31, 2007 21:16:01

What's new in Version 6.1?

Learn about the main new functions in WebSphere Message Broker Version 6.1.

New WebSphere Adapters nodes
Use the new WebSphere Adapters nodes to communicate with Enterprise Information Systems (EIS) such as SAP, Siebel, and PeopleSoft. The following adapters nodes are provided:
  • SAPInput node
  • SAPRequest node
  • SiebelInput node
  • SiebelRequest node
  • PeopleSoftInput node
  • PeopleSoftRequest node
  • TwineBallInput node
  • TwineBallRequest node

The TwineBallInput and TwineBallRequest nodes are sample nodes with their own sample EIS so that you can see how adapters nodes work. For more information, see WebSphere Adapters nodes.

Ability to process data in files
You can create message flows to process data in files, accepting data in files as input message data, and producing output message data for file-based destinations. The following file nodes are provided:
  • FileInput node. Use this node to receive messages from files in the broker server's file system. The node generates output message data that can be used by any of the output nodes meaning that messages can be generated for clients using any of the supported transport protocols to connect to the broker. For more information, see FileInput node.
  • FileOutput node. Use this node to write messages to a file in the broker's file system. It can create new files, replace existing files, and append records to existing files. For more information, see FileOutput node.

Using this function, you can also process large files without using excessive storage and simplify the processing of files which have large numbers of repeating entries.

New EmailOutput node

Use the EmailOutput node to send e-mail messages to one or more recipients. The EmailOutput node delivers an e-mail message from a message flow to an SMTP server. The node uses the JavaMail API to build and send the e-mail message to the SMTP server that you specify. For more information, see EmailOutput node.

New Route node
Use the Route node to direct messages that meet certain criteria down different paths of a message flow. For example, you might need to forward a message to different service providers, based on the request details.

You can also use the Route node to bypass unnecessary steps. For example, you can check to see if certain data is in a message, and perform a database lookup operation only if the data is missing.

You can use the Distribution Mode property to trigger multiple events that each require different conditions. For example, you could log requests that relate to a particular account identifier, and send requests that relate to a particular product to be audited. For more information, see Route node.

New DatabaseRoute node

Use the DatabaseRoute node to pass through or route messages using information from a database and XPath routing expressions. The DatabaseRoute node looks up a collection of named column values from a located database row and synchronously applies one or more XPath expressions to these acquired values. For more information, see DatabaseRoute node.

New DatabaseRetrieve node

Use the DatabaseRetrieve node to ensure that information in a message is up to date. You can use the node to modify a message using information from a database. For example, you can add information to a message using a key that is contained in a message; the key could be an account number. For more information< see DatabaseRetrieve node.

Enhancements to the XMLTransformation node
The XMLTransformation node has been renamed and is now known as the XSLTransform node. The node function has been enhanced and you can now use this node to specify the following properties of the output message:
  • Message domain
  • Message format
  • Message set
  • Message type
In previous releases, you had to include a ResetContentDescriptor node after the XMLTransformation node in your message flow to perform this function. This enhancement makes message flow development more straightforward and efficient.

An additional enhancement to the performance of the XSLTransform node is that it now produces messages as message tress when the domain is either XMLNS or XMLNSC, and the message is defined as XML.

For more information, see XSLTransform node.

Ability to browse messages
In previous versions of WebSphere Message Broker, when the MQInput or MQGet node got a message from a queue, the message was removed. For WebSphere Message Broker Version 6.1, the ability to browse a queue means that the MQInput and MQGet nodes can get a message from a queue, but the original message remains on the queue to be reused by the same or other applications. The ability to browse is useful in situations where configuration data or constants are stored on a queue and used multiple times, or by applications that need to examine the content of a message before deciding whether to remove it from the queue.

For more information, see MQInput node or MQGet node.

Changes to parsers and message domains
The following changes have been made to parsers and message domains:
  • The message domain SOAP has been added; this domain allows the model-driven parsing of SOAP messages, including SwA and MTOM, in support of the new SOAP nodes.
  • The message domain DataObject has been added; this domain allows the model-driven parsing of data from EIS systems, in support of the new WebSphere Adapter nodes.
  • The XMLNSC message domain has been enhanced; it has improved performance and can validate XML documents using XML Schema.
  • Improvements have been made to MRM for binary and text messages; mixed binary and text messages are supported, and the modeling of CSV messages is simplified.
  • The XML and IDOC message domains have been deprecated; use the XMLNSC domain instead of the XML domain, and use MRM TDS instead of the IDOC domain.

Changes to message sets
The following changes have been made to message sets:
  • When you create a message set, you can now say which domains the message set supports; this support determines later processing.
  • A new Adapter Connection wizard introspects EIS system metadata and creates message definition files for the new DataObject domain.
  • WSDL now resides within a message set.
  • When a message set is added to a broker archive (bar) file for deployment:
    • A dictionary is generated and added if the message set supports the MRM or IDOC domains.
    • XML Schemas are generated and added if the message set supports the XMLNSC, SOAP, or DataObject domains.
    • WSDLs are added if the message set supports the SOAP domain.

Message flow node Properties View
You can view and modify node properties in the Properties view in the Broker Application Development perspective. The view is populated when you highlight the node. You can no longer view or update properties in a Properties dialog, which has been removed in this release.

Some references to the Properties dialog still exist in this information center; if present, ignore the reference and use the Properties view. All such references will be removed when the information center is refreshed.

For more information about the Properties view, see Broker Application Development perspective.

Importing WSDL

When a WSDL definition is imported, the WSDL definition now becomes an integral part of a message set. In previous releases of the Message Broker, the WSDL definition was associated with a message set but was not integrated into the message model.

Generating WSDL

WSDL generation has been simplified by removing its dependency on the use of message categories.

64-bit platform support
64-bit platform support has been extended across the supported operating systems. Check the complete statement of support in Support for 64-bit platforms.

If you are migrating to Version 6.1 from previous versions, you might have to complete additional actions because the default operating mode is 64-bit mode; in previous versions the default mode is 32-bit mode. Information and instructions are described in the relevant topics within Migrating and upgrading.

Related concepts
What's new in Version 6.0?
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Copyright IBM Corporation 1999, 2007Copyright IBM Corporation 1999, 2007. All Rights Reserved.
This build: July 31, 2007 21:16:01

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