The EIS data access tools in the Rational® Software Development Platform
allow users who don't have extensive programming knowledge to participate
in the process of creating and managing Enterprise Information System (EIS)
data objects in a portlet. The EIS data access tools use the SDO-based WebSphere®
Portal Application Integration (WPAI) mediators as the programming model.
Supported Data Access Methods
Rational tools
enable you to insert data objects from SAP, PeopleSoft, or Siebel enterprise
information systems (EIS) into a Faces portlet.
Depending on the specific
back-end, different actions are supported.
- SAP BAPI methods or RFM functions:
- BAPI: invoke a BAPI method. Rational tools provide visual exploration
of SAP Business Object definitions. BAPI methods are explored by their associations
to SAP Business object types.
- RFM: invoke a Remote Function Call enabled Module (RFM). Rational tools
provide exploration of RFM through either direct name search or group search.
- Siebel business components
- Create: create new records. Picklist values are automatically retrieved
from these records.
- Retrieve: retrieve existing records.
- Update: update existing records. Picklist values are automatically retrieved
from these records.
- Delete: delete existing records.
- PeopleSoft Component Interface
- Create: create new records. Translate table and prompt table values are
supported through manual manipulation
- Retrieve: retrieve existing records
- Update: update existing records. Translate table and prompt table values
are supported through manual manipulation
For more information on WPAI mediators, refer to Programming model overview.
J2EE Connector Architecture
The WebSphere® Portal
Application Integration (WPAI) mediators are based on IBM® JCA connectors, which are developed
according to the J2EE Connector Architecture (JCA). These connectors are required
to run portlets containing WPAI mediators. When testing the portlets on WebSphere Portal
5.1 Test Environment, Rational tools automatically deploy and configure
the underlying IBM JCA
connectors for the WPAI mediators. For other portal server environments, these
connectors need to be manually installed. Refer to the documentation for each
back-end (For example, SAP or PeopleSoft) for instructions on installing the IBM JCA
connectors.
For general information on JCA connectors, refer to Connecting
to enterprise information systems.
Limitations
- WPAI mediators are supported on WebSphere® Portal 5.1 or later.
- Generated buttons (i.e. Submit, Create, Update or Delete) for all EIS
mediator forms are not automatically bound. You will need to manually drag-and-drop
an action node onto a button to bound it.
Limitations for accessing SAP
- Mediators to retrieve help values cannot be created independently. WPAI
in Rational tools
only support creating the help value mediators in association with creating
the mediators for the main business function.
- When configuring the SAP help value's selection criteria in the BAPI and
RFM wizards, you will not be able to specify default values for the parameters.
Create either JSF input forms and bind them to the SDO data object representing
the help value's parameters, or edit the page code to assign default values.
Limitations for accessing Siebel
- If the development machine's network connection goes down, the Siebel
connection manager stops creating new connections, even after you restore
the network connection. To reset the Siebel connection manager, you will
have to restart Rational tools.
- Do not create or update primary keys. Although WPAI in Rational tools
allow you to create Input JSF controls for primary key fields when the SDO
mediator's action is set to "Create" or "Update", this will cause runtime
errors from your Siebel server. When configuring the mediator, make sure you
deselect the primary key field, which is "Id" for almost all business components.
- If the Siebel server's business object schema changes, you will need to
restart Rational tools
to see the changes reflected in the UI. This is because the business objects
discovered by Rational tools
are cached for performance purposes.
- You cannot create mediators to retrieve picklist values independently,
WPAI tools in Rational Software
Development Platform only support creating the picklist mediators in association
with creating the mediators for the main business component.
- Drag-and-drop of Siebel picklist values from the Page Data view to a JSF
combo box doesn't create the correct bindings. You will need to go to the
Properties view of the combo box control and click on Add Set of Items.
Add your entries then manually bind the entry to the "value" attribute.
Limitations for accessing PeopleSoft
- The PeopleSoft SDO wizards do not automatically load existing filter criteria
when you reuse metadata to create a new SDO.