WebSphere

Overview of imports and exports

In order to connect to diverse systems you must define imports and exports. This section explains the concepts.

Introduction

An export allows WebSphere® Enterprise Service Bus (ESB), or WebSphere Process Server, to expose a service: so the service can be called by a service requester. An import allows WebSphere ESB, or WebSphere Process Server, to call a service.

You can use WebSphere Integration Developer to create service component architecture (SCA) modules that you deploy to WebSphere ESB or WebSphere Process Server. You define what exports the SCA modules have: that is, how service providers can call the SCA modules; and what imports the SCA modules have: that is, what service providers the SCA modules can call. Both imports and exports have bindings that define the communication mechanism; for example, Web services bindings (SOAP/HTTP or SOAP/JMS).

Both WebSphere ESB and WebSphere Process Server support a special type of SCA module, called a mediation module, that helps you connect to diverse systems.

Figure 1. Simplified example of a message flowing through an ESB
Service requesters can call a service that is exposed using an export.
Note:
  • SCA terminology calls import bindings and export bindings: bindings. However, bindings sometimes need data bindings and header bindings. For example, if you use a SOAP/HTTP binding, the run time knows the exact structure of the messages that it processes; however, when you use other bindings you might need a data binding to clarify the structure of the message. There are some pre-supplied data bindings, or you can write your own. For more information on data bindings, see: Click this link to go to the topic for WebSphere Integration Developer..
  • Web services bindings support either SOAP/HTTP or SOAP/JMS, they do not support SOAP/MQ or SOAP/MQ-JMS. A Web services binding that uses SOAP/JMS, supports the JMS point-to-point mode; it does not support the JMS broadcast mode.

Supported bindings

WebSphere Enterprise Service Bus and WebSphere Process Server support the following export bindings:
Figure 2. Supported export bindings
Web service, JMS, MQ, HTTP, and SCA.
WebSphere Enterprise Service Bus and WebSphere Process Server support the following import bindings:
Figure 3. Supported import bindings
Web service, JMS, MQ, HTTP, SCA, and stateless session EJB.

If you want to integrate enterprise information systems (EIS), you generally use messaging bindings (JMS, generic JMS, MQ and MQ JMS) or EIS bindings. EIS exports and imports are created with a particular resource adapter, and let you interact with many EIS systems.


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Timestamp icon Last updated: 20 June 2010 00:38:43 BST (DRAFT)


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