WebSphere

Overview of adapters

In order to connect to enterprise information systems (EIS) you might need to use adapters. This section introduces adapter concepts and usage.

Introduction

IBM® adapters allow you to integrate enterprise applications, and data storage facilities, in a service-oriented way. Adapters expose low-level EIS functions, or events, in the form of a service.

Adapters are sometimes referred to as resource adapters, and provide a standard interface to proprietary systems. Using standard interfaces avoids the maintenance issues associated with non-standard solutions.

Some adapters come with WebSphere® Integration Developer and are licensed for production use, others are only for development purposes: that is, they can be used to develop and test an application. Generally, after you deploy your application to WebSphere ESB, or WebSphere Process Server, you will need a licensed runtime resource adapter.

Types of adapters

There are two types of IBM adapters:
  • WebSphere Adapters, also referred to as JCA adapters.
    • WebSphere Adapters are based on Java™ 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE) Connector architecture (JCA), and are the recommended adapters to use with WebSphere ESB and WebSphere Process Server.
    • If an application is developed with a WebSphere Adapter embedded, the adapter is deployed with the application.
  • WebSphere Business Integration (WBI) Adapters.
    • WebSphere Business Integration Adapters reside outside of WebSphere ESB or WebSphere Process Server. The run time communicates with this type of adapter through a Java Message Service (JMS) transport layer.
Both types of adapter can be split into two classes:
  • Technology Adapters.
    • Technology adapters let you integrate files, FTP, databases and email: these adapters come with WebSphere Integration Developer and are licensed for production use with WebSphere ESB and WebSphere Process Server.
  • Application Adapters.
    • Application adapters let you integrate enterprise application suites, such as SAP Exchange Infrastructure (XI).

For a list of WebSphere Adapters supported by WebSphere Integration Developer, their licensing and how to develop services using adapters, see: Click this link to go to the topic for WebSphere Integration Developer..

External service wizard

Resource adapters, in WebSphere Integration Developer, are used in the context of an import or an export. You develop an import or an export with the external service wizard and, in developing it, include the resource adapter.

EIS exports and imports are created with a particular resource adapter, and let you interact with EIS systems.

The external service wizard follows a similar pattern, regardless of the adapter you are using. For more information on how to use the external service wizard with the different adapters, see: Click this link to go to the topic for WebSphere Integration Developer..

Draft comment:

Many of the IBM WebSphere Adapters supported by WebSphere Integration Developer are at Version 6.1 and, therefore, implement the Enterprise MetaData Discovery specification. The Enterprise MetaData Discovery specification defines a metadata discovery and import model for adapters and the enterprise application integration (EAI) tools framework. WebSphere Integration Developer has an external service wizard that supports the specification. The wizard browses the metadata information of an EIS system in a process called discovery. For more information on the WebSphere Adapters Version 6.1, see: WebSphere Adapters


concept Concept topic

Terms of use | Feedback


Timestamp icon Last updated: 20 June 2010 00:38:42 BST (DRAFT)


http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/dmndhelp/v6r2mx/topic//com.ibm.websphere.wbpm.scenarios.esb1.620.doc/concepts/cwesb_scenario_adapters.html
Copyright IBM Corporation 2005, 2010. All Rights Reserved.
This information center is powered by Eclipse technology (http://www.eclipse.org).
iDoc on