Use this task to configure a J2C activation specification used
to deploy message-driven beans with an external resource adapter.
About this task
Use this task if you want to use a message-driven bean as a listener
on a Java Connector Architecture (JCA) 1.5 resource adapter other than the
default messaging JMS provider.
You can create or modify a J2C activation
specification under an installed resource adapter at the cell, node, or server
scope. You can select the message listener type from those provided by the
given resource adapter.
Configuring a J2C activation specification offers
two distinct advantages:
- The activation specification configuration information can be shared among
multiple message-driven beans across multiple applications.
- Updates to the configuration properties can be made without the need to
redeploy the application.
The following
guidelines show which scenarios use activation specifications or listener
ports:
- If you are using J2EE 1.2 and EJB 1.1 with WebSphere Application Server
v4, MDBs are not used so you do not need listener ports or activation specifications.
WebSphere Application Server v4 uses message beans, but these are not MDbs
or EJBs.
- If you are using J2EE 1.3 and EJB 2.0 with WebSphere Application Server
v5, you must use listener ports. The MDBs are JMS MDBs that implement MessageListener,
and there is no JCA support. WebSphere Application Server v5 uses listener
;ports to associate MDB classes with their JMS destinations.
- If you are using J2EE 1.4 and EJB 2.1 with WebSphere Application Server
v6, you must use activation specifications. A connector MDB uses JCA to access
its resources, so the connector must therefore be configured with an activation
specification. This is for new bean development, and does not affect the
conversion of MDBs from EJB 2.0 to EJB 2.1.
- If you are using J2EE 1.4 and EJB 2.1 with WebSphere Application Server
v6, the decision depends on whether your JMS provider API is implemented with
JCA. In J2EE 1.4, the JMS 1.1 API can now be implemented with the JCA 1.5
API. If so, your MDB is a JMS MDB that is implemented as a connector MDB,
and must therefore be configured with an activation specification. If not,
this is the same JMS situation as for J2EE 1.3, and you must configure this
EJB 2.1 MDB in the same way as you would configure an EJB 2.0 MDB, which in
WebSphere Application Server is to use a listener port.
To configure a J2C activation
specification for an external resource adapter, use the administrative console
to complete the following steps. This task contains an optional step for you
to create a new activation specification.