Extending the solution to handle multiple data sources

To handle items from multiple data sources, the front end of the solution must include collaboration objects that can parse each type of new item.

Description

To handle items from multiple data sources, the front end of the solution must include collaboration objects that can parse each type of new item. These collaboration objects must be based on custom collaboration templates similar to the UCCnetMessageReceive collaboration template. Each of these front-end collaboration objects must be attached to an ItemValidation collaboration object. The ItemValidation collaboration objects operate identically for each front-end parsing collaboration object, routing the different types of Retail_Item business objects to ItemDispatcher collaboration objects. If the various data sources use the same business review/approval process, they can use a common data container. Appropriate maps must be created that convert the different types of Retail_Item business objects to the common data container.

When the business review/approval process completes, the common data container is sent to the WebSphere® MQ Workflow queue. The existing Product Information Management for Retailers solution uses the MQWF_Retail_Item_to_Retail_Item map to convert the WebSphere MQ Workflow container into a Retail_Item business object. However, this map, which is used by the WebSphereMQWorkflowConnector, cannot produce different types of Retail_Item business objects. Because the incoming Retail_Item business objects are from different sources, the Retail_Item business objects going to the back end are going to be different as well.

A collaboration template (similar to the ItemCollector collaboration template) must be created that develops and builds these different business objects. A collaboration object based on this custom collaboration template can possibly use the call_map API and have a different To port for each data source producing a Retail_Item business object.

Parent topic: Handling data from other data sources