Using the Connector Agent view

The Connector Agent view allows you to emulate the clients in IBM WebSphere InterChange Server Express interfaces--connector agents and access clients. The view provides interfaces to connect the clients to the server, create and send business object requests, and reply with business object responses.

Showing and closing Connector Agent views

The following sections describe the numerous ways you can show and close Connector Agent views.

The "Default interface position" column in Table 23 lists the views whose default positions in the interface are overlaid with the Connector Agent views in the "Connector Agent view number" column.
 
 

Table 23. Default Connector Agent view positions
Connector Agent view number Default interface position
Test Connector 1 ITE Navigator
Test Connector 2 Outline
Test Connector 3 Properties
Test Connector 4 Dependency
Test Connector 5 ITE Navigator
Test Connector 6 Outline
Test Connector 7 Properties
Test Connector 8 Dependency
Test Connector 9 ITE Navigator

Showing Connector Agent views

Use one of the following techniques to show Connector Agent views.
Using the Task Manager view
Follow the instructions in Using the Task Manager view along with Table 19 to use the Task Manager view to start Connector Agent views for the connectors and access clients in the interface you are testing.
Using the Test Unit view
Follow the instructions in Using, showing, and closing Connector Agent views to show a Connector Agent view in the Test Unit view.
Using the Integrated Test Environment menu
Select Integrated Test Environment > Show All Connector Views from the menu bar to show all nine Connector Agent views.
Using the Perspective menu
Select Perspective > Show View > x:Connector Agent from the menu bar to launch a specific Connector Agent view, where x is the number of the Connector Agent view position you want to use for that connector.

Table 23 shows the default interface positions in which the different Connector Agent views are displayed.

Closing Connector Agent views

Use one of the following techniques to close Connector Agent views.
Using the Integrated Test Environment menu
Select Integrated Test Environment > Close All Connector Views from the menu bar to close all open Connector Agent views.
Using the Test Unit view
Follow the instructions in Using, showing, and closing Connector Agent views to show a Connector Agent view in the Test Unit view.
Using the Connector Agent view
Either click the Close button in the right-hand side of the Connector Agent view title bar, or right-click the Connector Agent view title bar and select Close from the context menu.

Connecting to the server

You must connect Connector Agent views to the server to emulate a connector as part of testing an interface.

When using the Connector Agent view, you can either emulate a connector using the definition in the repository or using a configuration file. You can also use the Connector Agent view to emulate an access client.

Note that you can also use the Task Manager view to connect agents to the server. For more information, see Table 19.

Emulating a connector using the repository definition

To emulate a connector using its repository definition, click the down arrow in the right-hand corner of the title bar of the Connector Agent view and select Server > Connect.

Emulating a connector using a configuration file

Do the following to emulate a connector using a configuration file:
  1. Click the down arrow in the right-hand corner of the title bar of the Connector Agent view and select Server > Connect with *.cfg.
  2. Navigate to and open the connector configuration file.

Emulating an access client

To emulate an access client, click the down arrow in the right-hand corner of the title bar of the Connector Agent view and select Server > Connect.

Confirming that a client has connected to the server

When the Connector Agent view has successfully connected to the server to emulate a connector, the message "[AppConnector: Connector has recovered]" is written to the Status Pane of the Connector Agent view.

When the Connector Agent view has successfully connected to the server to emulate an access client, the message "Ready" is written to the Status Pane of the Connector Agent view.

For more information about the Status Pane, see Using the Status Pane.

When the Connector Agent view has successfully connected to the server to emulate either type of client, the BO Type and BOInstance drop-down menus become enabled on the Input Pane of the Connector Agent view.

For more information about the Input Pane, see Using the Input Pane.

Disconnecting from the server

To disconnect a Connector Agent that is emulating a connector from the server, click the down arrow in the right-hand corner of the title bar of the Connector Agent view and select Server > Disconnect.

A Connector Agent view also disconnects from the server when you close it. The only way to disconnect a Connector Agent view that is emulating an access client from the server is to close the Connector Agent view. For more information on closing Connector Agent views, see Closing Connector Agent views.

Connector Agent view panes and pane arrangements

The Connector Agent view has several panes you use to simulate the behavior of a connector or access client.

Using the Input Pane

You use the Input Pane in the Connector Agent view to work with and send business object requests. You can create business object instances, add data to their attributes, and send them as requests. You typically use the Input Pane when working with a Connector Agent view that is emulating a source client in an interface.

Figure 66 shows the Input Pane for a Connector Agent view that is emulating a source connector.

Figure 66. Connector Agent view Input Pane

Using the Result Pane

You use the Result Pane in the Connector Agent view to work with business object requests that have been received and to send business object responses. You typically use the Result Pane when working with a Connector Agent view that is emulating a destination client in an interface.

Figure 67 shows the Result Pane for a Connector Agent view that is emulating a destination connector.

Figure 67. Connector Agent view Result Pane

Using the Status Pane

The Status Pane contains messages about the execution of the Connector Agent view. For instance, the message "[AppConnector: Connector has recovered]" is written to the Status Pane when the connector has successfully connected to the server.

You use the Status Pane primarily to confirm that the connector has successfully connected to the server and to troubleshoot the Connector Agent view. For instance, if you send a business object request from a Connector Agent view and there is no subscription for the business object type, then a message is written to the Status Pane. This can help you to determine why a business object request does not appear in the Result Pane of a Connector Agent view emulating a destination client in an interface.

Figure 68 shows the Status Pane for a Connector Agent view.

Figure 68. Connector Agent view Status Pane

Arranging all panes vertically

You can arrange a Connector Agent view so that it displays the Input, Result, and Status panes simultaneously, stacked on top of one another. This view can be helpful when a Connector Agent view is emulating a client that has to handle both event notification and request processing responsibilities.

Do one of the following to arrange the Connector Agent view panes vertically:

Figure 69 shows the Connector Agent view panes when they have been arranged vertically.

Figure 69. Arranging Connector Agent view panes vertically

Arranging all panes horizontally

You can arrange a Connector Agent view so that it displays the Input, Result, and Status panes simultaneously from left to right. This view can be helpful when a Connector Agent view is emulating a client that has to handle both event notification and request processing responsibilities.

Do one of the following to arrange the Connector Agent view panes horizontally:

Figure 69 shows the Connector Agent view panes when they have been arranged horizontally.

Figure 70. Arranging Connector Agent view panes horizontally

Working with business object requests in the Connector Agent view

Request business objects are those that you send from a Connector Agent view when it is emulating a connector that is the source of the events that trigger an interface. Working with request business objects consists of creating a business object instance, populating it with data, and sending the request.

Creating request business objects

Do the following to create a new business object instance:
  1. In the Input Pane, select the name of the business object you want to create from the BOType drop-down menu.
  2. Do one of the following:
  3. When presented with the "New Instance" dialog, type a name for the instance in the Enter Name field.
  4. Select the desired verb from the Verb drop-down menu.
  5. Select the desired locale from the BOLocale drop-down menu.
  6. Provide values for the simple attributes and child business objects within the top-level object, as described in Setting values for business object attributes.
  7. Click OK.

Sending request business objects asynchronously

When a source client sends a request business object in asynchronous mode, it does not expect to get back a response business object. Once the request business object is dispatched, the source client's role in the transaction is finished. The response business object is typically processed by the integration broker. The default mode for a Connector Agent view is asynchronous.

To send a business object asynchronously, do the following:

  1. Create the request business object instance, as described in Creating request business objects.
  2. Click the down arrow in the right-hand corner of the title bar of the Connector Agent view and select Server > Mode > Asynchronous.
  3. Note:
    The Connector Agent view operates in "Asynchronous" mode by default, so you only have to perform this step if you previously were sending synchronous requests from the view. Furthermore, you do not have to set the mode before sending each request.
  4. Do one of the following to send the request:

Sending business object requests synchronously

When a source client sends a request business object synchronously, it expects to get back a response business object from the integration broker after any destination applications have processed the request.
  1. Create the request business object instance, as described in Creating request business objects.
  2. Click the down arrow in the right-hand corner of the title bar of the Connector Agent view and select Server > Mode > Synchronous to set the Connector Agent view to synchronous mode.
  3. Do one of the following to send the request:
  4. When presented with the "Select Collaboration" dialog, select the collaboration to which the business object should be sent from the Collaboration drop-down menu and click OK.

  5. The business object request is sent to the configured port of the collaboration object chosen for processing.

Sending business object requests in batch mode

In batch mode, the Connector Agent view lets you specify the number of instances of a particular business object you want to send, as well as one attribute in the top-level object --a primary key attribute, for example--that you want set to a unique value for each instance. The Connector Agent view copies the business object as many times as you have specified, incrementing the value of the single attribute you specified for each instance, and then sends each instance. This option allows you to create a large number of business objects quickly and easily.

If the selected attribute is a key field that participates in dynamic cross-referencing as part of an identity relationship, then you must guarantee that the initial value and all those that follow it are unique. Otherwise, the cross-referencing logic will fail, causing the request business objects to fail.

To ensure that the values are unique, you can use Relationship Manager or execute SQL statements against the table for the relationship participant as follows.

To send business objects in batch mode, do the following:
  1. Click the down arrow in the right-hand corner of the title bar of the Connector Agent view and select Server > Send Batch.
  2. In the "Batch Mode" window, select from the Attribute list the attribute in the top-level business object that you want incremented with each business object request in the batch.

  3. The selected attribute should typically be an attribute that uniquely identifies the business object, such as a primary key.

  4. In the Initial Value field, type the starting value for the attribute to be incremented.
  5. In the No. of BO's field, type the number of business object instances you want generated and sent.
  6. Click OK.

  7. The Connector Agent view generates the number of business objects you specified, all identical with the exception of the one specified attribute, whose value is incremented for each instance.

Figure 71 shows a batch mode configuration in which: Figure 71. Sending business object requests in batch mode

Setting values for business object attributes

You can set values for business object attributes when creating a business object request and when editing a business object request that has been received, so that it can be returned as a response.

To set values for the attributes of a business object you intend to send as a request, you must use the Input Pane of the Connector Agent view. For more information, see Using the Input Pane.

To set values for the attributes of a business object you are editing to send as a response, you use the "Response BO" window. For more information, see Editing response business objects.

Setting values for simple attributes

To provide a value for a simple attribute, click its cell in the Value column of the Input Pane or the "Response BO" window and enter a value.

Adding child business objects

To add an instance of a child business object, right-click the attribute that represents the child object in the Input Pane or the "Response BO" window and select Add Instance from the context menu.

A plus sign (+) is added next to the attribute that represents the child business object to show that there is at least one child business object instance. If you expand the child object attribute, numbered entries are displayed for each instance. The individual instances also have plus signs (+) next to them, so you can expand them and set values for their attributes.

To add more child business object instances, right-click the attribute that represents the child object and select Add Instance from the context menu.

Note:
If the Card property of the attribute that references the child business object is set to the value 1 (indicating it is of single-cardinality), then you will only be able to add one instance of the child object.

Removing child business objects

To remove an instance of a child business object, right-click the instance and select Remove Instance from the context menu.

To remove all instances of a child business object, right-click the attribute that represents the child business object and select Delete All Instances from the context menu.

Setting the verb of a child business object

You can set the verb of a child business object to test the effect that value has on the business process. This can be helpful when you are troubleshooting logic that involves the cross-referencing of child objects.

To set the verb of a child business object instance, right-click it and choose Set Verb from the context menu. When presented with the "Select Verb" prompt, selected the desired verb and click OK.

Resetting business object attributes to their default values

To reset the attributes of a business object request to their default values, click the down arrow in the right-hand corner of the title bar of the Connector Agent view and select Edit > Reset BO.

To reset the attributes of a business object response to their default values, click the Reset BO to default button in the toolbar of the "Response BO" window.

Clearing business object attribute values

To clear the attributes of a business object request of their values, click the down arrow in the right-hand corner of the title bar of the Connector Agent view and select Edit > Clear BO.

To clear the attributes of a business object response of their values, click the Clear BO values button in the toolbar of the "Response BO" window.

Working with response business objects

Response business objects are those that you send from a Connector Agent view when it is emulating a connector that is the recipient of business object requests in an interface. Working with request business objects consists of editing the values in the business object instance and sending the response back to the server.

If you create and send a business object request as described in Working with business object requests in the Connector Agent view and it is successfully processed by the interface, then the business object appears in the Result Pane of any destination connectors in the interface. Figure 67 shows a Result Pane in which a business object request has been received.

Editing response business objects describes how to edit a business object request that has been received, and Sending response business objects describes how to send the instance as a response.

Editing response business objects

When you receive a business object request in a Connector Agent view that is emulating a destination connector in an interface, you frequently want to edit the values of the attributes. For instance, you will want to provide unique values for primary key attributes that participate in relationships, or you will want to modify the value of other attributes to test map or collaboration logic that responds differently depending on the exact values in the business object. Do the following to set the values of business object attributes:
  1. Do one of the following to edit the business object request in the "Response BO" window:
  2. Do one of the following to edit the attributes of the business object:

Sending response business objects

After you edit a request business object (if editing is needed), you send it back to the server as a reply.

Table 24 lists the reply options and shows their corresponding connector return codes for both C++ and Java connectors. For more detailed information about C++ or Java Connector return codes, see the Connector Development Guide for Java or C++.

Table 24. Connector Agent view reply types and connector return codes.
Connector Agent view reply type C++ connector return code Java connector return code
Success BON_SUCCESS SUCCESS
Fail BON_FAIL FAIL
Multiple Hits BON_MULTIPLE_HITS MULTIPLE_HITS
Retrieve By Content Fail BON_FAIL_RETRIEVE_
BY_CONTENT
RETRIEVEBYCONTENT_
FAILED
Not Found BON_BO_DOES_NOT_EXIST BO_DOES_NOT_EXIST
Value Duplicate BON_VALDUPES VALDUPES

To reply to a request business object, do the following:

  1. Select the business object instance in the Request Pane.
  2. Do one of the following:

Saving business objects

You can save a business object instance that you have created in the Input Pane so that it is available whenever the Connector Agent view is opened to emulate that particular connector definition. You can select the instance by name from BOInstance field instead of having to go through the process of creating a new request.

To save the business object instances currently listed in the BOInstance field, click the down arrow on the right-hand side of the title bar of the Connector Agent view and select Edit > Save All BO's.

The business object is saved to a file with the name of the business object instance, without any extension, in a directory named after the business object type in the .bos directory of the directory for the test project in which the test unit is defined. The file is saved in the same format used by Visual Test Connector and Map Designer Express, so it can be used for testing in those tools as well.

Deleting business objects

To delete a business object instance from a Connector Agent view, click the down arrow on the right-hand side of the title bar of the Connector Agent view and select Edit > Delete BO.

Exporting business objects

You can export a business object instance to a file to conveniently archive data and to share with Technical Support. The test data file is saved with a .bo extension and can be used for testing with Visual Test Connector and Map Designer Express as well as the Integrated Test Environment.

Exporting a request business object

Do the following to export a business object instance from the Input Pane of the Connector Agent view:
  1. Select the business object instance you want to export in the BOInstance field.
  2. Click the down arrow on the right-hand side of the title bar of the Connector Agent view and select Edit > Export BO.
  3. Navigate to the directory in which you want to save the file and specify a name in the File name field.
  4. Click Save.

Exporting a response business object

Do the following to export a business object instance from the "Response BO" window when editing a business object response in the Result Pane:
  1. Click the Save BO button in the toolbar of the "Response BO" window.
  2. Navigate to the directory in which you want to save the file and specify a name in the File name field.
  3. Click Save.

Importing business objects

You can import a business object test data file that was saved from Map Designer or Visual Test Connector, or exported from Integrated Test Environment.

Importing a request business object

Do the following to import a business object instance into the Input Pane of the Connector Agent view:
  1. Click the down arrow on the right-hand side of the title bar of the Connector Agent view and select Edit > Import BO.
  2. Navigate to and open the test data file.

Importing a response business object

Do the following to import a business object instance into the "Response BO" window when editing a business object response in the Result Pane:
  1. Click the Load BO button in the toolbar of the "Response BO" window.
  2. Navigate to and open the test data file.

Comparing business object instances

A Connector Agent view can compare two business objects of the same type and display the attributes that differ in value. You can use this function to view changes to a business object at different points in the execution of a transaction. For instance, you could compare a business object that has been sent to the server with the same business object after the server has processed it and returned it to the source connector. Do the following to compare two business object instances:
  1. Select the request business object instance to be compared on the Input Pane.
  2. Select the response business object to be compared on the Response Pane.
  3. Click the down arrow in the right-hand corner of the title bar of the Connector Agent view and select Reply > Compare BO's.

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