Working with components in integration component libraries
The majority of your time is spent working with integration components when
you implement a WebSphere Business Integration Express for Item Sync integration system.
This topic describes the different ways you can launch each of the
designer tools. You can use the designer tools to create new components
or to open and modify existing components.
- Note:
- If you attempt to launch one of the designer tools and experience an error
about a class not being found, you must launch System Manager and then try to
launch the designer tool again. System Manager does not have to remain
running after the tool is initially launched, however.
Business Object Designer Express
To launch Business Object Designer Express, do one of the following:
- Right-click the Business Objects folder in the WebSphere
Business Integration System view and choose Create New Business
Object from the context menu
- Select the folder for any type of integration component in the WebSphere
Business Integration System view and do one of the following:
- Select Business Object Designer Express from the menu bar
- Click the Business Object Designer Express toolbar button
- Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+4
- Select Start > Programs > IBM WebSphere Business Integration Express for Item Sync v4.3 >
Toolset Express > Development >
Business Object Designer Express
Connector Configurator Express
To launch Connector Configurator Express, do one of the following:
- Right-click the Connectors folder in the WebSphere Business
Integration System view and choose Create New Connector from the
context menu
- Select the folder for any type of integration component in the WebSphere
Business Integration System view and do one of the following:
- Select Connector Configurator Express from the menu bar
- Click the Connector Configurator Express toolbar button
- Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+4
- Select Start > Programs > IBM WebSphere Business Integration Express for Item Sync v4.3 >
Toolset Express > Development >
Connector Configurator Express
Map Designer Express
To launch Map Designer Express, do one of the following:
- Right-click the Maps folder in the WebSphere Business
Integration System view and choose Create New Map from the context
menu
- Select the folder for any type of integration component in the WebSphere
Business Integration System view and do one of the following:
- Select Map Designer Express from the menu bar
- Click the Map Designer Express toolbar button
- Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+3
- Select Start > Programs > IBM WebSphere Business Integration Express for Item Sync v4.3 >
Toolset Express > Development >
Map Designer Express
For more information on Map Designer Express, see the Map Development Guide.
Relationship Designer Express
To launch Relationship Designer Express, do one of the following:
- Right-click the Relationships folder in the WebSphere Business
Integration System view and choose Relationship Designer Express from the
context menu
- Select the folder for any type of integration component in the WebSphere
Business Integration System view and do one of the following:
- Select Relationship Designer Express from the menu bar
- Click the Relationship Designer Express toolbar button
- Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+5
- Select Start > Programs > IBM WebSphere Business Integration Express for Item Sync v4.3 >
Toolset Express > Development >
Relationship Designer Express
For more information on Relationship Designer Express, see the Map Development Guide.
For the following components, launching their respective designer tools as
described allows you to create a new component of that type:
- Business objects
- Connectors
- Maps
- Relationships
Modifying existing components
To modify business objects, connectors, maps, and relationships, you can do the following:
- Double-click the component in a library or the shortcut to a component in
a user project
- Select the component in a library or the shortcut to a component in a user
project and do one of the following:
- Launch its designer tool
- Right-click the component in a library or the shortcut to a component in a
user project and choose Edit definition from the context menu
- Launch the component's designer tool and then open the component after the tool has started
Importing components into a library from a server
You can import integration components into a library from an InterChange
Server repository. This is most helpful when you join a development
team and have to update your individual development environment with existing
components.
You can import components from the libraries of other developers, but if
they have not been maintaining their components well then you may want to use
only components of known quality. Server environments are typically
maintained well and can generally be trusted more than individual development
environments.
Do the following to import components into an integration component library
from an InterChange Server Express repository:
- Note:
- To import components into a library from an InterChange Server Express instance, the
server must be running. If System Manager is not connected to the
server when you start the "Import components" wizard then no
components will be displayed for importing.
- Connect System Manager to InterChange Server Express as described in Connecting to InterChange Server Express.
- In the System Manager view, right-click the
library into which you want to import components, select Import
components from server from the context menu, and then do one of the
following to start the "Import components" wizard:
- Select Components from the submenu to display all types of
components in the server.
- Select a component type from the submenu to only display that type of
component.
- Enable checkboxes next to the servers, component groups, or individual
components that you want to import from the server.
- Enable the Deep checkbox if you also want to import the
dependencies of the component. For more information about dependencies,
see Dependencies and references.
- Enable the Overwrite the existing components without warning
checkbox if you want to overwrite any components you currently have in the
library that have the same name as those you selected to import from the
server.
If you did not select any maps or collaboration templates then proceed to
step 7.
If you selected any maps or collaboration templates to import then either
proceed to step 7 to complete the wizard or proceed to step 6 to advance to the next screen of the
wizard.
Figure 10 shows the first screen of the "Import components"
wizard:
Figure 10. Importing components from the server

- At the second screen of the "Import
components" wizard, enable the Maps and Collaboration
Templates checkboxes to have System Manager convert any maps or
collaboration templates among the components you selected to the
4.2.0 format.
If you used repos_copy to deploy components from a release prior to
4.2.0 to a release 4.2.0 server repository then
the maps and collaboration templates stored there are not upgraded. You
can only upgrade these components to the 4.2.0 format using
System Manager or the Map Designer Express and Process Designer Express tools.
At the second screen of the "Import components" wizard you can
leave the Maps and Collaboration Templates checkboxes
enabled to have them converted at this time, or you can disable the checkboxes
to defer the conversion until later, when you can do so in the designer
tools. You may want to defer the conversion because it can be a
time-consuming process, particularly with a large number of those types of
components.
Figure 11 shows the second screen of the "Import components"
wizard:
Figure 11. Converting maps and collaboration templates when importing from the server

- Click Finish.
Importing components into a library from a package
As described in Exporting components to a package using System Manager, you can export integration components to a
.jar file package. This makes it easy to migrate
components between environments, share them with other developers, and submit
them to technical support. do the following to import components into a
library from a package:
- Important:
- If there are components with the same name as those in the package you are
importing, System Manager overwrites the existing components without a
warning.
- Right-click an integration component library and choose Import
Repository File from the context menu.
- At the "Import Repository File" screen, either type the full path
and name of the .jar package file that you want to import in
the InterChange Server Express repository file field or click
Browse to select the file.
- Select the integration component library into which the components should
be imported from the Integration component library name drop-down
menu.
Figure 12 shows the "Import Repository File" wizard.
Figure 12. Importing a package

- Click Finish.
- Note:
- Do not use the File > Import menu item in the workbench to
import a package file. Although the "Zip File" wizard works
with archives with the .jar extension, and InterChange
Server package files have a .jar extension, the "Zip
File" wizard does not work properly with package files.
Modifying component properties
Maps and collaboration objects have properties that you can modify to
change the behavior of those components. To modify the properties of a
component, right-click either the component in an integration component
library or a shortcut to it in a user project and select Properties
from the context menu. System Manager displays a dialog to configure
the properties of the component.
For more information about map properties, see the Map Development Guide.
[ Top of Page | Table of Contents ]
