Connectors are supplied as part of the IBM WebSphere Business Integration Adapters product. A connector provides distributed translation services for the IBM WebSphere InterChange Server system, moving data between collaborations and either:
In an InterChange Server implementation, a connector has a distributed structure:
The two parts of a connector can run on the same system or on two different systems. The connector controller runs as part of InterChange Server and so resides on that system. However, the connector agent can reside on any system from which it can communicate with both its application and the connector controller.
There is one connector for each version of an application. Each connector is unique, because it communicates with its application according to the application's interfaces. If there is an application programming interface (API), the connector can use it. However, a connector for an application without an API can use whatever method the application provides, such as user exits or email messages.
To detect application events in which collaborations are interested, a connector polls the application or uses the application's event callback notification mechanism, if there is one. A connector can also interact with the application at the command of a collaboration or to verify the results of its previous requests.