WebSphere Adapter for Email

Technical overview of the Adapter for Email

WebSphere® Adapter for Email enables enterprise information system (EIS) connectivity across e-mailing systems. Because the adapter is equipped to handle both inbound and outbound communication with an application server, it can retrieve an e-mail from a mail server based on selective search criteria and then use the information in e-mails to trigger an automated flow of operation. Similarly, it can send a response to the e-mail address or addresses that initiates the operation.

The adapter integrates EISs by sending and receiving e-mails to or from different mail servers using SMTP, IMAP, and POP3 e-mail protocols. The interaction between the mail server and the adapter is handled through the JavaMail API provided by the IBM® Java™ development kit.

In inbound operational mode, the adapter:
  1. Polls the mail server at a user-configured interval
  2. Reads the e-mail retrieved from the inbox
  3. Converts the e-mail into a business object
  4. Sends the business object to the application server
In outbound operational mode, the adapter:
  1. Receives a business object from the application server
  2. Converts the business object to an e-mail
  3. Sends the e-mail to the mail server.

Adapter architecture

As noted in the figure below, the Email adapter is housed within the application server run time. The adapter facilitates communication between a mail server and various intelligent programs identified in the figure as end points using information stored in business objects. To keep track of endpoints and status, the adapter maintains an event table.

This figure illustrates the larger relationship between the mail server, application server, and various intelligent applications called endpoints.

Email adapter architecture

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Last updated: Mon 30 Oct 2006 03:44:37

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