[TBD–These are just notes] WebSphere Adapters are
part of the WebSphere family of products. WebSphere Adapters make it possible
for applications to communicate with resources on the information system of
an enterprise. The J2EE component can then request services from the EIS,
or the EIS can request services from the J2EE component. You use the WebSphere
Integration Developer during design time to configure the WebSphere Adapter.
Specifically, you use the enterprise service discovery wizard of the WebSphere
Integration Developer to introspect the EIS to discover services. The enterprise
service discovery creates standard data objects and services for inbound and
outbound exchange. During run time, you deploy the module to WebSphere Process
Server or WebSphere Enterprise Service Bus.
WebSphere Adapters are based on the J2EE Connector architecture,
a standard that specifies how to integrate a J2EE component with the EIS.
WebSphere Adapters are sometimes referred to as resource adapters (because
they are packaged as resource adapter archive (RAR) files).
A WebSphere
Adapter acts as an intermediary between a J2EE component and the EIS, so that
the J2EE component does not need to understand the low-level API or data structures
of the EIS.
WebSphere Adapters enable inbound and outbound connectivity
between enterprise information systems and J2EE-based applications hosted
by either of the following products:
- WebSphere Process Server
- WebSphere Enterprise Service Bus
WebSphere Process Server and WebSphere Enterprise Service Bus
extend the capabilities of WebSphere Application Server by providing standards-based
integration platforms for building and deploying composite applications in
terms of the components and services they provide, without regard for the
underlying implementation of those components.
WebSphere Process Server
and WebSphere Enterprise Service Bus include capabilities that make it possible
to model, build, deploy, install, configure, run, monitor, and manage integration
applications. WebSphere Integration Developer, which is the development environment
for WebSphere Process Server and WebSphere Enterprise Service Bus, complements
the following WebSphere products:
- WebSphere Business Modeler, version 6.0, used by business analysts and
process designers to chart and simulate process definitions
- WebSphere Business Monitor, version 6.0, used by business analysts to
track and analyze business processes
WebSphere Integration Developer can also be used in conjunction
with the following Rational® products to create a powerful integration development
platform:
- IBM Rational Application Developer, version 6.0
- IBM Rational Software Architect, version 6.0
In a typical development environment, a business analyst or process
designer simulates a set of process definitions, a software architect models
those definitions, and a Java programmer implements them. The WebSphere family
of products includes
The following list shows how individuals
with different responsibilities in an enterprise might use components of the
WebSphere product family to create and monitor an application:
- A business analyst or process designer uses WebSphere Business Modeler
to chart and simulate process definitions and then exports the definition
to a Web Services Business Process Execution Language (WS-BPEL) file
- The Software architect imports the WS-BPEL file into Rational Software
Architect, where the architect creates an implementation model.
- J2EE or Java™ application programmers implement the business process application
components in the architect's model using Rational Application Developer for
WebSphere Software.
- Integration developers use WebSphere Integration Developer (and WebSphere
adapters) to configure the process with new and existing applications. The
results are deployed to the WebSphere Process Server or WebSphere Enterprise
Service Bus.
- Managers and business analysts use WebSphere Business Monitor to track
and analyze the business processes.
- System administrators use WebSphere MQ, WebSphere Application Server,
and Tivoli Access Manager to manage the infrastructure, provide security,
and optimize performance.