2 Using iStudio

Applications

Each component integrated with OracleAS Integration InterConnect is referred to as an application. Each application expresses interest in specific messages, what its internal data type is, and how the message should be mapped to or from that internal type to the external world.

Common Views and Business Objects

OracleAS Integration InterConnect follows a hub-and-spoke integration methodology. The common view is the hub view of the integration, in which each spoke is an application participating in the integration. The common view consists of the following elements:

• Business Objects: A collection of logically related integration points. For example, Create Customer, Update Customer, Delete Customer, and Get Customer Info are integration points that logically belong to a Customer business object.

• Events: An integration point used to model the publish/subscribe paradigm. An event has associated data, which is the common view of all the data to be exchanged through this event.

• Procedures: An integration point used to model the request/reply paradigm. This is a modeling paradigm only. No actual procedures are called. Like events, procedures have associated data that represents the common view of data exchanged through the procedure.

• Common Data Types: A data type used to define data for reuse. It is useful to define complex hierarchical data.

  
  

  See Also: Chapter 3, "Creating Applications, Common Views, and Business Objects"

  
  

Transformations or Mappings

Transformations are used to map the application view of data to its corresponding common views and the common view to corresponding application view. This is used in the context of publishing or subscribing to an event or invoking or implementing a procedure. There are several built-in transformation routines provided with OracleAS Integration InterConnect that are used to build complex mappings. In addition, using the iStudio SDK enables new transformation routines to be created using Java. These transformations can be imported into iStudio and then used similar to a built-in routine.

For example, assume that there are two applications, App1 and App2.

App1 publishes the event, and its application view contains the following fields:

First Name

Last Name

Middle Initial

App2 subscribes to the event, and its application view contains the following field:

Name: One field in the form of LastName, FirstName

When publishing or subscribing to the event, the application view for App1 and App2 must be mapped to the common view using transformations. Assume that the common view event contains the following fields:

Prefix

First Name

Last Name

Middle Initial

Suffix

So, there are two transformations performed. In the first, the data from App1 is transformed to the common view, and in the second, the data from the common view is transformed to the application view of App2.

Metadata Versioning

iStudio supports versioning for application and common data types, events, procedures, and messages.

An owner is the creator of the object and only the owner can modify the object. However, other users can create new versions or copy the original object under a new name. The owner is specified when the repository is installed.

The following functionality is available for versioning:

• Automatic Versioning: Whenever a new version is created, it automatically gets a version number. For example, assume that an event called NewCustomerEvent is created. When this object is created for the first time, the assigned owner is OAI and the version is V1. The event name is NewCustomerEvent/OAI/V1.

• Modify Object: The owner is the only user who can modify the contents of an event and the data associated with it. However, the owner cannot change the version number or the name of the event.

• Create New Version: If the owner wants to retain the original event but wants to create a new version of the information with modified data, then the owner can create a new version. For example, assume that OAI wants to retain the original version of the NewCustomerEvent object but wants a new version of the object with modified data. Using the Create New Version functionality will provide two objects, NewCustomerEvent/OAI/V1 and NewCustomerEvent/OAI/V2.

• Load Version: Not all versions of objects are loaded into iStudio. To work with a specific version of an object, use the Load Version capability. When a new version is created, it becomes the current version.

• Copy Object: To create a new object that has many elements identical to an already existing object, first load the existing object and copy it in iStudio. Copying the object allows only modifications to the data and modifications to the name of the event. Once the name has been modified, the existing object and the object with the new name will coexist in the repository.

  
  

  Note: Names of events must be unique.

  
  

Tracking Fields

Tracking fields are one or more application view fields in the context of a particular message. If specified in iStudio, then tracking fields can be used to track messages at run time using the Oracle InterConnect Manager. Tracking is performed only from the perspective of the sending application.

For example, if App1 publishes a new purchase order and specifies the PO_order number field as the tracking field, then you can log in to the run-time console and specify the message to track, or New Purchase Order in this case. You are then prompted to enter the purchase order number to display the corresponding tracking information.

Content-Based Routing

Content-based routing enables you to define rules to route messages based on message content. For example, a sales lead generation system can route leads to different sales force automation systems based on the location of the potential customer.

Cross Reference Tables

Keys for corresponding entities created in different applications can be correlated through cross-referencing in iStudio.

Domain Value Mapping

Code tables can be mapped across systems using domain value mapping in iStudio.

Routing and the Message Capability Matrix

In the OracleAS Integration InterConnect hub, advanced queues in the database are used to store, route, and forward messages from the sending application adapters to the receiving application adapters. The sending adapters evaluate the recipients based on the metadata. The following method is used to route messages.

• Every adapter has one or more queues where it receives messages.

• The Message Capability Matrix allows queues to be specified for receiving messages on a per-message per-receiving application basis.

  
  

  Note: By default, OracleAS Integration InterConnect comes preconfigured with one queue named the oai_hub_queue. This queue is used for all messages and applications. This queue does not need to be changed unless the single-queue implementation causes a performance bottleneck.

  
  

File Menu

Use the File menu to create new projects and workspaces, open existing projects and workspaces, or reload existing projects. You can also create objects such as events, procedures, and common data types from the File menu. Commands include:

• New Project: Creates a new project.

• Open Project: Opens an existing project. In the Open dialog box, select the directory and project, then click Open.

• New Workspace: Creates a new workspace.

• Open Workspace: Opens an existing workspace. In the Open dialog box, select the directory and workspace, then click Open.

• Reload Project: Reloads a project. When Reload Project is selected, a list of current projects is displayed. Select the project to reload from the list.

• Migrate: Migrates objects from one repository to another. This functionality can be used to migrate metadata from a development to a production integration system.

• New: Creates a new object in iStudio. When New is selected, a list of available objects is displayed. Select the object to create.

• Sync Adapters: Pushes metadata to adapters. Adapters can be configured to cache metadata locally so that they avoid any run-time performance penalties around repository access. If they are so configured, any changes made in iStudio will need to be explicitly pushed to the corresponding adapters to refresh their local cached repository metadata. This functionality provides that explicit mechanism to refresh adapter-cached metadata.

  
  

  Note: Before you attempt to sync adapters, you must ensure that there are no messages flowing between the relevant adapters.

  
  

• Exit: Exits iStudio.

Edit Menu

Use the Edit menu to edit, copy, or delete selected objects. If an object is selected and the Edit menu is not available, then that selected object cannot be edited. Commands include:

• Edit: Edits a selected object. The type of editing depends on the object selected.

• Copy: Copies a selected object.

• Delete: Deletes a selected object.

• Rename: Renames a selected application.

• Version: Creates a new version of or loads a selected object.

• Domain Value Map: Adds or removes applications from a domain value map.

• Cross Reference Table: Adds or removes applications from a cross reference table.

• Workflow: Deploys events to Oracle Workflow or edits Oracle Workflow configuration information.

Procedure Menu

Use the Procedure menu to invoke or implement procedures. Commands include:

• Invoke: Invokes a selected procedure by launching the Invoke Wizard.

• Implement: Implements a selected procedure by launching the Implement Wizard.

Event Menu

Use the Event menu to publish or subscribe to events. Commands include:

• Publish: Publishes a selected event by launching the Publish Wizard. An event must be created.

• Subscribe: Subscribes to a selected event by launching the Subscribe Wizard. An event must be created.

Help Menu

The Help menu provides links to online help. Commands include:

• Contents: Opens the User's Guide.

• About: Displays version information for iStudio.