The interaction of the framework components is illustrated in Figure 2. The sequence of this interaction is described below, with each step in the sequence referring to a number in Figure 2.
1. Adapter Configurator is an adapter-specific GUI component that is used to build the adapter configuration. The Adapter Configurator configures the adapter to perform a particular operation such as querying a specific database table, or communicating with a particular information system. The configuration also includes setting any adapter-specific config parameters such as temporary directories, or user names and passwords.
The Adapter Configurator GUI is automatically started from Progress Developer Studio for OpenEdge (or Business Process Modeler) by default, but it can also be started through a standard command-line tool (AdapterConfigurator.cmd / AdapterConfigurator.sh) by providing the category and name of the adapter. The command-line tool (see 1a in Figure 2) reads the Adapter Definition file, finds the configurator GUI class name, and calls the Adapter Configurator. The Adapter Configurator may also be a standalone program, not executed through the command-line tool, but called directly.
2. The Adapter Configurator stores the configuration in the config.xml file. Refer to config.xml for a description of the file. The Adapter Definition file contains mapping data in the mapping.prop file. Refer to mapping.prop for a description of this file. Both the files, mapping.prop and config.xml, are stored in the Adapter Instance Directory and are not yet associated to a specific BP Server Application or a Web application.
3. Adapter Deployer. This tool deploys the preconfigured adapter in a BP Server or Web application.
4. Map Configurator. When a Managed Adapter workstep is created, you need to define the mapping between dataslots and adapter inputs/outputs. The Map Configurator is a GUI component that allows you to define the input and output maps. It is a pluggable component, indicating that you may develop your own map configurator to handle complex or adapter-specific mapping. By default, the Map Configurator GUI is automatically started by Progress Developer Studio for OpenEdge (or Business Process Modeler).
Figure 2. Interaction between components of the Managed Adapter framework
5. Map Deployer. When a process is ready to be published, the maps and adapter definitions need to be deployed. The deployment of maps and adapter definitions indicates that the data stored up to that point in various files are processed and transferred to a database repository, where it will be available at the process execution time. This operation is performed by the Map Deployer, which is started automatically by Progress Developer Studio for OpenEdge or Business Process Portal. Alternatively, you can use the MapDeployer command-line tool.
Note: If you re-install Business Process Server, the deployed maps are no longer available in the repository, and you must use MapDeployer to deploy the mapping.
6. Run-time Mapper. Once the maps are deployed in the database repository, the Managed Adapter can be used. When a Managed Adapter workstep is executed, the Run-time Mapper interprets the input and output maps stored in the database repository, converts the Progress Developer Studio for OpenEdge dataslots to a form acceptable to the adapter, and after the adapter execution is completed, transforms the adapter output back into a set of dataslots. The Run-time Mapper is a pluggable component, indicating that you may develop your own mapper to handle complex or adapter-specific data transformations, in case the default mapper is not adequate.
The Adapter Configurator GUI is automatically started from Progress Developer Studio for OpenEdge (or Business Process Modeler) by default, but it can also be started through a standard command-line tool (AdapterConfigurator.cmd / AdapterConfigurator.sh) by providing the category and name of the adapter. The command-line tool (see 1a in Figure 2) reads the Adapter Definition file, finds the configurator GUI class name, and calls the Adapter Configurator. The Adapter Configurator may also be a standalone program, not executed through the command-line tool, but called directly.
