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Communications Driver Files and Database Records

Communications drivers are usually based on library files, such as DLL (Dynamic Link Library) files on Microsoft Windows, or shared object files on UNIX. Alternatively, they may be executable files or other types of files. Each driver file must be written to support the Siebel Adaptive Communications API.

Communications driver files are located by default in the bin subdirectory of the Siebel Server. You can store them in another directory, if you specify an absolute path.

Each communications driver file has one or more corresponding database records in the Communications Drivers and Profiles view of the Administration - Communications screen.

NOTE:  In this book, in discussions of configuration tasks in the Administration - Communications screen, the term communications driver or driver usually refers to a database record that references a driver file. In discussions of developing drivers, however, the term generally refers to the driver file itself, which is the direct product of the development process.

Driver File Naming on Microsoft Windows and UNIX Platforms

The names of actual driver files to load are obtained from the Library Name field in the Communications Drivers list. In some cases, the value for this field may be manipulated to obtain the name of the driver file to load.

Driver File Naming on Microsoft Windows Platforms

On Microsoft Windows platforms, the name of the driver file to load is generally obtained by appending .DLL to the value of the Library Name field. However, if the value of the Library Name field includes a period (.), then no manipulation of this value is performed to obtain the name of the driver file.

If you add a new custom driver file that has the extension .DLL, you can provide a Library Name value in either of two ways:

• The value can correspond exactly to the name of the operating system file. For example, for a file named driver.dll, you can enter driver.dll as the Library Name value. This approach is recommended.
• The value can correspond to the name of the file but without the extension .DLL. For example, for a file named driver.dll, you can enter driver as the Library Name value.
• LIBdvalue of the LibraryNam.so

Driver File Naming on UNIX Platforms

On UNIX, the name of the driver file to load is generally obtained by adding LIB (without a character space) immediately before the value of the Library Name field and, appending .SO to the value of the Library Name field. However, if the value of the Library Name field includes a period (.), then no manipulation of this value is performed to obtain the name of the driver file.

If you add a new custom driver file that starts with LIB and has the extension .SO, you can provide a Library Name value in either of two ways:

• The value can correspond exactly to the name of the operating system file. For example, for a file named libdriver.so, you can enter libdriver.so as the Library Name value. This approach is recommended.
• The value can correspond to the name of the file but without the elements LIB and .SO. For example, for a file named libdriver.so, you can enter driver as the Library Name value.

Additional Considerations for Driver File Naming

Following are additional considerations for specifying driver file names.

• If you add a new custom driver file with any other naming pattern, then the file name must include a dot, and you must provide a Library Name value that corresponds exactly to the name of the operating system file.
• If you install any custom driver file in a nondefault location, then some element of the file or path name must include a dot, and you must provide a Library Name value that includes the full path where the file can be located by the Siebel Server that is to load the driver.
• If you create a custom driver that aggregates an existing driver provided by Oracle, reference the operating system file for the Siebel driver by its exact name, regardless of what text is displayed for the Siebel driver in the Library Name field.
• If the file path is not specified, it is assumed that the driver is located in the bin subdirectory of the Siebel Server installation directory. The installation from which the driver file is loaded is the machine on which the channel manager runs.