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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 might 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 installation directory for Windows, or in the lib subdirectory for UNIX. You can store them in another directory, if you specify an absolute path. (On UNIX, this location cannot be the bin subdirectory of the Siebel Server installation directory.)

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 sometimes 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

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 might be manipulated to obtain the name of the driver file to load.

Driver File Naming on Microsoft Windows

On Microsoft Windows, 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, then 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.

Driver File Naming on UNIX

On UNIX, the name of the driver file to load is generally obtained by adding lib (without a space character) 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, then 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.

Requirements for Specifying Driver File Names

Some additional requirements for specifying driver file names are as follows:

• 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 Siebel Server that is to load the driver can locate the file.
• On UNIX, if you install any custom driver file in a nondefault location, then this location cannot be the bin subdirectory of the Siebel Server installation directory. The lib subdirectory, the default location for the files provided with the Siebel Business Applications on UNIX, is preferable.
• If you create a custom driver that aggregates an existing Siebel driver, then 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, then it is assumed that the driver is located in the bin subdirectory of the Siebel Server installation directory on Windows, or in the lib subdirectory on UNIX. The installation from which the driver file is loaded is the computer on which the channel manager runs.