1 Introduction

Oracle WebLogic Server connects to a PeopleSoft system through Oracle Application Adapter for PeopleSoft, which provides connectivity and carries out interactions on a PeopleSoft system. This chapter contains the following topics:

Adapter Features

Oracle Application Adapter for PeopleSoft provides a means to exchange real-time business data between PeopleSoft systems and other applications, databases, and external business partner systems. The adapter enables inbound and outbound processing with PeopleSoft. Oracle Application Adapter for PeopleSoft can be deployed as a J2EE Connector Architecture (J2CA) version 1.0 resource adapter. This deployment is referred to as Oracle Adapter J2CA. It can also be deployed as a Web services servlet and is referred to as Oracle Adapter Business Services Engine (BSE).

Oracle Application Adapter for PeopleSoft uses XML messages to enable non-PeopleSoft applications to communicate and exchange transactions with PeopleSoft using services and events. The roles of services and events are outlined as follows:

  • Services: Enable applications to initiate a PeopleSoft business event.

  • Events: Enable applications to access PeopleSoft data only when a PeopleSoft business event occurs.

To support event functionality, channels are supported. A channel represents configured connections to particular instances of back-end or other types of systems.

The channel is the adapter component that receives events in real time from the enterprise information system (EIS) application. The channel component can be a File reader, an HTTP listener, a TCP/IP listener, or an FTP listener. A channel is always EIS specific. The adapter supports multiple channels for a particular EIS, which enables the user to choose the optimal channel component based on deployment requirements.

Oracle Application Adapter for PeopleSoft provides:

  • Synchronous and asynchronous, bidirectional message interactions for PeopleSoft component interfaces and PeopleSoft Application Messaging / Integration Broker.

  • Oracle WebLogic Server Adapter Application Explorer (Application Explorer), a GUI tool that explores PeopleSoft metadata and builds XML schemas or Web services.

  • XML schemas and WSDL files for the J2CA 1.0 and J2CA 1.5 resource adapter.

  • Web services for BSE.

The adapter connects to the PeopleSoft Application Server by accessing APIs for the component interfaces that correspond to its supported business objects. Every component interface contains data and business logic for the business component, thus alleviating a requirement for the adapter to duplicate the processes defined within the business component.

See Also:

Oracle Application Server Adapter Concepts Guide

PeopleSoft Concepts

PeopleSoft enables integration with other applications and systems through its component interface framework and its Integration Broker (in release 8.4) or Application Messaging (in release 8.1) facility. Oracle Application Adapter for PeopleSoft uses the PeopleSoft framework and leverages various integration access methods to provide the greatest amount of flexibility and functionality. Integration access methods supported by Oracle Application Adapter for PeopleSoft include:

  • PeopleSoft Java API using component interfaces

  • PeopleSoft messages using PeopleSoft Application Messaging / Integration Broker

This section contains the following topics:

PeopleSoft Component Interface

In the PeopleSoft environment, a component interface is a container for distributing PeopleSoft application data among PeopleSoft logical systems and for exchanging PeopleSoft application data with non-PeopleSoft systems.

The component interface is based on an existing business process within PeopleSoft. An example is a purchase order entry, which can be a PeopleSoft-delivered process or a user-developed process. The component interface also inherits its methods (Add, Update, and so on) and its business logic from the underlying business process.

PeopleSoft delivers generic component interfaces with each of its applications. These are called Enterprise Integration Points (EIP). Customers can also develop their own custom component interfaces, or they can modify EIP as required. Oracle Application Adapter for PeopleSoft supports both types of component interfaces.

PeopleSoft Application Messaging / Integration Broker

PeopleSoft Application Messaging / Integration Broker facilitates the integration of PeopleSoft XML with PeopleSoft. Oracle Application Adapter for PeopleSoft provides a handler that must be configured within the PeopleSoft application gateway using TCP/IP transport services.

Integration with PeopleSoft

Oracle Application Adapter for PeopleSoft enables you to:

  • Access a PeopleSoft component using a component interface. Component methods are referred to as services.

  • Receive messages from a PeopleSoft application. Messages are referred to as events.

When you access a PeopleSoft component from another application, you work with:

  • Component interfaces. If a component interface does not exist, then create, secure, and test one. If the component interface exists but you modified it, then secure and test it. For more information, see your PeopleSoft documentation. Alternatively, you can secure and test the component interface and create the component interface API after you generate schemas or Web services.

  • Component interface APIs. Create an API for the component interface.

  • Schemas and Web services. Create schemas or Web services for the component methods.

For more information, see Chapter 2, "Configuring Oracle Application Adapter for PeopleSoft".

To receive a message from PeopleSoft, you work with:

  • The Integration environment. Configure and test your PeopleSoft Integration Broker (release 8.4) or Application Messaging environment (release 8.1). To ensure that the environment is properly configured, see your PeopleSoft documentation.

  • Message routing. Configure TCP/IP Target Connector (release 8.4), HTTP Target Connector (release 8.4), or TCP/IP Handler (release 8.1).

See Also:

Adapter Architecture

Oracle Application Adapter for PeopleSoft uses Application Explorer with one of the following components:

  • Oracle WebLogic Server Adapter Business Services Engine (BSE)

  • Enterprise Connector for J2EE Connector Architecture (J2CA)

Application Explorer (used to configure PeopleSoft connections and create Web services and events) can be configured to work in a Web services environment with BSE. When working in a J2CA environment, the connector uses the Common Client Interface (CCI) to provide integration services using adapters instead of Web services.

This section contains the following topics:

Oracle WebLogic Server Adapter Business Services Engine (BSE) Architecture

Figure 1-1 shows the generic architecture for the Oracle Web service adapter for packaged applications. The adapter works with BSE, as deployed to a Web container in a J2EE application server.

Application Explorer, a design-time tool deployed along with BSE, is used to configure adapter connections, browse EIS objects, configure services, and configure listeners to listen for EIS events. Metadata created while you perform these operations are stored in the repository by BSE.

BSE uses SOAP as a protocol for receiving requests from clients, interacting with the EIS, and sending responses from the EIS back to clients.

Figure 1-1 Oracle WebLogic Server Adapter Business Services Engine (BSE) Generic Architecture

OracleWLS Adapter Business Services Architecture
Description of "Figure 1-1 Oracle WebLogic Server Adapter Business Services Engine (BSE) Generic Architecture"

Note:

Do not use a file repository for BSE in production environments.

Oracle WebLogic Server Adapter J2CA Architecture

Figure 1-2 shows the generic architecture for Oracle Adapter J2CA for packaged applications. Oracle Adapter J2CA is deployed to a standard J2CA Container and serves as a host container to the adapters. The connector is configured with a repository. The repository can be a file system or an Oracle database. It is deployed as a RAR file and has an associated deployment descriptor called ra.xml. You can create multiple connector factories by editing the Oracle WebLogic Server deployment descriptor ra.xml. For more information, see Chapter 3, "Oracle WebLogic Server Deployment and Integration".Application Explorer, a design tool that works with the connector, is used to configure adapter connections, browse EIS objects, configure services, and configure listeners to listen for EIS events. Metadata created while you perform these operations are stored in the repository by the connector.

Figure 1-2 Oracle WebLogic Server Adapter J2CA Generic Architecture

OracleWLS Adapter J2CA Architecture
Description of "Figure 1-2 Oracle WebLogic Server Adapter J2CA Generic Architecture"

BSE Versus Oracle Adapter J2CA Deployment

If you are using Oracle Application Adapter for PeopleSoft with Oracle SOA Suite components (for example, BPEL, Mediator, BPM, or OSB), then note that:

  • Only Oracle Adapter J2CA deployment supports inbound integration (event notification) with Oracle SOA Suite components.

  • Oracle Adapter J2CA and BSE deployments support outbound integration (request-response service) with Oracle SOA Suite components.

The following two factors explain the differences between deploying BSE and Oracle Adapter J2CA. Understanding these factors can help in selecting a deployment option.

  1. BSE has the following advantages:

    • Can be deployed in a separate instance of Oracle WebLogic Server.

    • Provides better distribution of load.

    • Conforms more closely to the Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) model for building applications.

  2. Oracle Adapter J2CA does provide slightly better performance than BSE.