The Java EE 6 Tutorial

Generic Work Context Contract

The work management contract between the application server and a resource adapter enables a resource adapter to do a task, such as communicating with the EIS or delivering messages, by delivering Work instances for execution.

A generic work context contract enables a resource adapter to control the contexts in which the Work instances that it submits are executed by the application server’s WorkManager. A generic work context mechanism also enables an application server to support new message inflow and delivery schemes. It also provides a richer contextual Work execution environment to the resource adapter while still maintaining control over concurrent behavior in a managed environment.

The generic work context contract standardizes the transaction context and the security context.