Chapter 1   Overview


The iPlanet Application Server Enterprise Connector for R/3 is used for building and delivering scalable applications that integrate the application server with R/3 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) management systems. The iPlanet Application Server Enterprise Connector for R/3 enables communication between an end user and a remote R/3 back-end system.

This chapter contains information about the following topics:

• Unified Integration Framework (UIF)

• Three-tier Application Model

• Enterprise Connector Tools for R/3

Unified Integration Framework (UIF)

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The UIF is an application programming framework that provides a single Application Programming Interface (API) to access different back-end systems. A connector is developed for each back-end system to allow communication between the UIF API and the back-end system, as shown in Figure 1-1. The UIF API is the only API necessary to access the back-end system.

Figure 1-1    Unified Integration Framework

The UIF enables development of server extensions that integrate with legacy systems, client-server applications, and third-party Internet solutions. These extensions provide a consistent access layer to disparate back-end systems, dramatically reducing development effort. The framework provides support for features such as object-pooling, and distributed state and session management.

A generic data repository is also part of the UIF, which is used to hold metadata parameters and other information about the back-end system. For example, the metadata often describes the physical connection between systems, the data that is available, and methods you can use to process data.

The implementation of each connector is specific to its back-end Enterprise Information System (EIS) since each EIS is different.

UIF Services

The UIF is a component of the iPlanet Application Server. The iPlanet Application Server plays a prominent role in a three-tier application model. See the Three-tier Application Model for a description. The UIF mediates between the iPlanet Application Server application and the EIS (back-end) tier.

The UIF provides an API to access the following services:

• Runtime

• Data Object Services (available to users only)

• Repository and Metadata Services

Runtime

The UIF runtime services supply core services for resource management, thread management, communication and life cycle management, and exception management. The UIF runtime services understand and interpret metadata repository contents.

Data Object Services

The Data Object Services implement universal data representation common to all connectors. See Chapter 3 "Working With Data Objects" for a description of data objects.

Repository and Metadata Services

The UIF repository and metadata services model a persistent information hierarchy that supports datatype definitions and inheritance. They also manage the instances and reuse of data objects from datatype definitions.

Three-tier Application Model

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The machine and software involved are divided into three tiers:

• Client Tier

• Server Tier

• EIS (back-end) Tier

The connectors serve as an essential link allowing the server tier to communicate with the EIS tier, as shown in Figure 1-2. Communication between the application server and the back-end EIS is facilitated by the UIF API. This layer of functionality resides as an added layer to the iPlanet Application Server and enables data communication with diverse back-end EIS in a seamless and uniform manner.

Figure 1-2    Three-tier web-based Computer Model

Client Tier

The client tier is represented as the user interface. Requests for data originate here, represented by web browsers or rich clients (such as Java applets).

Server Tier

The server tier is represented by an application server, and optionally a web server such as the iPlanet Web Server Enterprise Edition. The server tier houses the business logic (your application servlets and/or Enterprise Java Beans), and provides scalability, high availability load balancing, and integration with a variety of data sources.

EIS (back-end) Tier

The back-end tier is represented by Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems databases or other back-end data systems, such as R/3.

Enterprise Connector Tools for R/3

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The Enterprise Connector Tools are as follows:

• Management Console - includes User Mapping and Data Mining Tools
  • User Mapping - allows you to map user IDs for access into the back-end system, and to edit and manage data sources.

    A data source represents the connection to the back-end system.

  • Data Mining Tool - includes capabilities such as determining the available functions in the back-end system, translating and reformatting data, and loading data into the data repository.

• Repository Browser - allows you to browse data in the repository. You can view the available functions (input and output parameters) for the back-end system. For developers use of the Repository Browser see Chapter 2.

These tools are thoroughly described in the iPlanet Application Server Enterprise Connector for R/3 Administrator's Guide.