Chapter 1   Introduction


The iPlanet Application Server Enterprise Connector for Tuxedo extends the BEA Tuxedo system for Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) e-commerce applications. Using a consistent Java Application Programming Interface (API), along with the iPlanet Application Server Unified Integration Framework (UIF), the enterprise connector allows you to develop, deploy, and manage application solutions that leverage the Tuxedo transactions (services) in real time without having to learn the Tuxedo Application to Transaction Manager Interface (ATMI).

This chapter covers the following topics:

• Unified Integration Framework

• Tuxedo Enterprise Connector Architecture

• Tuxedo Enterprise Connector Tools

Unified Integration Framework

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The UIF is an application programming framework that provides a single API to access different Enterprise Information Systems (EIS) using the iPlanet Application Server. As shown in Figure 1-1 an enterprise connector is developed for each EIS to allow communication between the UIF and the EIS.

Figure 1-1    The Unified Integration Framework

The framework dramatically reduces development effort by providing a consistent access layer to disparate EISs. The framework provides support for the following features:

• Connection pooling

• Thread management

• Communication and life-cycle management

• Exception management

The framework is multi-threaded to enable high-performance and fault tolerant integration. Application developers, and system integrators can easily build e-solutions accessing the various EISs using the Java Programming Language.

A universal metadata repository is also part of UIF and is used to hold information about EIS data types, business functions, and connection parameters. The EIS system administrator populates the repository using the management console provided with each connector.

Additionally, a universal repository browser allows the application developer to view business functions available and associated data types.

Tuxedo Enterprise Connector Architecture

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The Tuxedo Enterprise Connector connects Java clients to applications built using the BEA Tuxedo system. The Tuxedo system provides a set of modular services, each offering specific functionality related to the application as a whole. For example, a simple banking application might have services like INQUIRY, WITHDRAW, TRANSFER, and DEPOSIT.

Typically, service requests are implemented in C or COBOL as a sequence of calls to a program library. In order to access these services the Tuxedo client libraries for the specific operating system on each client machine must be installed. The Tuxedo Enterprise Connector acts as a proxy for the Java clients invoking the Tuxedo services on behalf of the client. The Tuxedo Enterprise Connector accepts requests from the Java clients and translates the Java-based request into a Tuxedo request which is forwarded to the Tuxedo system. The Tuxedo system processes the request and returns the information to the Tuxedo Enterprise Connector which translates it back to the Java client.

Figure 1-2 shows the Tuxedo Enterprise Connector architecture.

Figure 1-2    The Tuxedo Enterprise Connector Architecture

Tuxedo Enterprise Connector Tools

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The following tools are available with the Tuxedo Enterprise Connector:

• Tuxedo Management Console

• UIF Repository Browser

The Tuxedo Management Console is a Java-based Graphical User Interface (GUI) tool which allows browsing and configuring of the Tuxedo Enterprise Connector.

Through the Tuxedo Management Console you can:

• Create a datasource

• Edit a datasource

• Set connection pool parameters

• Set the Tuxedo authentication context

• Set the Tuxedo workstation environment variables

The GUI is also used to import the Tuxedo services definition, FML fields and VIEWs defined in the Tuxedo system into the UIF Repository. Typically, the Tuxedo administrator (domain expert) uses the Management Console to configure the enterprise connector for one or more Tuxedo systems.

The UIF Repository Browser is a Java-based GUI tool, which allows browsing of data in the UIF Repository. You can view the available business functions (Tuxedo Services), configuration parameters, and connection pools defined for a datasource. Typically an application developer uses this information while developing Java code to access the Tuxedo services.