Packaging and Deploying Enterprise Connectors

To package an Enterprise Connector, compile the five Java classes and then place them in a JAR file along with the resource file. To see how the sample Enterprise Connectors provided with MEP are packaged, use the jar command to view the contents of any of the following files in the lib directory of the Application Server domain for MEP:

The same Enterprise Connector works equally well in a one-tier or two-tier MEP installation. (See MEP Architecture in Sun Java System Mobile Enterprise Platform 1.0 Architectural Overview for details on these two types of installation.) To deploy the Enterprise Connector, place it in the lib directory of the Application Server domain that contains your MEP installation.

Figure 1–1 shows the location of the Enterprise Connector in a single-tier deployment. The Gateway Engine communicates with the Enterprise Connector using the Java Content Repository (JCR) API. The Enterprise Connector in turn communicates with an EIS/EAI system using a Sun JCA Adapter (JCA stands for Java Connector Architecture).

There are other uses for an Enterprise Connector in addition to communicating with an EIS/EAI system using a Sun JCA Adapter. For example, you can use it in the following ways:

• To store data in a database using the JDBC API

• To store data on the file system

• To access an EIS/EAI system using JAX-WS

Figure 1–1 An Enterprise Connector in a Single-tier MEP Deployment

In a two-tier MEP deployment, the Enterprise Connector is deployed on the second tier, as shown in Figure 1–2. In this situation, communication between the Gateway Engine and the Enterprise Connector goes through a web service. The Gateway Engine communicates with the web service client using the Java Content Repository (JCR) API. The web service client communicates with the web service endpoint using SOAP/HTTPS. Finally, the web service endpoint communicates with the Enterprise Connector using the JCR API.

Figure 1–2 An Enterprise Connector in a Two-tier MEP Deployment

To configure your deployed Enterprise Connector, use the MEP Admin Console. For details, see Using the Connectors Tab in Sun Java System Mobile Enterprise Platform 1.0 Administration Guide.