Siebel Financial Services Connector for ACORD P&C and Surety Guide > Configuration Roadmap > Configuring the Workflow Process >

Configuring an Outbound Siebel Connector for ACORD XML

The following procedure shows how to construct a workflow to handle an outbound message.

To create an outbound connector

  1. Start Siebel Financial Services.
  2. Open the Siebel Workflow Administration view.
  3. Create a new record in the Workflow Process view.

    4. The keyboard shortcut is CTRL+N.

  4. Give the workflow a name.

    5. The name must be unique within the project. The other values are optional, so for this example, they are left blank.

    In the example, the name is ACORD Add Auto Policy Outbound Workflow. The complete workflow is included in Sample Workflows.

  5. Click the Process Designer tab.

    6. The Process Designer provides a blank working space onto which you will drag the step symbols and connectors that create the workflow.

    For complete details about using this working space, and information about workflows in general, see Siebel Business Process Designer Administration Guide.

  6. Drag Start, Stop, and Business Service steps onto the work area, and name them appropriately.
  7. Use connector arrows to connect the Start and Business Service steps.

    8. Continue until you have created a workflow with the required components. Figure 6 shows the structure of the finished workflow.

    Figure 6. ACORD Add Auto Policy Outbound Workflow

    Click for full size image

Adding Process Property Values

You need to create Process Property values for the workflow, to be used in later configurations.

To create process properties

  1. Click the Process Properties tab.
  2. Enter the values shows in Table 27.

Table 27. Process Property Values for the Example Workflow
Name
Data Type
Default String
ACORD Client Application Name
String
Siebel Financial Services
ACORD Client Application Operation
String
Siebel Systems, Inc.
ACORD Client Application Version
String
7.0
ACORD DOCTYPE
String
 
ACORD DispMap Integration Object Name
String
ACORDDispMap
ACORD Message Full Name
String
ACORD/InsuranceSvcRs/PersAutoPolicyAddRs
ACORD Service Provider Name
String
Siebel Partner
ACORD Signoff
String
FALSE
Error Code
String
 
Error Message
String
 
Object Id
String
 
PropSet Converter Out
Hierarchy
 
PropSet DTE Out
Hierarchy
 
PropSet TransMgr Out
Hierarchy
 
SiebelFINSOperation Out
String
SARowIdQuery
XML Document
String
 
initsignon
String
initsignon
sessionsignon
String
sessionsignon
signoffRq
String
signoffRq

Configuring the FINS ACORD XML Transaction Manager

Now that the workflow structure exists, you can configure the components. The first outbound component is the transaction manager.

To configure the transaction manager

  1. Name the transaction manager appropriately (it must be unique within the workflow).
  2. Choose the type of business service from the multi-value group (MVG) window.

    3. For this component, choose the FINS ACORD XML Transaction Manager.

  3. Choose the method.

    4. The example uses the Execute Outbound method because the data is being sent out from the Siebel data source.

  4. Establish the input and output arguments.

    5. As for all Siebel business services, create a new record (CTRL+N) for a new argument. Select from the available input arguments. Add all required arguments first, then go on to any optional arguments. See Siebel Connector for ACORD XML for input and output specifications.

    Following are the input argument settings for the example transaction manager configuration.

    Input Arguments
    Type
    Value
    Property Name
    Property Data Type
    DispatcherMapName
    Process Property
     
    ACORD DispMap Integration Object Name
    String
    IXMLMapPath
    Process Property
     
    ACORD Message Full Name
    String
    PrimaryRowId
    Process Property
     
    Object Id
    String
    SiebelFINSOperationOut
    Process Property
     
    SiebelFINSOperationOut
    String

    Following are the output argument settings for the example transaction manager configuration.

    Property Name
    Type
    Value
    Output Argument
    PropSet TransMgr Out
    Output Argument
     
    XML Hierarchy

Configuring the FINS ACORD XML Data Transformation Engine

The second component is the data transformation engine (DTE).

To configure the DTE

  1. Name the DTE appropriately (it must be unique within the workflow).
  2. Choose the type of business service from the multi-value group (MVG) window.

    3. For this component, choose the FINS ACORD XML DTE.

  3. Choose the method.

    4. The example uses the Transform to External Hierarchy method because the data is moving from a Siebel internal system to an external system.

  4. Set the input and output arguments.

    5. These arguments include the DTE map name, created during the configuration of the internal and external integration objects.

    Following are the input argument settings for the example DTE configuration.

    Input Arguments
    Type
    Value
    Property Name
    Property Data Type
    XML Property Set
    Process Property
     
    PropSet TransMgr Out
    Hierarchy

    Following are the output argument settings for the example DTE configuration.

    Property Name
    Type
    Value
    Output Argument
    PropSet DTE Out
    Output Argument
     
    XML Property Set

Configuring the FINS ACORD XML Converter

The third component is the converter.

To configure the converter

  1. Name the converter appropriately (it must be unique within the workflow).
  2. Choose the type of business service from the multi-value group (MVG) window.

    3. For this component, choose the FINS ACORD XML Converter.

  3. Choose the method.

    4. The example uses PropSetToXMLPropSet because the converter is converting a property set from the DTE into a standard XML property set.

  4. Set the input and output arguments.

    5. Following are the input argument settings for the example converter configuration.

    Input Argument
    Type
    Value
    Property Name
    Property Data Type
    Client Application Name
    Process Property
     
    ACORD Client Application Name
    String
    Client Application Operation
    Process Property
     
    ACORD Client Application Operation
    String
    Client Application Version
    Process Property
     
    ACORD Client Application Version
    String
    Is Signoff
    Process Property
     
    ACORD Signoff
    String
    Service Provider Name
    Process Property
     
    ACORD Service Provider Name
    String
    XML Property Set
    Process Property
     
    PropSet DTE Out
    Hierarchy
    initsignon
    Process Property
     
    initsignon
    String
    sessionsignon
    Process Property
     
    sessionsignon
    String
    signoffRq
    Process Property
     
    signoffRq
    String

    Following are the output argument settings for the example converter configuration.

    Property Name
    Type
    Value
    Output Argument
    PropSet Converter Out
    Output Argument
     
    XML Property Set

Configuring an XML Hierarchy Converter

The fourth component is a hierarchy converter. For information about Siebel hierarchy converters, see Siebel Business Process Designer Administration Guide.

To configure an XML hierarchy converter

  1. Name the hierarchy converter appropriately (it must be unique within the workflow).
  2. Choose the type of business service from the multi-value group (MVG) window.

    3. For this component, choose the XML Hierarchy Converter.

  3. Choose the method.

    4. This example uses the XML Hierarchy to XML Document method because, for an outgoing message, the final conversion is from an XML hierarchy to an XML document that can be accepted by any XML-compliant converter at the external location.

  4. Set the input and output arguments, XML Hierarchy name, and XML document name.

    5. Following are the input argument settings for the example hierarchy converter configuration.

    Input Argument
    Type
    Value
    Property Name
    Property Data Type
    XML Header Text
    Process Property
     
    ACORD DOCTYPE
    String
    XML Hierarchy
    Process Property
     
    PropSet Converter Out
    Hierarchy

    Following are the output argument settings for the example hierarchy converter configuration.

    Property Name
    Type
    Value
    Output Argument
    XML Document
    Output Argument
     
    XML Document

Configuring a Transport Mechanism (Optional)

The fifth component is a transport mechanism. Although not shown on the diagram, this example uses the MQSeries transport. For information about transport mechanisms supported by Siebel Systems, see Transports and Interfaces: Siebel eBusiness Application Integration Volume III.

To configure an MQSeries transport

  1. Name the transport component appropriately (it must be unique within the workflow).
  2. Choose the type of business service from the multi-value group (MVG) window.

    3. For this component, choose the EAI MQSeries Server Transport.

  3. Choose the method.

    4. This example uses the Send method.

  4. Set the input and output arguments, including the Physical Queue Name, the Queue Manager Name, and the Message Text.

    5. Following are the input argument settings for the example MQSeries transport configuration.

    Input Argument
    Type
    Value
    Property Name
    Property Data Type
    Message Text
    Process Property
     
    XML Document
    String
    Physical Queue Name
    Literal
    TO_ACORD_QUEUE
     
     
    Queue Manager Name
    Literal
    SHAN
     
     

    This step completes the outbound workflow. The outbound ACORD XML connector can be used as the basis for any workflow that is used to send an outbound request message.


 Siebel Financial Services Connector for ACORD P&C and Surety Guide 
 Published: 18 April 2003