The ALER plug-in for WorkSpace Studio provides repository integration within the Eclipse IDE so you can easily search for and use assets from the repository without leaving the Eclipse environment. Assets and any associated artifacts are downloaded directly to your Eclipse workspace. Integration also provides a convenient way to submit assets to ALER for use throughout the enterprise.
Repository Access within the Eclipse workspace also provides a view into ALER that enables you to save/submit assets to the repository, download artifacts and assets from the repository, query the repository, and view the contents of the repository. It also enables you to advance the asset registration status.
WorkSpace Studio also includes the Service Assembly Modeler (SAM) plug-in for WorkSpace Studio that supports the composition and visualization of composite applications. Composition occurs within an Eclipse-based development environment. In this environment, development teams can quickly assemble composite applications by re-using services that already exist in the repository, or by creating new services that can be submitted to the repository and reused by others. You can also view the assembly model for composite applications, as well as the XML definition of the composite.
Example Use Cases
Locate and Download an Asset into an Eclipse Project
Perform a simple keyword search in ALER to locate an asset and download its payload into an Eclipse project.
Locate an Asset and View Its Metadata in ALER
Perform simple or complex searches in Eclipse to locate an asset in ALER in order to view the asset's metadata.
Submit an Assembly Model to ALER
An Assembly Model is a set of related assets representing the structure of a WorkSpace Studio integration project in terms of the SCA standard. When a project is submitted from WorkSpace Studio, an Assembly Model is automatically created. The model consists of a root asset, of type AssemblyModel, that logically contains all the other assets in the model. The model assets represent Components, Services, Interfaces, and Bindings defining a WorkSpace Studio project, as well as Composites that define a hierarchical composition structure. The relationships used to connect the assets in the Assembly Model are ALER system-supplied relationships.
Submit an Eclipse Project to ALER
Submitting an entire Eclipse project to the repository.
Advancing the Asset Registration Status
[TBD]
Related Documentation
AquaLogic Service Bus (ALSB) - An intermediary for use as a core element of distributed services networks. It enables service-oriented architecture (SOA) allowing accelerated service re-use and deployment.
AquaLogic Service Registry (ALSR) 3.0 - provides a standards based mechanism for publishing and discovering Web services and related SOA resources such as WSDLs, XML Schemas, and XSL Transformations (XSLT).
WebLogic Integration (WLI) 9.2 - a single, comprehensive, standard-based solution for connecting applications, databases, enterprise information systems, business processes, and trading partners.
ALER on dev2dev - Information and resources for architects, developers, and others, including an FAQ and an overview of assembly models in Service Component Architecture (SCA).
Table 1-1 defines the terms and acronyms used this document:
Table 1-1 Terminology
Terms
Definition
WorkSpace Studio
The Eclipse IDE, branded for use by BEA products. WorkSpace Studio is common to all BEA products that use an Eclipse-based IDE.
ALER Plug-in
Provides repository integration within WorkSpace Studio, so you can easily search for and use assets from the repository without leaving the Eclipse environment.
SAM Plug-in
Within WorkSpace Studio, SAM supports the composition and visualization of composite applications.
Assembly Model
A set of related assets representing the structure of a WorkSpace Studio integration project in terms of the SCA standard.
ALER Projects
Projects are the primary means of gathering metrics in ALER. ALER tracks assets produced by projects, as well as assets consumed by projects.
SFID (Software File Identification)
Allows automated usage detection for assets. SFID tags selected files within an asset with a unique ID. This SFID is then used to detect when and where an asset is used. (Available in the Advanced Edition of ALER.)
