An Overview of Connectors

Also called a resource adapter, a connector module is a Java EE component that enables applications to interact with enterprise information systems (EISs). EIS software includes various types of systems: enterprise resource planning (ERP), mainframe transaction processing, and non-relational databases, among others. Like other Java EE modules, to install a connector module you deploy it.

A connector connection pool is a group of reusable connections for a particular EIS. To create a connector connection pool, specify the connector module (resource adapter) that is associated with the pool.

A connector resource is a program object that provides an application with a connection to an EIS. To create a connector resource, specify its JNDI name and its associated connection pool. Multiple connector resources can specify a single connection pool. The application locates the resource by looking up its JNDI name. (For more information on JNDI, see the section JNDI Names and Resources.) The JNDI name of a connector resource for an EIS is usually in the java:comp/env/eis-specific subcontext.

The Enterprise Server implements JMS by using a connector module (resource adapter). See the section, The Relationship Between JMS Resources and Connector Resources.