Chapter 1   Basic Connector Concepts


This chapter describes the three-tiered web-based computing model. It also summarizes the main functions of the enterprise PeopleSofts which enable the communication between the web-based end user and a remote EIS data source.

The chapter discusses the following:

• The Three-Tiered Application Model

• About the Unified Integration Framework

• Architecture of the PeopleSoft Connector

• Overview of the Connector Tools

The Three-Tiered Application Model

---

The iPlanet Enterprise Connectors are and integral part of the middleware between enterprise data sources and the clients that access those data sources. The machine and software involved are divided into the following three tiers:

• Client tier; this is the user interface. Requests for data originate here, represented by web browsers or rich clients (such as a Java applet).

• Server tier; a web server such as iPlanet Web Server and an application server, such as iPlanet Application Server. These servers run the applications and business code.

• Data tier; a relational database or other backend enterprise information source, like Oracle or PeopleSoft.

The connectors serve as the enabling communication link between the server tier and the data tier, as shown in the following illustration:.

Figure 1-1    The three tiers of web-based computing

In addition to the enterprise connector, communication between the application server and the backend EIS is facilitated by the Unified Integrated Framework (UIF) application programming interfaces (API). This functionality is an added layer to the iPlanet Application Server and enables data communication with diverse backend Enterprise Information Systems (EIS) to be implemented in a seamless and uniform manner.

About the Unified Integration Framework

---

The iPlanet Application Server Enterprise Connector for PeopleSoft uses the APIs of the UIF module of the iPlanet Application Server, to communicate with PeopleSoft and a number of other EIS data sources. PeopleSoft, CICS, and Tuxedo are also supported by the UIF (with more planned for the future.) An abstraction of the UIF is shown in the following illustration.

Figure 1-2    The Unified Integration Framework

The UIF is an API toolkit that enables development of server extensions that integrate with web-based enterprise applications and systems, client-server applications, and third-party Internet solutions. These extensions provide a consistent access layer to disparate back-end systems, dramatically reducing development effort. The framework provides support for features such as object-pooling, distributed state and session management, template streaming, and multi-threading enables high-performance, fault-tolerant integration that can scale to tens of thousands of users. People, like corporate IT developers, application vendors, and system integrators, can use the UIF to easily write server extensions in Java or C/C++ for iPlanet Application Server .

The UIF provides generic functions like data pooling and user mapping for the enterprise connectors to use. The PeopleSoft Connector takes generic calls to the UIF APIs and translates them into functions that are specific to the PeopleSoft backend EIS.

A generic data repository is also provided by the UIF, which is used to hold metadata parameters and other information about the PeopleSoft system. For example, this metadata can describe the physical connection between systems, the data that is available, and the methods you can use to process data.

Since backend systems are implemented differently, the details for each EIS implementation differ. For instance, the PeopleSoft Enterprise Connector is based on an out-of-process mechanism that uses workers and daemons.

Architecture of the PeopleSoft Connector

---

Besides the UIF module that provides PeopleSoft-independent core services, the iPlanet Application Server Enterprise Connector for PeopleSoft includes its own API, which you can use to access data. The Enterprise Connector for PeopleSoft also includes its own implementation of the repository which you can use to mine for data and specific data access services.

The Enterprise Connector for PeopleSoft allows you to build interactive web-based eBusiness applications, as well as analytical applications for human resource management, financial, distribution, manufacturing, and supply chain management within an enterprise system. Specifically, the iPlanet Application Server Enterprise Connector for PeopleSoft allows you to retrieve, display, and manipulate data within a PeopleSoft transaction that is initiated by an EJB or servlet and is served by the iPlanet Application Server.

The iAS enterprise connector for PeopleSoft stores data that defines the services available to an iAS servlet or EJB from a PeopleSoft system in the repository. Repository data includes two types of metadata definitions:

• Connector types
  These define PeopleSoft-specific characteristics, including the kinds of operations that are available (function object types) and the kinds of logical connections that are supported (service provider types).

• Data sources
  These define the logical data source that specifies data and business functions available on a specific backend system.

A set of enterprise tools provides graphical user interfaces to help you manipulate the PeopleSoft functionality, as described in the following section:

Overview of the Connector Tools

---

The PeopleSoft Enterprise Connector, includes the following set of tools, which you use for data mining, user mapping, and general configuration:

• Repository Browser

• PeopleSoft Management Console

• PeopleSoft Data Mining Tool

Repository Browser

You can use the Repository Browser to view the contents and attributes of the UIF data repository, as shown in the following illustration.

Figure 1-3    PeopleSoft Repository Browser

In addition you can use the Repository Browser to:

• Import XML, which is converted into nodes and subtrees

• Export all subtrees under a selected node as XML

• Delete nodes

• Import root nodes

PeopleSoft Management Console

The management console has two groups of functions:

• Tasks that are used to process or browse data and functions: data mining, and adding new data sources.

• User management that establishes relationships between the web and backend users.

The data-related tasks performed with the management console are explained in Chapter 2. See the iPlanet Application Server Enterprise Connector for PeopleSoft Administrative Guidefor a description of the use of the management console for user mapping.

To browse or change PeopleSoft configuration and monitor system status, you use the PeopleSoft Management Console, as shown below. :

Figure 1-4    The PeopleSoft Management Console

PeopleSoft Data Mining Tool

The Data Mining tool, which is part of the Management Console, allows you to determine which PeopleSoft message definitions are available for use with the iPlanet Application Server and its PeopleSoft Connector. Once you identify these messages you can load the relevant metadata into the data repository. The conceptual elements of data mining are shown in the following illustration.

:

Figure 1-5    Elements of the Data Mining

You do this by using the Management Console to query the PeopleSoft database and then selecting the message definition(s) you want to mine. The Mining Tool then extracts them from PeopleSoft, converts the data to XML, and loads it into the data repository.