About Oracle Java CAPS Adapter for Siebel EAI

The Siebel EAI Adapter enables the application to exchange messages with the Siebel EAI interface via a Web server using open standards such as HTTP and XML. There are two distinct processes involved in using the Siebel EAI Adapter:

• A design-time process, in which you obtain information about the Siebel Interface Object; and

• A runtime process, in which you use the Project to exchange data with Siebel EAI.

Design-Time Process

The design-time process, which is an integral part of Project development, is primarily concerned with extracting metadata from the Siebel application. This metadata is then used to format the messages propagated by the adapter.

This process uses the Siebel EAI OTD Wizard, which prompts you for information to find and connect to the desired Siebel instance. The Wizard then connects to Siebel and extracts the business services that are exposed through the Siebel Web Engine. These services are presented to you for selection of the appropriate service and operation.

When the service and operation have been selected, an OTD representing the selections is generated and saved in the repository.

Runtime Process

During runtime, the Siebel EAI Adapter’s components relay the contents of web requests to Java Collaborations or Business Processes for further processing and subsequent hand-off to an outbound Siebel EAI Adapter.

In routine operation, the Siebel EAI Adapter uses HTTP to post a Siebel XML-formatted message to Siebel. It also specifies one of the following actions to be performed on the XML message:

• Delete

• Upsert (Insert/Update)

• Query

The result is that a corresponding Workflow is executed to process the message. A Siebel Workflow is a customized business application for managing and enforcing business processes.

The Siebel EAI Adapter POSTs the message to the Web server. The Siebel Web Server Extension invokes the specified Business Service which, in turn, starts an internal Workflow.

The Workflow invokes the Siebel EAI XML Converter, which converts the information from XML into the Siebel internal format and presents it to the Siebel EAI Adapter. The information is then sent to the Siebel Server via the Siebel Object Manager.

If any data is to be returned, the EAI Siebel Adapter can pass the result to the EAI XML Converter and send the data back to the adapter as a Siebel XML message.

Workflow Templates

A set of Workflow Templates is included with the Siebel EAI Adapter. These Workflow Templates invoke the necessary Workflow Processes to map the data directly to or from the Siebel database. You can download these files from the Java CAPS sample site. For more information, see Configuring Your System Before Creating the OTD in Developing OTDs for Oracle Java CAPS Application Adapters.

Session and Sessionless Modes

You can run the Siebel EAI Adapter in either session or sessionless mode. When running in the default Sessionless mode, every message posted to Siebel is enveloped with the login method, negating the need for an explicit login. By contrast, when Siebel runs in Session mode, the collaboration must include both a login method at beginning and a logout method at the end. Session mode allows you to post multiple messages to Siebel within a loop between a single login and logoff statement. Session mode is only supported using the Java Collaboration Definition (JCD). You cannot use Session mode when using business processes in Business Process Manager.

Using the Siebel Message Header

Siebel EAI Adapter supports both Siebel integration objects and Application Service Interfaces (ASIs). A Siebel message header is required for most integration objects or ASIs. In a JCD, you can include the Siebel Message Header by invoking the appropriate methods provided in the Siebel EAI OTD. When creating business processes in Business Process Manager, the Siebel Message Header is automatically included when the appropriate web service operation (Query, Update, Insert, Delete) is selected. Also, be sure to set the integrationObjectName.