Databases Reference
In-Depth Information
Application interfaces
The technology adapters leave the task of mapping interfaces and their associated
data structures into XML in the hands of the service-enabler. When using an
application adapter, such as those for the Oracle E-Business Suite or SAP, the
grouping of interfaces and mapping them into XML is already done for you by the
adapter developer. These application adapters make life easier for the service-enabler
by hiding underlying data formats and transport protocols.
Unfortunately, the topic of application adapters is too large an area to delve into in
this topic, but you should always check if an application-speciic adapter already
exists for the system that you want to service-enable. This is because application
adapters will be easier to use than the technology adapters.
There are hundreds of third-party adapters that may be purchased to provide SOA
Suite with access to functionality within packaged applications.
Java Connector Architecture
Within the SOA Suite, adapters are implemented and accessed using a Java
technology known as
Java Connector Architecture
(
JCA
). JCA provides a standard
packaging and discovery method for adapter functionality. Most of the time, SOA
Suite developers will be unaware of JCA because JDeveloper generates a JCA
binding as part of a WSDL interface and automatically deploys them with the SCA
Assembly. In the current release, JCA adapters must be deployed separately to a
WebLogic server for use by the Oracle Service Bus.
Creating services from files
A common mechanism for communicating with an existing application is through
a file. Many applications will write their output to a file, expecting it to be picked
up and processed by other applications. By using the file adapter, we can create
a service representation that makes the file producing application appear as
an SOA-enabled service that invokes other services. Similarly, other applications
can be configured to take input by reading files. A file adapter allows us to make
the production of the file appear as an SOA invocation, but under the covers, the
invocation actually creates a file.
