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IFS Connect Architecture

IFS Connect is a complete framework for processing of messages in any formats. The framework provides Messaging and Scheduling Services for applications internal to IFS Cloud as well as external to IFS Cloud.

Messaging architecture overview

Messaging System Elements in IFS Connect

  • Message Processor
    This is the kernel of the IFS Connect framework responsible for processing of a single Application Message.
    More info: About Message Processor
  • Connect Reader
    Reads/polls messages from a native protocol and format.
    Deliver the input file in native format to the IFS Connect module in the application server.
    Available protocols are: (s)Ftp(s), Pop3, Imap, File and JMS.
    More info: About Transport Connector Readers
  • SOAP Gateway
    Listens for incoming HTTP calls.
    All the incoming requests (SOAP, XML, Text or JSON) are delivered to IFS Connect and Message Processor.
    More info: About SOAP gateway
  • Message Routing
    Provides the means of configuring how messages of various types will be sent, and which business method will be invoked for received messages.
    Message routing also allows for the definition of Connect Transformers that may be used for transforming the message contents from IFS XML to other formats (outbound) and from those other formats to IFS XML (inbound). Both inbound and outbound messages may be handled synchronously (direct calls) or asynchronously (stored in a message queue and processed sequentially from the queue).
    Routing rules are both based on the content of the message and the source location of the message.
    More info: About Message Routing
  • Message Queues
    Used for storage of messages when messages are processed asynchronously. In some circumstances also synchronous messages can be stored to a message queue.
    More info: About Message Queues
  • Message Archiving
    Message archive that stores messages in original format.
    More info: About Message Archiving
  • Envelopes
    The Connector Framework supports placing outbound messages in envelopes, and recognizing and opening inbound envelopes.
    More info: About Envelopes
  • Transformers
    IFS Connect supports transformation of outbound messages from IFS  XML format to other XML formats, HTML files or text files, and transformation of inbound messages from those external formats to IFS XML. A transformer is implemented by either a stylesheet (XSL) or a java class that implements a dedicated interface.
    IFS Connect supports also transformation of binary data using special type of java transformers, which can be useful, for example, when signing PDF documents.
    More info: About Transformers
  • Batch Processor
    Processes and delivers messages in one or more message queues.
    More info: About Batch Processor

Other Messaging System Elements

  • PLSQL Access Provider
    Provides functionality for  PL/SQL Components in the database to send outbound messages.
    More info: PLSQL Access Provider
  • Connectivity
    It's possible to publish existing EDI messages to XML.
    More info: About Connectivity

Supported Message Types

IFS Connect supports the following messaging types:

  • Inbound synchronous messages. (Request/Response)
    IFS Connect calls a Integration Projection or PL/SQL method directly and waits for a response. Normally messages are not queued.
  • Inbound asynchronous messages.
    The inbound message is posted to a queue and will be executed in background by the Batch Processor.
  • Outbound synchronous messages.
    The PL/SQL Access Provider makes a direct call to the transport connector and waits for a response.
  • Outbound asynchronous messages.
    The outbound message is posted to a queue and will be executed in background by the Batch Processor.