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 Applications
as well as external to IFS Applications.
Contents
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.
If the incoming format is SOAP Access
provider format the
invoked business method is executed directly. If any other format is used the native input file
is
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.
Used also for storage of
Application Server Tasks to be executed in background.
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
- BizAPI
Units of application logic providing business data and services to other applications.
Every BizAPI has an xml representation that is documented as xml schemas.
More info :
About Bizapi's
- 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
IFS Connect supports the following messaging types :
- Inbound synchronous messages. (Request/Response)
IFS Connect calls a Bizapi 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.
IFS has an automatic conversion from the BizAPI input and output record
parameters to XML.
The conversion to/from record (view) from/to XML is done with fixed rules.
This XML format is called IFS XML.
Due to the fact that fixed conversion to/from XML is used and that the meta
data definitions for the records are available
in runtime it is possible to generate xml schemas for the input and
output parameters for every BizAPI.
The following schemas can be generated in runtime:
More info :
Read how the SOAP Gateway can distribute this xml schemas