About generating connector rules

When you use the Connector and Metadata wizard to generate connector rules, the wizard generates a specific set of items for connectors of each type, as appropriate for that protocol or technology.

For external SQL databases, the wizard creates an external class and properties, rather than a connector rule.

Results

The wizard generates the following items:

• Classes and properties to support the objects or data described in the WSDL, Java class, or EJB.
• One connector rule for each method or operation selected.
• One connector activity for each connector. For SQL, the generated activities interact directly with the external database through the Obj- methods and do not need to invoke a connector rule to connect to the external table.

For .NET, SOAP and SAP, the wizard also generates draft request and response data transforms that are called from the connector activity. Use the generated Request Data Transform to define the mapping of application (source) properties to connector request (target) properties. Use the generated Response Data Transform to define the mapping of connector response (source) properties to application (target) properties.

For SQL connections, the wizard generates the following:

• One database table data object (Data-Admin-DB-Table) and one class rule that together represent the external table. The Pega 7 Platform class rule is known as an external class because the data it represents is not stored in the PegaRULES database — it is stored in the external table represented by the class rule.
• A property for each column you specify. The property is mapped to the column it represents on the Advanced tab of the Class form of the class that the property applies to.
• Activities that use the Obj- methods to retrieve, update, or delete records through the external class, which means directly from the external table. Because these activities can interact directly with the external table represented by the external class rule, there's no need for a connector rule. These activities are known by their purpose: browse (list), open, save, and delete.

For more information about which rules are generated, see the PDN document Creating Connectors with the Connector and Metadata Wizard.

Starting the wizard

To start the wizard, select Designer Studio > Integration > Connectors > Connector and Metadata wizard.

Resuming the wizard

This wizard creates a work item with prefix pxW-. To find open wizard work items, open the wizard as described above, and select the desired work item from the list.

Prerequisites that apply to all connector types

Before you use the Connector and Metadata wizard to generate connector rules, follow these steps:

1. Identify the RuleSet and version to contain the generated rules — classes, properties, connector rules, activities, and so on.
2. Identify or create the following class rules to use for the generated rules.
3. • An abstract class rule — typically one that inherits from the Data- base class — for the wizard to use as the container or base for the generated items with the exception of the connector activities. (If you do not create this class before you begin, the wizard can create one for you.)
   • A concrete class rule for the connector activities. If you plan to call the connector from a flow, choose a class that inherits from the Work- base class, so that the connector activities can be called directly from an Integrator shape.
4. Review the class rules you created or identified. Confirm that they allow subclassing and allow rules to be added to the RuleSet you identified

Prerequisites for specific connector types

Additional setup tasks vary according to the type of connector you want to create. Following are checklists for each connector type.

1. Create a JNDI server data instance (Data-Admin-Connect-JNDIServer class) that identifies the EJB container of the bean you want to connect to. If this JNDI server requires authentication, obtain a user name and password.
2. Obtain copies of these Java classes:
3. • The appropriate EJB interface classes. If your EJB connector is designed to communicate with the EJB through Remote Method Invocation (RMI), you need the remote and remote home interface classes. If your EJB connect is to communicate through the local interface, you need the local and local home interface classes.
   • All encapsulated Java classes (Java classes that are referred to as a property by the interface classes).
   • When you are using the remote interface and the EJB is deployed in WebSphere, the container-generated stub classes.
4. Package the Java classes into a .jar file.
5. Add the .jar file on the Pega 7 Platform class paths. For instructions, see the PDN article About the PRPC class paths.

1. Obtain a copy of the Java class file.
2. Add the Java class to the Pega 7 Platform class paths. For instructions, For help with this step, see PDN article About the Process Commander class paths.

1. In the external database, create or identify a database user account for Pega 7 Platform access.
2. Make the appropriate JDBC driver available to the application server running Pega 7 Platform. Then create a JDBC data source for the database in the application server.
3. Create a database name instance (Data-Admin-DB-Name) that identifies the external database

Notes

If errors occur during processing, the wizard may create a connect rule with availability set to Draft/No. In this case, review and save the generated rules to isolate the source of the error; change the availability to Yes before testing.

If your WSDL file or XSD changes after you've generated a connector, you can regenerate only the changed classes, properties, and so on. For an example, see PDN article How to manage changes to WSDL and XSD metadata in SOAP connectors using RuleSet Versioning.

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