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Managing the WebLogic J2EE Connector Architecture

Based on the Sun Microsystems J2EE Connector Specification, Version 1.0, Proposed Final Draft 2, the WebLogic J2EE Connector Architecture integrates the J2EE Platform with one or more heterogeneous Enterprise Information Systems (EIS). The following sections explain how to manage and administer the WebLogic J2EE Connector Architecture:

- Overview of WebLogic J2EE Connector Architecture

- Installing a New Resource Adapter

- Configuring and Deploying a New Connector

- Monitoring

- Deleting a Connector

- Editing Resource Adapter Deployment Descriptors

For more information on the BEA WebLogic J2EE Connector Architecture, refer to Programming the WebLogic J2EE Connector Architecture.

Overview of WebLogic J2EE Connector Architecture

BEA WebLogic Server continues to build upon the implementation of the Sun Microsystems J2EE Platform Specification, Version 1.3. The J2EE Connector Architecture adds simplified Enterprise Information System (EIS) integration to the J2EE platform. The goal is to leverage the strengths of the J2EE platform—including component models, and transaction and security infrastructures—to address the challenges of EIS integration.

The J2EE Connector Architecture provides a Java solution to the problem of connectivity between the multitude of application servers and EISes. By using the J2EE Connector Architecture, it is no longer necessary for EIS vendors to customize their product for each application server. An application server vendor (such as BEA WebLogic Server) that conforms to the J2EE Connector Architecture also does not need to add custom code whenever it wants to extend its application server to support connectivity to a new EIS.

The J2EE Connector Architecture enables an EIS vendor to provide a standard resource adapter (also referred to as a connector) for its EIS; the resource adapter plugs into an application server such as WebLogic Server and provides the underlying infrastructure for the integration between an EIS and the application server.

An application server vendor (BEA WebLogic Server) extends its system only once to support the J2EE Connector Architecture and is then assured of connectivity to multiple EISes. Likewise, an EIS vendor provides one standard resource adapter and it has the capability to plug in to any application server that supports the J2EE Connector Architecture.

Installing a New Resource Adapter

This section discusses how to connect a new connector (resource adapter) to WebLogic Server by using the Administration Console.

1. Start WebLogic Server.

2. Open the Administration Console.

3. Open the Domain you will be working in.

4. Under Deployments, right-click Connectors in the left panel to display the pop-up menu.

5. Select Install a New Connector Component.

6. Enter the path of the resource adapter .rar in the text-entry field, or click the Browse button to browse your file system and choose the resource adapter you want to install.

7. Click the Upload button to install the resource adapter. The new resource adapter is added under the Connectors node in the left-hand pane.

Configuring and Deploying a New Connector

This section discusses how to configure and deploy a new connector using the Administration Console.

For more deployment-related information, see Chapter 3, "Resource Adapters," in Programming the WebLogic J2EE Connector Architecture.

Configuring and Deploying Resource Adapters

To configure and deploy a connector using the WebLogic Server Administration Console:

1. Start WebLogic Server.

2. Open the Administration Console.

3. Open the Domain you will be working in.

4. Under Deployments, select Connectors in the left panel. The Connector Deployments table displays in the right pane showing all the deployed Connectors (Resource Adapters).

5. Select Configure a new Connector Component.

6. Enter the following information:

   - Name—modify the default name of the connector component as needed.

   - URI Path—enter the full path of the resource adapter .rar file or a directory containing the resource adapter exploded directory format. For example: c:\myaps\components\myResourceAdapter.rar

   - Deployed—indicate whether the Resource Adapter .rar file should be deployed when created.

7. Click the Create button.

8. Note that the new resource adapter now appears in the Deployments table in the right pane.

Viewing Deployed Resource Adapters

To view a deployed connector in the Administration Console:

1. In the Administration Console under Deployments, select Connectors in the left panel.

2. View a list of deployed Connectors in the Connector Deployments table in the right pane.

Undeploying Deployed Resource Adapters

To undeploy a deployed connector from the WebLogic Server Administration Console:

1. In the Administration Console under Deployments, select Connectors (Resource Adapters) in the left panel.

2. In the Connector Deployments table, select the connector to undeploy.

3. Under the Configuration tab, deselect the Deployed check box.

4. Click Apply.

Undeploying a resource adapter does not remove the resource adapter name from WebLogic Server. The resource adapter remains undeployed for the duration of the Server session, as long as you do not change it once it has been undeployed. You cannot reuse the deployment name with the deploy argument until you reboot the server. You can re-use the deployment name to update the deployment, as described in Updating Deployed Resource Adapters.

Updating Deployed Resource Adapters

When you update the contents of the resource adapter .rar file or deployment directory that has been deployed to WebLogic Server, those updates are not reflected in WebLogic Server until:

- You reboot the server (if the .rar or directory is to be automatically deployed) or

- You update the resource adapter deployment using the WebLogic Server Administration Console

From the WebLogic Server Administration Console:

1. In the Administration Console under Deployments, select Connectors (Resource Adapters) in the left panel.

2. In the Connector Deployments table, select the connector to update.

3. Update the Connector Name and Deployed status as needed.

4. Click Apply.

Monitoring

To monitor all connection pool run times for a connector, proceed as follows:

1. Select a connector to monitor in the left pane of the Console.

2. Right-click with your mouse, and select Monitor all Connector Connection Pool Runtimes from the pop-up menu.

   Connection pool run-time information is provided in the right pane for the selected connector.

Note: You can also select access the this information using the right pane of the Console. Select the specific connector that you want to monitor in the table of connectors located in the right pane. Then, select the Monitoring tab and select Monitor all Connector..."

Deleting a Connector

To delete a connector, proceed as follows:

1. Select a connector to delete in the left pane of the Console under Deployments > Connectors > Connector Name.

2. In the table of connectors located in the right pane, select the Trash Can icon.

   The following message is displayed in the right pane:

   Are you sure you want to permanently delete <Connector Name> from the domain configuration?

3. Click Yes to delete the connector.

Editing Resource Adapter Deployment Descriptors

This section describes the procedure for editing the following resource adapter (connector) deployment descriptors using the Administration Console Deployment Descriptor Editor:

- ra.xml

- weblogic-ra.xml

For detailed information about the elements in the resource adapter deployment descriptors, refer to Programming the WebLogic J2EE Connector Architecture.

To edit the resource adapter deployment descriptors, follow these steps:

1. Invoke the Administration Console in your browser using the following URL:

   http://host:port/console

   where host refers to the name of the computer upon which WebLogic Server is running and port refers to the port number to which it is listening.

2. Click to expand the Deployments node in the left pane.

3. Click to expand the Connectors node under the Deployments node.

4. Right-click the name of the resource adapter whose deployment descriptors you want to edit and choose Edit Connector Descriptor from the drop-down menu.

   The Administration Console window appears in a new browser. The left pane contains a tree structure that lists all the elements in the two resource adapter deployment descriptors and the right pane contains a form for the descriptive elements of the ra.xml file.

5. To edit, delete, or add elements in the resource adapter deployment descriptors, click to expand the node in the left pane that corresponds to the deployment descriptor file you want to edit, as described in the following list:

   - The RA node contains the elements of the ra.xml deployment descriptor.

   - The WebLogic RA node contains the elements of the weblogic-ra.xml deployment descriptor.

6. To edit an existing element in one of the resource adapter deployment descriptors, follow these steps:

   1. Navigate the tree in the left pane, clicking on parent elements until you find the element you want to edit.

   2. Click the element. A form appears in the right pane that lists either its attributes or subelements.

   3. Edit the text in the form in the right pane.

   4. Click Apply.

7. To add a new element to one of the resource adapter deployment descriptors, follow these steps:

   1. Navigate the tree in the left pane, clicking on parent elements until you find the name of the element you want to create.

   2. Right-click the element and chose Configure a New Element from the drop-down menu.

   3. Enter the element information in the form that appears in the right pane.

   4. Click Create.

8. To delete an existing element from one of the resource adapter deployment descriptors, follow these steps:

   1. Navigate the tree in the left pane, clicking on parent elements until you find the name of the element you want to delete.

   2. Right-click the element and chose Delete Element from the drop-down menu.

   3. Click Yes to confirm that you want to delete the element.

9. Once you have made all your changes to the resource adapter deployment descriptors, click the root element of the tree in the left pane. The root element is the either the name of the resource adapter *.rar archive file or the display name of the resource adapter.

10. Click Validate if you want to ensure that the entries in the resource adapter deployment descriptors are valid.

11. Click Persist to write your edits of the deployment descriptor files to disk in addition to WebLogic Server's memory.

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