WebSphere Business Integration Adapters: An Adapter Development and WebSphere Business Integration Solution

Chapter 29. Integrating external contractors using WebSphere BI Connect 583

Creating document flow interaction

The WebSphere Business Integration Connect server needs to learn about the

new custom XML format (our message format that we will exchange with our

partners) so that it can process, route, package, and unpackage the message

correctly.

To create document flow interaction:

1. Log on as hubadmin to the console of WebSphere Business Integration

Connect and select Hub Admin → Hub Configuration → Document Flow

Definition.

2. When the existing document flow definitions are shown, click Create

Document Flow Definition.

The document flow definition we create is at the Protocol Level, which means

that this XML document is defined at the same level as an EDI standard.

Use the values in Table 29-1 for this new document flow definition.

Table 29-1 Values to use when creating a protocol document flow

The Create Document Flow Definitions window opens, as shown in

Figure 29-16 on page 584.

Attribute Value

Document flow type Protocol

Code customXML

Name customXML

Version 1.0

Document level No

Status Enabled

584 WebSphere Business Integration Adapters

Figure 29-16 Create document flow definition at protocol level

3. Set Visibility to Yes for the following:

– Community Operator

– Community Manager

– Community Participant

4. Add this new Protocol to the following:

–Package: AS

– Package: None

– Package: Backend Integration

Chapter 29. Integrating external contractors using WebSphere BI Connect 585

5. When all values are entered, click Save.

6. Create a document flow definition at the document flow level. Click Manage

Document Flow Definitions, or select Hub Admin → Hub

Configuration → Document Flow Definition. Then, click Create Document

Flow Definition.

Use the values in Table 29-2 to complete the form (shown in Figure 29-17 on

page 586).

Table 29-2 Values to use when creating a document flow

7. Set Visibility to Yes for the three roles.

The definition of this document flow can be compared to adding the definition

of an 850 purchase order document to the EDI standard. As such, if other

XML documents need to be defined, we can add them directly at the

document flow level. You do not need to create another document flow at the

protocol level.

Attribute Value

Document flow type Document Flow

Code ContractorRequest

Name ContractorRequest

Version 1.0

Document level Yes

Status Enabled

586 WebSphere Business Integration Adapters

Figure 29-17 Create document flow at document flow level

8. At the bottom of Figure 29-17, the expandable tree structure of packages and

protocols are shown. Expand this structure and add this new document flow

to the following:

–Package: AS

• Protocol: customXML

– Package: None

• Protocol: customXML

– Package: Backend Integration

• Protocol: customXML

Chapter 29. Integrating external contractors using WebSphere BI Connect 587

Figure 29-18 shows the completed structure.

9. Click Save.

Figure 29-18 Link document flow to packages and protocols

Creating a new XML format

You should define the XML format to WebSphere Business Integration Connect

to make sure that the server knows how to route the XML document (that is, use

the data in the XML document to obtain to which partner a document should be

sent).