Relational resource adapters and JCA
A resource adapter is a system-level software driver that a Java application uses to connect to an enterprise information system (EIS). A resource adapter plugs into an appserver and provides connectivity between the EIS, the appserver, and the enterprise application.
WAS supports...
...including additional, configurable features for JCA 1.5 resource adapters with activation specifications that handle inbound requests.
Data access for CMP beans is indirectly managed by the WebSphere Persistence Manager. The JCA spec supports persistence manager delegation of the data access to the JCA resource adapter without knowing the specific backend store. For the relational database access, the persistence manager uses the relational resource adapter to access the data from the database.
We can find the supported database platforms for the JDBC API at the WAS prerequisite Web site.
Java EE Connector Architecture and WebSphere relational resource adapters
An appserver vendor extends its system once to support the JCA and is then assured of seamless connectivity to multiple EISs. Likewise, an EIS vendor provides one standard resource adapter with the capability to plug into any appserver that supports the connector architecture.
IBM bundles the following resource adapters...
- WebSphere MQ
- Service Integration Bus
Resource adapters available separately, include...
- Customer Information Control System (CICS)
- Host On-Demand (HOD)
- Information Management System (IMS)
- Systems, Applications, and Products (SAP) R/3
The general approach to writing an application that uses a JCA resource adapter is to develop EJB session beans that use the interface javax.resource.cci.
WebSphere Relational Resource Adapter
WAS provides the WebSphere Relational Resource Adapter implementation. This resource adapter provides data access through JDBC calls to access the database dynamically. The connection management is based on the JCA connection management architecture and provides connection pooling, transaction, and security support. The WebSphere RRA is installed and runs as part of WAS, and needs no further administration.
The RRA supports both the configuration and use of JDBC data sources and JCA connection factories. The RRA supports the configuration and use of data sources implemented as either JDBC data sources or Java EE Connector Architecture connection factories. Data sources can be used directly by applications, or they can be configured for use by CMP entity beans.
Subtopics
Use a high availability resource adapter
Data access portability features
WebSphere relational resource adapter settings
EJB applications
Use a single instance of a resource adapter
Related concepts
Connection pooling
Related tasks
Set connection factories for resource adapters within applications
Set Java EE Connector connection factories in the admin console
Install resource adapters within applications
Install a resource adapter archive
Set data access with scripting
Accessing data using Java EE Connector Architecture connectors
Related
Set administered objects for resource adapters for the client
Related information
WAS prerequisite Web site