Configuration with the PCK
Purpose
You use the PCK to configure the flow of messages between senders and receivers. In the PCK, the sender or the receiver in a message flow definition is always the Integration Server of your business partner.
Depending on the application case, you can define the sender and receiver of a message very flexibly. In cross-company processes, you can specify entire company units as the sender or receiver, with each company unit providing a multitude of services for communicating with other companies. In internal company business processes, you can address individual application systems as the sender or receiver.
The tasks performed during configuration can be divided into three main areas. The PCK is structured around these task areas.
Configuration Task Areas
Area in PCK |
Tasks |
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(Objects: communication party, service, communication channel) |
In the collaboration profile, you document the technical options available to the communication parties for exchanging messages. You specify potential senders and receivers of messages. For example, you can select business systems to act as senders or receivers of messages. You also specify the technical communication paths. |
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(Objects: sender agreement, receiver agreement) |
In collaboration agreements, you define the technical details for message processing for particular combinations of senders and receivers. You specify the adapters to be used and message security information for inbound and outbound message processing. |
Prerequisites
You have additional information that is required for communication with external business partners, for example, interface descriptions.
Process Flow
The following steps are usually carried out in the configuration phase:
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1. Specify the collaboration profile.
Define the potential senders and receivers of messages as services. You can assign multiple services to a party. To address business systems as senders or receivers of messages, you must define them as a service in the PCK.
You define the configuration of the adapters for inbound or outbound message processing in a communication channel.
2. Specify collaboration agreements to define communication channels for particular combinations of senders and receivers.
To define the inbound processing in the PCK, specify a sender agreement. Messages from a business partner are usually signed and encrypted. In the sender agreement, you can define the check and decryption certificates in the security settings.
To define the outbound processing in the PCK, specify a receiver agreement. You can sign messages if you are using certain adapters. You define the corresponding security settings in the receiver agreement. If you want to change the structure of the message using a mapping, you can specify a mapping program here.
Creating Configuration Objects Generically
You define configuration objects for each particular combination of key attributes. See Creating an Object.
You can define sender agreements and receiver agreements for particular key attributes generically. This enables you to specify a very general definition range for these objects.
Result
All information that you create in the PCK at configuration time is available in caches at runtime for message processing.