Generic/Specific Definition of Configuration Objects 

Use

You can create collaboration agreements (sender agreements, receiver agreements) generically for certain parts of the object key. Creating an object for a key attribute generically means that the object is defined for all values of this key attribute.

Therefore, a generically-defined object is different to a specifically-defined object, in which all key attributes have been specified.

At runtime, the object with the most specific key attributes takes precedence (“most specific object has priority”).

Defining configuration objects generically enables you to minimize the work effort required when creating and changing configuration data. In particular, the likelihood of errors occurring when changing configuration data is greatly reduced because changes to configuration objects automatically apply to all values of the masked key attributes.

Note that creating configuration objects generically can result in undesired side-effects.

The reason for this is that all configuration objects are always valid in the entire PCK. Therefore, when defining configuration objects generically, you must always be aware that the definition you make may be made redundant by a more specific definition of a configuration object at a later date.

 

Typical Application Cases for Defining Objects Generically

Object	Application Case	Solution
Sender Agreement	The same communication channel must be valid for all interfaces of the sender.	Define the sender agreement that the communication channel is assigned to generically for the (sender) interface.
Receiver Agreement	The sender must only authenticate itself in the receiver system, regardless of where the message was sent from.	Define the receiver agreement that contains the relevant security settings generically for the sender party and sender communication component.

Features

To define an object generically for a key attribute, when you create the object, enter the wildcard character (*) in the relevant field in place of a specific value.

Part-masking of fields (for example, field value=BUS*) is not supported.

The object type determines which key attributes the object can be generically defined for. The table below lists all key attributes that can be masked for the configuration objects concerned. These are indicated by a star (*).

Masked Key Fields in Generically-Definable Configuration Objects

Key Field	Sender Agreement	Receiver Agreement
Sender Party		*
Sender Communication Component		*
Receiver Party	*
Receiver Communication Component	*
Interface (Name/Namespace)	*	*

 

The sender agreement above refers to the sender interface. The receiver agreement above refers to the receiver interface.

There are special restrictions for the key fields of sender agreements that are assigned a sender JMS, sender JDBC, or sender file/FTP adapter.