TCPIPClientOutput node

The TCPIPClientOutput node opens connections to a remote server application that is listening on a TCP/IP port. The connections are not made directly by the node but are obtained from a connection pool managed by the IBM® Integration Bus integration server. The integration server uses the default TCPIPClient configurable service to determine which attributes are used for the socket connection. However, if the configurable service is set on the node, the configurable service is used for all the properties, including the host and port number.

You can configure the broker to use SSL for TCP/IP nodes; see SSL and the TCP/IP nodes.

The TCPIPClient configurable service is used to create a pool of client connections ready for processing. To use this function, the minimumConnections property must be set to a value larger than zero. The integration server ensures that the specified number of connections are always available by creating them at the start, and continuing to create the connections until the minimum value is reached.

The node requests a client connection, and, if no connections are available for sending data, the output node requests that the pool creates a new connection. If the maximumConnections property has not been exceeded, a new connection is created.

When the connection has been established, the data is sent. If the data has not been sent successfully within the time limit specified by the node's Timeout sending a data record property, an exception is thrown.

Properties in the local environment can override the TCP/IP connection used by the node:

You can dynamically choose the connection details (host name and port number), and the connection used (ID), by using this property. You can also set the Reply ID on the connection. The Reply ID enables a string to be stored in the connection and to be seen in the local environment. You can use this connection to store Reply IDs from other TCPIP nodes or from other transports, such as WebSphere® MQ

The output of the node contains the same information as the input, and any fields that were missing from the input are updated with details from the connection used. For example, if the Id property is not provided as input (because you want to create a new connection or reuse a pool connection), the output local environment contains the ID of the connection that is used.

If the connection closes (or any other type of exception occurs) while using the TCP/IP transport, an exception is thrown. This exception goes to the Failure terminal if it is connected, otherwise the exception returns back down the flow.

The node also has a Close input terminal. If a message is sent to this terminal, the connection is closed using a combination of the details provided in the node and the local environment.

The TCPIPClientOutput node is contained in the TCPIP drawer of the palette and is represented in the workbench by the following icon:

You can view information about samples only when you use the product documentation that is integrated with the IBM Integration Toolkit or the online product documentation. You can run samples only when you use the product documentation that is integrated with the IBM Integration Toolkit.

When you have put an instance of the TCPIPClientOutput node into a message flow, you can configure it (for more information, see Configuring a message flow node). The properties of the node are displayed in the Properties view. All mandatory properties for which you must enter a value (those that do not have a default value defined) are marked with an asterisk in that view.

To configure the TCPIPClientOutput node:

1. Optional: On the Description tab, enter a short description, a long description, or both. You can also rename the node on this tab.
2. On the Basic tab, set the properties that determine how the TCP/IP connection is controlled.
   • Use the Connection details property to specify either the host name and port number to be used, or the name of a configurable service. This property is mandatory. The following formats are supported:
     • Configurable service name. This value is used to look up the port and host name in configurable services. For example, TCPIPProfile1.
     • <Hostname>:<Port>. This value is the host name followed by the port number (separated by a colon). For example, tcpip.server.com:1111.
     • <Port>. This value is the port number. In this case, the host name is assumed to be localhost.
   • Use the Timeout sending a data record (seconds) property to specify how long the node waits when trying to send data. You can specify any length of time in seconds. When the specified time has been exceeded, all available data is sent to the Failure terminal. The default is 60 seconds.
3. On the Advanced tab, set the properties that determine how the data stream is controlled.
   • Use the Send to property to specify whether the data is to be sent to one connection or to all available connections:
     • Select One connection to send the message to only one connection, as specified by the node properties and message overrides. This value is the default.
     • Select All available connections to send the data to all available connections.
   • Use the Close connection property to specify when and how to close the connection.
     • Select No to leave the connection open. This value is the default.
     • Select After timeout to close the connection when a timeout occurs.
     • Select After data has been sent to close the connection when the end of the record has been sent.
   • Select Close output stream after a record has been sent to close the output stream as soon as the data has been sent. This property is not selected by default.
   • Use the Output Stream Modification property to specify whether to reserve or release the output stream. These options are available only if you have not selected the Close output stream after a record has been sent property.
     • Select Leave unchanged to leave the output stream as it was when it entered the node. This value is selected by default.
     • Select Release output stream to specify that this output stream is returned to the pool and is available for use by any output node.
     • Select Reserve output stream (for use by future TCPIP output nodes) to specify that this output stream can be used only by this node and by other output nodes that request it by specifying the connection ID. When the connection input stream is reserved, no other nodes can use it without specifying the correct connection ID.
     • Select Reserve output stream (for use by future TCPIP output nodes) then release after propagate to specify that this output stream can be used only by this node and output nodes that request it by specifying the correct connection ID. After the message has been propagated, this output stream is returned to the pool and becomes available for use by any output node.
   • Use the Input Stream Modification property to specify whether to reserve the input stream for use only by input and receive nodes that specify the connection ID, or to release it at the end of the flow.
     • Select Leave unchanged to leave the input stream as it was when it entered the node. This value is selected by default.
     • Select Release input stream to specify that this input stream is returned to the pool and is available for use by any input or receive node.
     • Select Reserve input stream (for use by future TCPIP input and receive nodes) to specify that this input stream can be used only by this node and by other input or receive nodes that request it by specifying the connection ID. When the connection input stream is reserved, no other nodes can use it without specifying the correct connection ID.
     • Select Reserve input stream (for use by future TCPIP input and receive nodes) then release after propagate to specify that this input stream can be used only by this node and receive nodes that request it by specifying the correct connection ID. After the message has been propagated, this input stream is returned to the pool and becomes available for use by any input or receive node.
4. On the Request tab, specify the location of the data to be written. You can specify the properties on this tab as XPath or ESQL expressions. Content Assist is available in the properties pane and also in the XPath Expression Builder, which you can invoke by clicking Edit to the right of each property.
   1. In Data location, specify the input data location. This value is the location in the input message tree that contains the record to be written. The default value is $Body, which is the entire message body ($InputRoot.Body).
      When you are specifying this property, and the data in the message tree that it identifies is owned by a model-driven parser (such as the MRM parser or XMLNSC parser), consider the following issues:

      • If you are using MRM CWF format, ensure that the identified message tree exists as a message definition. If this value is defined as a global element only, exceptions BIP5180 and BIP5167 are generated.
      • If you are using MRM TDS format, the serialization of the identified message is successful if the element is defined as a global element or message. However, if the identified field is not found as a global element or message, note that:
        • If this value is a leaf field in the message tree, the field is written as self-defining. No validation occurs even if validation is enabled.
        • If this value is a complex element, an internal exception is generated, BIP5522, indicating that the logical type cannot be converted to a string.
      • If you are using MRM XML, the events are similar as for the MRM TDS format except that, if the field is a complex element, it is written as self-defining.
      • If you use the XMLNSC parser, no validation occurs even if validation is enabled.
   2. In Hostname location, specify the location of the value to override the Hostname set in the Connection details property of the Basic tab. If you do not specify a location, the default value is $LocalEnvironment/Destination/TCPIP/Output/Hostname.
   3. In Port location, specify the location of the value to override the Port number set in the Connection details property of the Basic tab. If you do not specify a location, the default value is $LocalEnvironment/Destination/TCPIP/Output/Port.
   4. In ID location, specify the location of the Id of the socket being used. This internal identifier is used by IBM Integration Bus to uniquely identify a connection. If you do not specify a location, the default value is $LocalEnvironment/Destination/TCPIP/Output/Id.
   5. In Reply ID location, specify the location of the Reply ID that is stored on the connection being used. The Reply ID can be used when data is returned in an input node. If you do not specify a location, the default value is $LocalEnvironment/Destination/TCPIP/Output/ReplyId.
5. Use the Records and Elements tab to specify how the TCPIPClientOutput node writes the record that is derived from the message.
   • In Record definition, choose from:
     • Record is Unmodified Data to specify that records are left unchanged. This value is the default.
     • Record is Fixed Length Data to specify that records are padded to a specified length if necessary. You specify this length in the Length property. If the record is longer than the value specified in Length, the node generates an exception. Use the Padding byte (hexadecimal) property to specify the byte to be used for padding the message to the required length.
     • Record is Delimited Data to specify that records are separated by a delimiter and accumulated by concatenation. The delimiter is specified by the Delimiter, Custom delimiter, and Delimiter type properties. The file is finished only when a message is received on the Finish File terminal.
   • In Length (bytes), specify the length (in bytes) of records when Record is Fixed Length Data is specified in Record definition. Records longer than this value cause an exception to be issued. This value must be in the range 1 byte through 100 MB. The default is 80 bytes.
   • When Record is Fixed Length Data is specified in Record definition, use Padding byte (hexadecimal) to specify the byte to be used when padding records to the specified length if they are shorter than this length. Specify this value as 2 hexadecimal digits. The default value is X'20'.
   • In Delimiter, specify the delimiter to be used if you specify Record is Delimited Data in Record definition. Choose from:
     • Broker System Line End to specify that a line end sequence of bytes is used as the appropriate delimiter for the file system on which the broker is to run. This value is the default. For example, on Windows systems, this value is a 'carriage-return, line-feed' pair (X'0D0A'); on UNIX systems, this value is a single 'line-feed' byte (X'0A'); on z/OS® systems, this value is a 'newline' byte (X'15').
     • Custom Delimiter (hexadecimal) to specify that the explicit delimiter sequence defined in the Custom delimiter property is to be used to delimit records.
   • In Custom delimiter (hexadecimal), specify the delimiter sequence of bytes to be used to delimit records when Custom Delimiter is specified in the Delimiter property. Specify this value as an even-numbered string of hexadecimal digits. The default is X'0A' and the maximum length of the string is 16 bytes.
   • If you specify Record is Delimited Data in Record definition, use Delimiter type to specify how the delimiter is to separate records. Choose from:
     • Postfix to specify that the delimiter is added after each record that is written. This value is the default.
     • Infix to specify that the delimiter is only inserted between any two adjacent records.
6. On the Validation tab, specify the parser validation properties of the node. For more information about validation, see Validating messages. For information about how to complete this tab, see Validation tab properties.

The TCPIPClientOutput node terminals are described in the following table.

The following tables describe the node properties. The column headed M indicates whether the property is mandatory (marked with an asterisk if you must enter a value when no default is defined); the column headed C indicates whether the property is configurable (you can change the value when you add the message flow to the BAR file to deploy it).

The Basic properties of the TCPIPClientOutput node are described in the following table:

The Advanced properties of the TCPIPClientOutput node are described in the following table.

The Request properties of the TCPIPClientOutput node are described in the following table:

The Records and Elements properties of the TCPIPClientOutput node are described in the following table:

The Validation properties of the TCPIPClientOutput node are described in the following table.

For a full description of these properties, see Validation properties.