Using patterns

Each IBM Integration Bus pattern is designed to address a specific business problem. To find out about the patterns that are supplied in the IBM Integration Toolkit, see Built-in patterns. You might also have user-defined patterns available to use that are created by a pattern author, see User-defined patterns.

Each pattern has values known as pattern parameters that you use to create the pattern resources for use in your environment. The pattern parameters that you can configure depend on the specific pattern, and also the options that you enable for that pattern; for example, logging.

When you select a pattern from the Patterns Explorer, the Pattern Specification tab gives details about the purpose and configuration of each pattern parameter associated with a pattern, the effects and consequences of changing them, and any postrequisite tasks. All patterns have pattern parameter properties that distinguish one application of a pattern template from another.

All patterns are either abstract or implementations and as you move down the tree the patterns become more specific. At any level in a tree a pattern can be an implementation.

You can apply pattern implementations only. Pattern implementations map to a complete specification with prerequisite and postrequisite tasks, and pattern parameter details. Pattern implementations have a Create New Instance button in the Pattern Specification tab. Abstract patterns, which cannot be applied, do not have a Create New Instance button in the Pattern Specification tab.

You can create resources from each pattern more than once to give unique pattern instances with different configurations. The configuration for each pattern instance is contained within a single pattern instance project. The pattern instance project contains links to all projects containing the resources that are created as a result of generating a pattern instance from your configuration, such as message flows, Java™ classes for JavaCompute nodes, ESQL modules, message maps, test client, XML files, and style sheet files.