IBM Integration Bus, Version 9.0.0.8 Operating Systems: AIX, HP-Itanium, Linux, Solaris, Windows, z/OS

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Why model messages?

IBM® Integration Bus supplies a range of parsers to parse and write message formats. Some message formats are self-defining and can be parsed without reference to a model. However, most message formats are not self-defining, and a parser must have access to a predefined model that describes the message, if it is to parse the message correctly.

An example of a self-defining message format is XML. In XML, the message itself contains metadata in addition to data values, and it is this metadata that enables an XML parser to understand an XML message even if no model is available. Another example of a self-defining format is JSON.

Examples of messages that do not have a self-defining message format are CSV text messages, binary messages that originate from a COBOL program, and SWIFT formatted text messages. None of these message formats contain sufficient information to enable a parser to fully understand the message. In these cases, a model is required to describe them.

Even if your messages are self-defining, and do not require modeling, message modeling has the following advantages:

Runtime validation of messages. Without a message model, a parser cannot check whether input and output messages have the correct structure and data values.
Enhanced parsing of XML messages. Although XML is self-defining, all data values are treated as strings if a message model is not used. If a message model is used, the parser is provided with the data type of data values, and can cast the data accordingly.
Improved productivity when writing ESQL. When you are creating ESQL programs for IBM Integration Bus message flows, the ESQL editor can use message models to provide code completion assistance.
Drag-and-drop operations on message maps. When you are creating message maps for IBM Integration Bus message flows, the Graphic Data Mapping editor uses the message model to populate its source and target views. Without message models, you cannot use the Graphical Data Mapping editor.
Reuse of message models, in whole or in part, by creating additional messages that are based on existing messages.
Generation of documentation.
Provision of version control and access control for message models by storing them in a central repository.

To make full use of the facilities that are offered by IBM Integration Bus, model your message formats.

To speed up the creation of message models, importers are provided to read metadata such as C header files, COBOL copybooks, and EIS metadata, and to create message models from that metadata. Additionally, predefined models are available for common industry standard message formats such as SWIFT, EDIFACT, X12, FIX, HL7, and TLOG.

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Last updated Friday, 21 July 2017