Developing Component Integrator-Based Work Performers

You can build a work performer that is based on either a Java™ or Java Message Service (JMS) component queue. For either of these types of work performers, you need to do some preparatory work. To develop a Component Integrator-based work performer, do the following:

Before creating a JMS component queue, set up access to a JMS queue:

1. Find the Java Naming and Directory Interface (JNDI) InitialContextFactory information.
2. Before configuring the component queue for JMS, you must know the name of the JMS queue to which you intend to post messages from a workflow.

Before creating a Java component queue, deploy a custom Java class:

1. The Java class needs to conform to the following:
   • The class must have a constructor with no parameters.
   • The methods must be public.
   • The methods can contain only allowable component operation parameter types.
2. (Optional) Create the Java Authentication and Authorization Service (JAAS) authentication module(s) and login configuration file for your class, as follows:
   1. Create a LoginModule class for the systems your class accesses. Creation and use of LoginModule classes is described in the JAAS documentation (Security Information).
   2. Create the JAR file to hold your custom Java class and its corresponding LoginModule class.
   3. Use the application server administration tool to configure a JAAS Login Configuration file containing a LoginContext section (which specifies your LoginModule class).

      Refer to Authentication and JAAS.

3. Create a code module containing the jar files with all of the items required by custom component.
4. Use the Process Configuration Console to create and configure a component queue for the deployed custom Java class or the JMS queue. Only one class or JMS queue can be associated with a single workflow system component queue. However, you can configure multiple component queues for any given class or JMS queue by assigning different names to the additional component queues. For instructions, see Manage component queues.
   • When configuring a Java component queue:
     • Associate queue operations with the public methods of the deployed custom Java component.
     • Where applicable, associate each parameter of a Java class method with a corresponding operation parameter defined for the Component Queue (irrelevant when a method has no parameters).
   • When specifying the polling rate:

     The polling rate specifies the default polling rate when there is work available. The polling rate setting determines the rate at which the Component Manager polls component queues for work items requesting services. This rate is normally set to a few seconds (specified in milliseconds).

   • When specifying the batch size:

     The batch size specifies the amount of step elements to query per batch at runtime. The suggested minimum is 10.

   • When specifying operation parameter types:

     An attempt to import an incorrect parameter type for a component method will cause the import to fail. For specific type mapping information, see Component Operation Parameter Types.

   Important: Ensure that you commit your changes.
5. Author a workflow. Use the Process Designer tool to do the following:
   1. Add a workflow step that includes at least one of your Java or JMS components. This associates the operations for a component queue with a step.
   2. Defining the parameter values of each operation as an expression that can include the field values of a work item retrieved from the component queue.

      For an example, see the Content-Extended Operations example.

   3. Launch a workflow that uses your integrated component step and test the component operations.