Overview of WebSphere Adapter for PeopleSoft Enterprise

With the adapter for PeopleSoft Enterprise you can create integrated processes that exchange information with PeopleSoft Enterprise through a standard interface. This interface shields the message flow developer from having to understand the lower level details about implementation of the application or data structures used on the PeopleSoft Enterprise server.

With the adapter, a message flow can send a request, for example to a PeopleSoft Enterprise database to query a record in an HR table, or it can receive events from the server, such as notification that an employee record has been updated.

WebSphere® Adapter for PeopleSoft Enterprise complies with the Java™ Connector Architecture (JCA), which standardizes the way application components, application servers, and enterprise information systems, such as a PeopleSoft Enterprise server, interact with each other.

The adapter component, which you generate with the Adapter Connection wizard uses a standard interface and standard data objects. The adapter component takes the standard data object sent by the message flow and calls the PeopleSoft function. It then returns a standard data object to the message flow. The message flow does not have to deal directly with the PeopleSoft function; it is the adapter component that calls the function and returns the results.

For example, the message flow that requested the list of employees sends a standard business object with the range of skill codes to the PeopleSoft adapter component. The message flow receives, in return, the results (the list of employees) in the form of a standard business object. The adapter component completes all the interactions directly with the PeopleSoft function.

Similarly, the message flow might need to be notified about a change to the data on the PeopleSoft Enterprise server (for example, a change to the skills set of a particular employee). You can generate an adapter component that listens for such events on the PeopleSoft Enterprise server and notifies message flows with the update. In this case, the interaction begins at the PeopleSoft Enterprise server.

For more information, see Technical overview of the WebSphere Adapter for PeopleSoft Enterprise.