Converting a message map from a .msgmap file to a .map file

You must convert legacy message maps (.msgmap format) to graphical data maps (.map format) before you can deploy or modify them.

Before you begin

Before you convert a legacy message map, complete the following steps:

  1. Import your resources from WebSphere® Message Broker. For more information, see Importing resources from previous versions. Alternatively, you can migrate the Toolkit development resources. For more information, see Migrating development resources.
  2. Verify that all the projects that include resources used by the legacy message map are available in your workspace, and the project dependencies are defined.
  3. Review Changes in behavior in message maps converted from legacy message maps and Considerations for mapping messages modeled in message sets.

About this task

In IBM App Connect Enterprise, if you want to deploy or modify a legacy message map (.msgmap format), you must first convert it to a graphical data map (.map format). A graphical data map is known as a message map in IBM App Connect Enterprise.

Note: The conversion process is not reversible. However, you can run the conversion of a legacy message map multiple times. You must rename the converted legacy message map by removing _backup from the converted map name.

To use a converted legacy message map in your message flows, you must replace legacy Mapping nodes with new Mapping nodes. For more information, see Replacing a legacy Mapping node.

Procedure

To convert a legacy message map to a message map by using the IBM App Connect Enterprise Toolkit, complete the following steps:

  1. Start the conversion process: In the Application Development view, right-click the message map that you want to convert, and click Convert Message Map from .msgmap to .map.

    To covert multiple legacy message maps, right-click a folder, project, application, or library that contains one or more maps, and click Convert Message Map from .msgmap to .map.

    • Your converted message map is created, and is displayed in the Application Development view.
    • Your legacy message map is renamed MessageMapName.msgmap_backup, and is displayed in the Application Development view.
  2. Open the converted map in the Graphical Data Mapping editor: In the Application Development view, double-click your new message map.

    The message map opens in the Graphical Data Mapping editor.

  3. Review the transformation logic that was created by the conversion process to ensure that it produces the correct output for your application:
    1. Review and replace each Task transform. For more information, see Managing conversion errors on converted legacy message maps.

      If your legacy message map contains complex mapping structures that the conversion process was not able to recreate, your message map includes Task transforms to assist you in manually recreating those structures.

      Task transforms are listed in the Problems view.

    2. Review all the conversion annotation icons () that are associated to transforms in your map. For more information, see Managing conversion warnings on converted legacy message maps.

      Conversion annotation icons are displayed on the lower left of the transform in the Graphical Data Mapping editor.

      You can accept or reject all the transforms in a converted map in a single click.

Results

Your legacy message map is converted to a message map that can be deployed, and that can be modified by using the Graphical Data Mapping editor.

What to do next

Modify each message flow that references the legacy message map so that new Mapping nodes reference your new message map. For more information, see Replacing a legacy Mapping node.