Getting started with event processing

In Global Mailbox, events are generated when a message is added to a Global Mailbox. Events are governed by event rules, which contain information that is required to process an event.

Event rules are similar to routing rules in Sterling File Gateway. They contain the following information:
Mailbox
Mailboxes from which messages must be picked for processing.
Business process
The business process that must be applied to the messages.
Contract
The contract that applies to the messages.
Run as user
The user who can process or run the events.

When a message is added to a Global Mailbox, an event, which is governed by an event rule is generated and put in the messaging queue. All Sterling B2B Integrator nodes in all data centers receive the event, but only one node process the event based on the workload balancing done by WebSphere® MQ.

To get started with event processing, you need the following configuration:
Important: The following list assumes that you installed all components that are required from Global Mailbox according to your topology and information that is provided in Installing Global Mailbox.

Configure WebSphere MQ

After installing WebSphere MQ, You must configure WebSphere MQ to notify applications about the events that are related to Global Mailbox. For example, when a message is added to a Global Mailbox, an event is raised based on event rule configuration and put in the queue.
Important: When you install the initial Global Mailbox node, you must provide information about queue manager name, queue name, channel name, user authorized to operate the queues. The WebSphere MQ configuration that is specified during installation is stored in the installinfo.properties file in the /config directory, along with the global.properties file.

Configure and enable Global Mailbox Event Rule adapter

The Global Mailbox Event Rule adapter listens to the events generated by the Global Mailbox and accepts the events over WebSphere MQ when the events are available. For information about configuring and enabling it, see Global Mailbox Event Rule Adapter.

Create or convert mailboxes

You must create or convert mailboxes based on your current configuration.

If you are an existing Sterling B2B Integrator customer, you must create virtual roots for the traditional mailboxes in Global Mailbox. After you update your Sterling B2B Integrator and install Global Mailbox and related components, your Sterling B2B Integrator users are listed in Global Mailbox user interface. You must create virtual root for the users in Global Mailbox user interface.

If you are a Sterling File Gateway customer, you must convert Sterling File Gateway partners to use Global Mailbox. After converting partners in one data center, you must export the related resources and import them to the other data centers. When you convert the partner to use Global Mailbox, the routing rules that are associated with the Sterling File Gateway mailbox, are automatically converted to event rules in Global Mailbox.

If you are a new Sterling B2B Integrator customer using Global Mailbox, you must create users in Sterling B2B Integrator and create mailboxes for the users in Global Mailbox.

If you are a new Sterling File Gateway customer using Global Mailbox, when you create a partner in Sterling File Gateway, a mailbox is automatically created in Global Mailbox.

Create event rules

In Global Mailbox, event rules are equal to Sterling File Gateway routing rules. After you create users and mailboxes, you must create event rules and associate the rules to required mailboxes. Event rules start specific actions when a message is added to a Global Mailbox that the event rule applies to. Based on your requirements, you can choose which mailboxes send events by subscribing mailboxes to and unsubscribing mailboxes from an event rule.

For Sterling File Gateway partners who are converted to use Global Mailbox, the routing rules are converted to event rules, and you can continue to use them. For more information, see Administering event rules.