How to Build Processes

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Building a Process involves analyzing the business task and creating and submitting a Process

Analyze the Business Task

The first and most important step in creating a Process is to analyze the business task you want to accomplish. Most IBM® Connect:Direct® Processes copy files from one location to another (although Processes can also call external programs or even other Processes).

Consider the following factors before creating a Process.

  • What files do you want to copy?
  • Where do you want to copy the files from, and where to?
  • What IBM Connect:Direct platforms are involved in the transfer?
  • Will the Process run at regular dates and times?
  • What security is required to access the IBM Connect:Direct servers that will execute the Process?
  • Should the files be compressed during transmission?
  • Do you want to perform checkpoint/restart on the transmission, enabling the transmission to resume at a defined point in case of failure?
  • Who needs to be notified of Process status and completion?
  • Will the Process call an external program?
  • Will the Process need branching to perform additional or alternate processing, depending on previous results?

You may find it helpful to create a flow chart of the Process before creating it.

Create and Submit a Process

After you define your business need, you can create and submit a Process for execution in the following ways:

  • Through the Process Builder feature of the Sterling Connect:Direct Browser User Interface, a Web-based interface to a IBM Connect:Direct server. The Connect:Direct Browser User Interface is distributed with Connect:Direct for z/OS®, HP NonStop, UNIX, and Microsoft Windows.

    The Process Builder is a Graphical User Interface that enables you to build, modify, and save Processes. The Process Builder handles IBM Connect:Direct Process syntax rules automatically. The Process Builder eliminates the typographical mistakes made when creating Processes with a text editor. You can also validate Process syntax and submit completed Processes from the Process Builder.

    You can use the Process Builder to modify Processes created with a text editor. Likewise, Processes created with the Process Builder feature can be edited with a text editor.

    See Build Processes With the Process Builder for procedures to create a Process with the Connect:Direct Browser User Interface Process Builder.

  • Through the IBM Connect:Direct Requester for Microsoft Windows, which is a graphical interface to Connect:Direct for Microsoft Windows. See Create Processes with Requester for procedures to create a Process with the IBM Connect:Direct Requester for Microsoft Windows.
  • A text file that is submitted to a IBM Connect:Direct server through a batch utility, command line, or a user written program through the Sterling Connect:Direct Application Program Interface (API). See Create Processes with a Text Editor for procedures to create a Process with a text editor.
  • Through Connect:Direct for z/OS. See the IBM Sterling Connect:Direct for z/OS User Guide for information about the IUI.