Technical solution: Creating a subflow as a .msgflow file (Maintained for compatibility with previous versions)

To reuse common application logic in multiple integration solutions, you can create a new subflow as a .msgflow file. This is not a recommended approach for the development of new subflows. This type of subflow is supported in IBM® Integration Bus for compatibility with earlier versions.

A subflow created as a .msgflow file cannot be deployed as a source object. The subflow contents are always copied into the parent message flow. The subflow is deployed as part of the main message flow compiled CMF object. Subflows created as a .msgflow file cannot be deployed as an independent resource. It always becomes a part of the parent message flow when it is deployed.

When you use subflows as part of your integration solution, you must complete the following steps before you create a subflow:
  1. You must verify that your subflow follows the guidelines for a subflow created as a .msgflow file. For more information, see Designing a subflow created as a .msgflow file.
  2. You must choose whether to create a subflow within a library, an application, an integration service, or an Integration project.

    For new IBM Integration Bus developments, you create applications or integration services. You use libraries for sharing resources between applications and integration services. Integration projects are maintained for compatibility with earlier versions. For more information, see Developing message flows.

  3. You must decide which method to use to set the version of the subflow. For more information, see Versioning a subflow.
Note: IBM Integration Bus releases earlier than WebSphere® Message Broker version 8 only supported subflows created as a .msgflow file. However, if you plan to develop new integration solutions, you should create subflows created as .subflow files.
After you create your subflow and include it in a message flow, you must complete the following steps before deploying a message flow that includes a subflow into an integration node:
  1. You must choose how to package your integration solution resources into a BAR file. The BAR file contains your message flows and subflows. For more information, see Creating a BAR file that includes a subflow created as a .msgflow file.
    Note: Building a BAR file for an application or integration service with the build option Compile and in-line resources selected is the recommended approach to packaging integration solutions in IBM Integration Bus and later versions.
  2. You must understand how IBM Integration Bus handles threads at run time based on your subflow design, and how you configure the overall message flow BAR file deployment properties and the Input node deployment properties. For more information, see Configuring a message flow that includes subflows.

After your solution is running in an integration node, you may need to update a version of a subflow. For more information, see Updating a subflow.