Endpoints and handlers

An endpoint and its associated handler route outbound messages to an external system. The combination of an endpoint and handler specify the transport protocol to use or web service, and provide the communication data required to reach the destination, such as a URL.

For data export using a publish channel, the cron task for the outbound queue invokes the handler. For a data export using an invocation channel, the invocation channel invokes the handler directly. The handler uses the metadata properties of the message to determine the external system for a publish channel transaction and any override values configured for the endpoint properties. The handler then sends the data to the destination that is specified by the endpoint associated with the handler. A single handler can have multiple endpoints, and each endpoint can contain different parameters.

Endpoints and handlers are used for outbound integration only. However, the interface table endpoint and handler also support the creation of interface tables, which are needed for inbound integration.

Endpoints provide the execution parameter values that the handler uses to perform its function. The metadata included with the endpoint definition, together with the outbound integration message, are used by the handler at the time of execution. Some handlers have predefined endpoints. These can be modified or new endpoints configured using the End Points application. The following table lists predefined endpoints.

A number of predefined handlers are provided. For several of these handlers, corresponding endpoint definitions have been configured. The endpoint definition provides the metadata values for the handler parameters, such as a directory name for the FLATFILE handler.