Developing Component Integrator-Based Work Performers

You can build a work performer that is based on either a Java™ or Java Message Service (JMS) component queue. For either of these types of work performers, you need to do some preparatory work.

To develop a Component Integrator-based work performer, do the following actions:

Before you create a JMS component queue, set up access to a JMS queue:

1. Find the Java Naming and Directory Interface (JNDI) InitialContextFactory information.
2. Before you configure the component queue for JMS, you must know the name of the JMS queue to which you intend to post workflow messages.

Before you create a Java component queue, deploy a custom Java class:

1. The Java class needs to conform to the following requirements:
   • The class must have a constructor with no parameters.
   • The methods must be public.
   • The methods can contain only allowable component operation parameter types.
2. (Optional) Create the Java Authentication and Authorization Service (JAAS) authentication modules and login configuration file for your class, as follows:
   1. Create a LoginModule class for the systems your class accesses. Creation and use of LoginModule classes is described in the JAAS documentation (Security Information).
   2. Create the JAR file to hold your custom Java class and its corresponding LoginModule class.
   3. Use the application server administration tool to configure a JAAS Login Configuration file that contains a LoginContext section (which specifies your LoginModule class).

      Refer to Authentication and JAAS.

3. Create a code module that contains the jar files with all of the items that are required by custom component.
4. Create and configure a component queue for the deployed custom Java class or the JMS queue. Only one class or JMS queue can be associated with a single workflow system component queue. However, you can configure multiple component queues for any particular class or JMS queue by assigning different names to the additional component queues. For information about creating component queues, see Creating component queues.
   • When you configure a Java component queue:
     • Associate queue operations with the public methods of the deployed custom Java component.
     • Where applicable, associate each parameter of a Java class method with a corresponding operation parameter that is defined for the Component Queue. (This association is irrelevant when a method has no parameters).
   • When you specify the polling rate:

     The polling rate specifies the default polling rate when there is work available. The polling rate setting determines the rate at which the Component Manager polls component queues for work items that are requesting services. This rate is normally set to a few seconds (specified in milliseconds).

   • When you specify the batch size:

     The batch size specifies the number of step elements to query per batch at run time. The suggested minimum is 10.

   • When you specify operation parameter types:

     An attempt to import an incorrect parameter type for a component method causes the import to fail. For specific type mapping information, see Component Operation Parameter Types.

   Important: Ensure that you commit your changes.
5. Author a workflow. Use the Process Designer tool to do the following actions:
   1. Add a workflow step that includes at least one of your Java or JMS components. This associates the operations for a component queue with a step.
   2. Defining the parameter values of each operation as an expression. This expression can include the field values of a work item that are retrieved from the component queue.

      For an example, see the Content-Extended Operations example.

   3. Launch a workflow that uses your integrated component step and test the component operations.