What's new in V11.0.0.0

This is what's new in this version of IBM Sterling Transformation Extender:

Installation

  • Consolidated all configuration into config.yaml file. All options in dtx.ini, tx-server.env, and tx-rest.properties are now combined into a single config.yaml file for easier configuration.
  • Two kinds of expansion expressions are supported in config.yaml: Environment variable expansion expressions and master key file (MKF) encryption expansion expressions.
  • Added the ability to configure the trace file columns in the config.yaml file.
  • Added following SSL configuration procedure for the IBM Sterling Transformation Extender:
    • Runtime REST API/Design Server
    • Apache Tomcat application server
    • Java WEB Client

Additional data folders

Windows installation introduces additional data folders that are used to store the IBM Sterling Transformation Extender configuration files, logs, examples, and temporary files.

Linux installation

Updated the Linux installation procedure. You have the choice of two installation types: Native and Docker.

There is a consistent command line interface for the installation and management of either type. The IBM Sterling Transformation Extender script is the entry point for the CLI.

The IBM Sterling Transformation Extender script supports following commands:
  • ITX configure
  • ITX install
  • ITX uninstall
  • ITX start
  • ITX stop
  • ITX status
  • ITX createuser
  • ITX encryptproperty
  • ITX logs
  • ITX help

Data Directory

New Data Directory added for Windows Installation.

Data Directory is the location for IBM Sterling Transformation Extender writable files after the installation.

During the installation, a user will still be able to use the current behavior by making the Data Directory same as the install directory.

Nodes

New Nodes
  • Status node: The Status node is added to implement a mechanism to invoke a 'status flow' that is run after a flow either succeeds or errors out.
  • SOAP node: The SOAP node helps to extend the existing REST adapter/client to provide a simple and powerful way to access the SOAP services

Updates to existing nodes

Split node
  • Enhanced the Split node to support a map as a data provider. The map now runs in the 'burst' mode, enabling data splitting.
  • The Split node is now supporting the splitting JSON Arrays. If a JSON document contains a large JSON arrays, it is possible to speed up the JSON document processing by using the Split node, user can specify path to the JSON array inside the JSON document that should be split by the Split node and processed in parallel by the downstream nodes.

REST Enhancements

  • SSL/TLS support in REST adapter: The SSL/TLS provides stricter security for HTTPS connections involving very selected parties.
  • Pagination support in REST adapter: Pagination turns big archives of data into smaller, more digestible pieces.
  • Provide REST API to dynamically update Flow and Map execution trace level and scaling parameters (maximum number of execution threads).

Adapters

New adapter

RabbitMQ adapter: The RabbitMQ adapter provides access to RabbitMQ message broker exchanges and queues. The RabbitMQ adapter is used in maps and flows to send messages to the specified exchange or to receive messages from the specified queue.

Updates to existing adapter
  • SOAP (WSDL) adapter: Existing SOAP adapter renamed as SOAP (WSDL) adapter.
  • JDBC Adapter commands and properties: JDBC adapter commands and properties have been updated in the documentation described in Inbound section.
  • Google Cloud Storage adapter: Google Cloud Storage adapter’s object property has been updated.
  • REST adapter: REST adapter commands and properties have been updated in the documentation.

Converters: Converters provide support for converting CSV, Avro, Excel, Parquet, and JSON documents into sets of data records in the CSV format supported by the JDBC, Azure SQL database adapters. This means that the data produced by the converters can be loaded directly into relational databases supported by those two database adapters. Converters are integrated with Google Cloud Storage, Azure Blob Storage, Amazon S3 and SFTP adapters and can only be utilized from those adapters. Converter properties appear as regular adapter properties when configuring Google Cloud Storage, Azure Blob, Amazon S3 and SFTP actions, cards, and nodes in the IBM Sterling Transformation Extender UI.

Design Studio

JSON output text encoding card property

A new card property named DataLanguage allows the text encoding of JSON map output to be selected during map definition. Native JSON type trees were simplified by removing the encoding item type, which previously provided this functionality.

JSON output text encoding card property is also supported in Design Server, the card property is named as Encoding for Native JSON schema based output cards of a map.

Lookup and Reference Functions

  • GETDATADIRECTORY

    New GETDATADIRECTORY function isadded in the Lookup and Reference Flow Functions section. GETDATADIRECTORY function returns the data directory chosen by the user during installation.

  • GETTXINSTALLDIRECTORY

    Updated installation directory path to C:\Program Files\IBM\TransformationExtender_11.0.0 in the existing GETTXINSTALLDIRECTORY function.

Flow variables and Cache Variables

Flow variables and Cache variables are now supported on z/OS platform.

All mapping functions that handle Flow variables and Cache variables are now supported on z/OS platform (USS, CICS and BATCH environments). External cache is not supported for z/OS platform.

Design Server

Packages

Included the option to define a default flow during package deployment. This default flow will be executed if the flow name is not specified when invoking the flow command server process.

Proxy server support

A proxy server property has been added to the REST adapter/node, as well as to the Service Builder service definition.

Server dashboard

A new dashboard has been added to manage servers and packages deployed to the servers. In the Server view, you will be able to see:
  • Status of the server.
  • A list of deployed flows and runs with statistics on endpoint run history.
  • Dashboard widgets to graphically show the run history on the server.

Import Compile Maps

An existing project can be updated using the 'Import' option. Supported project files include:
  • Project files created using the Export or Selective Export options of an existing project.
  • A zip file that consists only of compiled maps (mmc files).
  • Individual compiled maps (mmc files).