The latest WSO2 ESB release, version 4.8, introduces the Cloud Connectors.
Cloud connectors are the foundation for cloud to cloud and cloud to enterprise integration. This allows connecting disparate cloud APIs, mobile applications and on-premise systems.
The consumption of APIs on the cloud just got easier with WSO2 ESB. You can just point and click to the connector wrapper, and keep using the operations supported by the APIs. Just focus on the business use case and the sequence of operations you want to use.
Cloud connectors combined with the comprehensive set of mediators that ships with WSO2 ESB provides a comprehensive integration platform, with all the EIP support.
Cloud to Cloud Integration
Cloud to cloud integration with ESB connectors help integrate across multiple SaaS systems' APIs. For example, you can connect SalesFoce with Google Docs. Another is to connect Google Docs updates with twitter.
Cloud to Enterprise Integration
Cloud to enterprise integration with ESB connectors help integrate across SaaS systems' APIs with line of business (LOB) or legacy systems. For example you can integrate SalesFoce with SAP. Another is to connect Google Docs spread sheets with the payroll application.
Cloud Connectors Characteristics
Connectors hide system connection and integration complications and allows the developer to focus only on the respective business logic.
A connector is independent form the ESB implementation and is self contained. So unlike the set of mediators, connectors do not depend on the ESB version nor do they ship with the ESB. From WSO2 ESB 4.8 on, you can use connectors across any version of ESB. When you want a particular connector with your ESB, it can be dynamically plug in to ESB.
Implementing a connector
Connector implementation is simple and can be done 3 ways:
- ESB configuration language(as ESB templates)
- An existing Java Library
- Java Script
So, if the connector you are looking for is not part of the current connector library, you can implement new connectors with ease in quick time.
Developer Tooling for Cloud Connectors
Development with connectors can be done with WSO2 Developer Studio. Similar to the way you would dynamically plugin a connector to ESB, there is dynamic tooling support for all cloud connectors. You can import the connector you want to use into Developer Studio and you will see the list of operations of the connector at on the mediator pellet for you to use in your ESB developer project
As seen from the above image, both the Twitter and Jira connectors have been imported into Developer Studio.
Both connectors are used in the proxy service.
- Developer can combine multiple operations from multiple connectors along the request (in sequence), response (out sequence) and error (fault sequence) paths
- The ordering of the connector operations can correspond to the desired business logic
- The left hand pallet shows the connectors, and once you click on a connector, the list of operations of that connector
- Developer can pick the desired operation and drop into the flow
- Connector operations can be combined with the regular mediators in a sequence flow to fine tune the business logic processing
- When you double click on a connector operation the properties dialog (shown on right bottom corner) pops up and you can set the operation specific settings
Example Use Case: Sales Opportunity Management
In this sample use case, you can query the sales opportunities from SalesForce SaaS, and import that list of sales opportunities into a Google spread sheet. If you were to implement this without WSO2 ESB, you will have to spend lot of time and write lots of code integrating the APIs of these two systems. But with the new WSO2 ESB, it is just a matter of few clicks away.
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