Glossary page
D
DATA MAPPER
The Data Mapper is a graphical editor used to generate the XSLT transformations that transform the data format to any other data format.
F
FILE SPECIFICATION EDITOR
The File Specification Editor is a tool within the eiConsole that is used to describe the logical layout of a flat or delimited file. The File Specification Editor uses the Delimited and Fixed-Width File Transformation Module to create the file specifications.
FORMAT
A Format is any transformation from one content type to another, such as from CSV to XML. Every Source and Target has an associated Format, and Formats may be re-used across multiple Sources, Targets and Routes.
A Format is made up of:
Transformation Module
Forking / Joining Module
XSLT Transformation
I
INTERFACE
An Interface is a collection of Routes which defines a business process. In the eiConsole, Interfaces are what the user defines, maintains, and tests, as a whole. In the eiPlatform, Interfaces are what get executed.
The term “Interface” is synonymous with “Project”. Interfaces are the highest-level of visible abstraction within the eiConsole. Any given Interface is defined by one or more Routes.
INTERFACE PACKAGE
In the eiConsole an Interface Package (Interface Context) is a group of routes and interfaces that can be categorized by functional tasks. (An Interface Package can consist of any number of routes, a collection of interface templates, and partially or fully configured interfaces.)
L
LISTENER
In the eiConsole a Listener is a type of adapter. Its function is to obtain data from a particular system or source and to create a transaction from it, which is then passed along through the various functional stages of the eiConsole Assembly Line.
N
NODE
In the eiConsole Data Mapper a Node is an object. The nomenclature comes from the XML standard itself, where any object within an XML tree is called a “Node.” “Elements” are nodes which have attributes (also nodes) and child nodes. Generally they’re pretty interchangeable. Using a good analogy, you can think of it this way: “A node is like a fruit, an element is like an apple. An apple is a kind of fruit; an element is a kind of node.”
P
PIE
The PilotFish Interface Exchange (PIE) is a cloud-based application that enables any entity in the web universe to easily and rapidly share interfaces, interface templates, and components developed using the eiConsole.
PROCESSOR
A Processor is a mechanism to do general work over the data stream, either directly after it is received or immediately before it is sent. In the eiConsole you can implement as many Processors as you would like at these two locations.
R
ROUTE
In the eiConsole a Route is an interface or a part of the interface that defines how the data moves from any number of source systems to any number of target systems. Routes define the topography of an Interface. Each Route is made up of a single Router, one or more Sources, and one or more Targets. Routes are the “main” components within the eiConsole. Users configure Routes to specify the flow of Transactions by defining Sources and Targets and by configuring the Router.
ROUTE STAGE
The Route Stage is a stage within the eiConsole’s Assembly Line. The Routing stage is where you implement Routing Rules that will help you determine which one of potentially many target systems to send the data to.
ROUTING MODULE
In the eiConsole there is a Routing Modules mechanism used to send a message to some sub-set of defined target systems.
S
SOURCE TRANSFORM
The Source Transform is a stage within the eiConsole’s Assembly Line. The Source Transform stage allows you take data from its proprietary format, or the format exported by the Source system, and translate it into the canonical XML model.
SOURCES
A Source is the first stage in the eiConsole Assembly Line. A Route is defined by at least one Source (System) and one Target (System). Sources are composed of Stages following a particular order.
A Source is made up of:
Listener (one)
Processors (zero or more)
Format (one)
STAGES
Sources, Targets, and Formats are defined by discrete Stages.
Each Stage has one of seven types:
Listeners, which create Transactions from some source system Processors, which perform arbitrary, low-level operations Transformer, which translates between XML and non-XML formats XSLT Transform, which translates between XML formats Forking, which forks Transactions into sub-Transactions Joining, which joins multiple Transactions into one Routing, which determines the next stages for a Transaction Each Stage definition is a configuration of an eiPlatform Module.
T
TARGET
A Target is the last (7th) stage in the eiConsole Assembly Line. A Route is defined by at least one Source (System) and one Target (System). Targets are composed of Stages following a particular order.
A Target is made up of:
Format (one)
Processors (zero or more)
Transport (one)
TRANSACTION MONITORING
Within the Route Stage you can configure Transaction Monitoring. Transaction Monitoring allows you to configure the behavior of the system when something goes wrong. Proactive notifications can be sent through email, SNMP trap, or several other mechanisms.
TRANSACTIONS
All work within the eiPlatform is encapsulated in Transactions, which are messages that are passed from one Stage to another until the topography of some set of Routes is complete.
Transactions are inherently “real-time”.
A Transaction is made up of:
ID, an identifier that is unique within the eiPlatform context Content, such as the body of an XML document or CSV Attributes, which are similar to message headers
TRANSFORMATION MODULE
The Transformation Module is a component of the eiPlatform that is responsible for converting between XML and native data formats.
TRANSPORT
Transports are the eiConsole modules that are used to transmit data using a variety of protocols to the desired Target systems.
W
WORKING DIRECTORY
Working Directory (aka Workspace): In the eiConsole a Working Directory is a project directory that contains a set of directories and files utilized by eiConsole instances and by a running eiPlatform. The directory structure dictates a hierarchy to be used for determining which Routes and Formats belong to particular interfaces. If you select an empty directory, the eiConsole will ask you if you wish to initialize it. In doing so, it will create the necessary directories – data, formats, lib and routes.
X
XSLT
XSLT (Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations) is an open W3C language for transforming XML documents.