WAS v8.5 > WebSphere applications > Data access resources > Data concepts

Relational resource adapters and JCA

Resource adapters are system-level software drivers used by Java applications to connect to an enterprise information system (EIS). Resource adapters plug into application servers, providing connectivity between the EIS, the application server, and the enterprise application.

WebSphere Application Server supports JCA versions 1.0, 1.5 and 1.6.

Data access for container-managed persistence beans is indirectly managed by the WebSphere Persistence Manager. The JCA specification supports persistence manager delegation of the data access to the JCA resource adapter without knowing the specific backend store. For the relational database access, the persistence manager uses the relational resource adapter to access the data from the database.

To see supported database platforms for the JDBC API, go to the WAS prerequisite website.

Java EE Connector Architecture and WebSphere relational resource adapters

WAS v8.5 supports the JEE Connector Architecture (JCA), enabling connectivity to multiple EISs. IBM supplies resource adapters for many enterprise systems separately from the WAS package, including...

• WebSphere MQ
• Service Integration Bus
• Customer Information Control System (CICS)
• Host On-Demand (HOD)
• Information Management System (IMS)
• Systems, Applications, and Products (SAP) R/3

The general approach to writing an application that uses a JCA resource adapter is to develop EJB session beans or services with tools such as Rational Application Developer.

To communicate with an enterprise information system through the resource adapter, session beans use the javax.resource.cci interfaces.

WebSphere Relational Resource Adapter (RRA)

Provides data access through JDBC calls. Provides connection pooling, transaction, and security support. The WebSphere RRA is installed and runs as part of WAS, and needs no further administration.

The RRA supports both the configuration and use of JDBC data sources and JCA connection factories. The RRA supports the configuration and use of data sources implemented as either JDBC data sources or Java EE Connector Architecture connection factories. Data sources can be used directly by applications, or they can be configured for use by CMP entity beans.

Subtopics

1. Use a single instance of a resource adapter
2. WebSphere relational resource adapter settings
3. Data access portability features
4. Connection pooling
5. JCA 1.6 support for annotations in RAR modules
6. Configure connection factories for resource adapters within applications
7. Configure Java EE Connector connection factories in the dmgr console
8. Install resource adapters embedded within applications
9. Install a resource adapter archive
10. Configure data access with wsadmin scripting
11. Access data using Java EE Connector Architecture connectors
12. Configure administered objects for resource adapters for the client
13. WebSphere Application Server prerequisite website

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