These administrative tasks consist primarily of configuring the objects, or resources, through which applications connect with a backend, and tuning those resources to handle the volume of connection requests.

1. If your application contains Web modules or EJB modules that require access to a backend, configure resources according to your type of EIS:

   • For a relational database, follow the steps outlined in the Configuring a JDBC provider and data source topic.

   • For a non-relational database, or another type of EIS such as the Customer Information Control System (CICS), configure a resource adapter and connection factories. The topic Accessing data using J2EE Connector Architecture connectors provides information on setting up these objects.

2. Configure an authentication alias for the new Web module or EJB module resource only if the application code, rather than WebSphere Application Server, authenticates connections with the backend. This security configuration is called component-managed authorization, and is indicated in the application deployment descriptor as res-auth = Application.

   Container-managed authorization, which is designated as res-auth = Container, indicates that Application Server performs signon for backend connections. The container-managed authentication alias must be specified on the application resource reference. This task can be done during application assembly; or deployment, along with mapping the resource reference a data source or connection factory resource. After application deployment, however, you can alter the container-managed authentication alias using the administrative console. Click Applications > Enterprise Applications > application_name, and select the link to the appropriate mapping page. For example, if you want to alter the alias of an
   EJB module resource, you might click Map data sources for all 1.x CMP beans or Map data sources for all 2.x CMP beans. For a Web module resource, click Map resource references to resources .

   Consult the J2EE connector security topic for detailed reference on resource authentication.

3. If your application contains a client module that requires data access, see Configuring data access for application clients. In this single configuration process, you can define authentication data for either component-managed or container-managed signon.

4. Specify connection pool settings.

5. Test a connection to the new data source. See the article Test connection service for information on the available methods for testing connections. This article also addresses important data source settings that can affect the accuracy of your test connection results.

6. Gather connection pool statistics by activating the JDBC connection pool counters or the J2C connection pool counters. Alternatively, you can use Performance Monitoring Infrastructure (PMI) method calls to gather connection statistics .

7. Tune the resources to manage connection volume. Consult the topic Tuning parameters for data access resources.

Related concepts
Resource adapter
Connection factory
J2EE Connector Architecture resource adapters
JDBC providers
Data sources
J2EE connector security
Connection pooling

Related tasks
Accessing data using J2EE Connector Architecture connectors

Related reference
Vendor-specific data sources minimum required settings