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Modules and staging modules in Integration Designer

Every IBM Integration Designer application consists of an SCA module and an optional set of service library dependencies. The SCA module contains the core artifacts that are needed to deploy and run the application. Core artifacts might include business objects, interfaces, maps, and BPEL processes, and other objects. When the application is deployed and installed, Java™ code is generated based on core artifact logic.

Artifacts that are created in Integration Designer are said to be authored. If you create a new WSDL interface or business object, you are also creating, behind the scenes, a corresponding .wsdl or .xsd file in the workspace. In some cases, a single artifact type consists of multiple files.

For example, when you create a new BPEL process, a few authored files including the .bpel, .bpelex, and Artifacts.wsdl file are created in the workspace. Each of these files is authored, since they are all necessary in order for the module to build successfully.

After a module is built, Integration Designer generates Java code for the authored artifacts during the deployment process. Generated artifacts are usually Java classes based on the logic defined in the authored BPM artifacts. Some of the generated deployment code is in the module or library; some is in a separate staging project. When working with the Process Center, no generated artifacts, neither files nor entire projects, are placed in the repository.


Staging modules

Every SCA module also contains a set of generated staging modules. Since the staging modules define the Java EE dependencies and optional web content, they generally do not need to be modified by the user. Since the staging modules do not contain authored BPM logic, they are not visible in the Business Integration perspective, but they can be viewed in the Java EE or Resource perspective.

Staging module names are based on the SCA module base name.

For example, assume that an SCA module, HelloWorld, exists in the Integration Designer workspace. After the SCA module is built, the following staging modules are created:

In general, only the SCA module and dependent libraries need to be managed in source control. Staging modules appear in the workspace after the SCA module is built. Because of this timing, staging modules do not need to be managed within the source management control system as long as they contain no custom content or changes to the Java EE deployment descriptor.

In general, it is not advisable to add authored content to a staging module. If you add authored content to a staging module or make custom Java EE deployment changes, then the affected staging modules will also need to be managed in source control so that these changes can be preserved. If you add custom content to the web staging module, such as HTML or JSP pages, the ModuleName web module will need to be managed in the remote source control repository. To avoid confusion, consider creating a separate web module for any custom web content, rather than rely on the ModuleName web staging module.

Non-derived files that are inside a folder marked as derived assume the properties of the parent folder; therefore, those files become derived.

An artifact's derivation properties should never be changed. If you change an authored artifact to "derived", the Integration Designer builders treat the files as generated and delete them from the workspace.

Assume created a Java component. When you create the component, an authored .java file is created for you. It represents the Java source code logic. After you build the application, an associative .class file is generated, containing derived properties. For a list of authored and derived files, see Integration Designer artifacts managed in source control.

Team development in Integration Designer


Related tasks:
Manage SCA modules, libraries, and staging modules in Integration Designer
Manage integration solutions in source control


Related reference:
Integration Designer artifacts managed in source control