IBM BPM, V8.0.1, All platforms > Authoring services in Integration Designer > Services and service-related functions > Access external services with adapters > Configure and using adapters > IBM WebSphere Adapters > JDBC > Overview of IBM WebSphere Adapter for JDBC > Technical overview > Business objects
Business object hierarchies
Define the relationships between database tables using parent-child relationships and data ownership in hierarchical business objects. Unrelated tables can be grouped with a wrapper business object.
Business objects can be either flat or hierarchical. In a flat business object, all attributes are simple and represent one row in the database table. Hierarchies can contain related or unrelated business objects. Related business objects have parent-child relationships, with or without ownership. Unrelated business objects use the wrapper business object.
The term hierarchical business object refers to a complete business object, including all the child business objects that it contains at any level. The term individual business object refers to one business object, independent of child business objects that it might contain or parent business objects that contain it. The individual business object can represent a view that spans multiple database tables. The term top-level business object refers to the individual business object at the top of the hierarchy, which does not itself have a parent business object.
A hierarchical business object has attributes that represent a child business object, an array of child business objects, or a combination of the two. In turn, each child business object can contain a child business object or an array of child business objects, and so on.
A single-cardinality relationship occurs when an attribute in a parent business object represents one child business object. The attribute is of the same type as the child business object. The adapter supports single-cardinality relationships, and single-cardinality relationships and data without ownership.
A multiple-cardinality relationship occurs when an attribute in the parent business object represents an array of child business objects. The attribute is of the same type as the child business objects.
Use the following types of relationships between business objects to define a hierarchy that represents your database tables:
- Single-cardinality relationships
- Single-cardinality relationships and data without ownership
- Multiple-cardinality relationships
- Child business objects with multiple parents
In addition, unrelated business objects can be collected in a wrapper business object.
In each type of cardinality, the relationship between the parent and child business objects is described by the application-specific information of the key attributes in the business object storing the relationship.
- Single-cardinality relationships in business objects
In a single-cardinality relationship, an attribute in a parent business object represents one child business object. In this case, the attribute is of the same type as the child business object.The adapter supports single-cardinality relationships, and single-cardinality relationships and data without ownership.
- Multiple-cardinality relationships
In a multiple-cardinality relationship, an attribute in the parent business object represents an array of child business objects. The attribute is of the same type as the child business object. The foreign key that describes the relationship is stored in the child, except when an application stores a single-child entity. Then the parent-child relationship is stored in the parent.- Database tables with multiple parent tables
If a child table in the database has more than one parent table, you must manually configure additional parent business objects using the assembly editor. The external service wizard configures only one parent.
Related tasks:
Selecting and configuring tables, views, and synonyms or nicknames for outbound processing
Configure the module for inbound processing
Selecting and configuring tables, views, and synonyms or nicknames for inbound processing
Related reference: