Adapter Components Overview Each adapter has two main components, an adapter palette and a runtime adapter. In addition, some adapters include a design-time adapter. The adapter palette and design-time adapter are used during configuration, and the runtime adapter is used at production time. Adapter Palette Each adapter includes a palette that is used for configuration. The palette is automatically loaded into TIBCO Designer during adapter installation and available the next time Designer is started. The palette enables you to configure adapter specific options, such as its connection to the vendor application, logging options, and adapter services. During the design phase, the palette connects to the vendor application and fetches information about connection options and data schemas. You can then graphically select the appropriate items. For example, during configuration of a TIBCO ActiveMatrix Adapter for LDAP instance, the palette fetches all pertinent tables in the database. You then choose the tables that the particular service is to send or receive. The following diagram shows the TIBCO ActiveMatrix Adapter for LDAP palette and the configuration options for a publication service. Figure 2 Example adapter palette Runtime Adapter Once the adapter has been configured using TIBCO Designer, it can be deployed. A deployed adapter instance is referred to as a runtime adapter (RTA). A runtime adapter operates in a production environment, handling communication between a vendor application and other applications that are configured for the TIBCO environment. Design-time Adapter Some adapters use a design-time adapter (DTA) to access a vendor application and return design-time configuration information. The palette is a client of the DTA process. The DTA connects to the vendor application, fetches data schemas and sends them to the palette. Component Details The next diagram shows components used at design-time for adapters that provide a design-time adapter. The DTA uses the native client libraries of the application to access schema from the application. The palette (in TIBCO Designer) communicates with the DTA. Figure 3 Design-time adapter connection to application Not all adapters require a design-time adapter. Where possible, the adapter palette communicates directly with the native client libraries of the application as shown in the next diagram. Figure 4 Adapter palette connection to application As shown in the following diagram, the adapter at runtime uses the native client libraries to communicate with the vendor application. Figure 5 Runtime adapter connection to application
