Adding and Configuring Nodes

This chapter discusses how to:

Add a node definition to the system.
Configure a node.
Rename or delete a node.

Understanding Adding and Configuring Nodes

Nodes represent any organization, application or system that will play a part in integrations.

For example, nodes can represent customers, business units, suppliers, other trading partners, external or third-party software systems, and so on.

Node definitions define the locations to or from which messages can be routed.

Because an application can send messages to itself, a default local node definition that represents the application is delivered as part of the integration engine.

Each PeopleSoft installation must have one, and only one, default local node

Prerequisites

To configure a node and its associated transactions, at least one gateway with one connector must be defined.

Local and Remote Nodes

Each PeopleSoft Integration Broker database involved in an integration must contain a default local node definition for itself, and a remote node definition for each of the other nodes involved.

Local and remote nodes are concepts relative to the database in which the nodes are defined. If you’re signed on to database A which has node A defined, then node A is local. If you’re signed on to database B, node A is defined as remote.

For example, if the following definitions exist in the node A database:

NODE_A (default local)
NODE_B (remote)

The following definitions must exist in the node B database for it to integrate with node A:

NODE_A (remote)
NODE_B (default local)

In practice, only portals use nodes designated simply as Local. The only local node definition used by PeopleSoft Integration Broker is the one designated Default Local, which represents the database onto which you are signed.

Adding Node Definitions

This section discusses how to add a node definition to the system.

Page Used to Add Node Definitions

Page Name	Object Name	Navigation	Usage
Nodes page	(Search)	Select PeopleTools, Integration Broker, Integration Setup, Nodes. Click the Add a New Value tab.	Add a node definition to the system.

Adding a Node Definition

The following example shows the Nodes-Add a New Value page.

Note. The name you specify for a remote node must be the same as the name it specifies for itself.

To add a node:

Select PeopleTools, Integration Broker, Integration Setup, Node Definitions.
Click the Add a New Value tab.
In the Node Name field, enter a name for the node, keeping in mind that node names must begin with a character.
Click the Add button to define the node.

The Node Definitions tab displays.

Configuring Nodes

This section discusses how to:

Define node parameters.
Specify contact information.
Define node properties.
Specify node gateways and connectors.

Pages Used to Configure Nodes

Page Name	Object Name	Navigation	Usage
Node Definitions page	IB_NODE	Select PeopleTools, Integration Broker, Integration Setup, Node.	Define node parameters such as its description and its default user ID. Also specify if the node is a local node, active node or is segment aware. Use this page to also enable nonrepudiation.
Node Contacts/Notes page	IB_NODECONTACT	Select PeopleTools, Integration Broker, Integration Setup, Node. Click the Contact/Notes link at the bottom of the Node Definitions page.	Each node represents a database or other software entity managed by one or more people. Use this page to record information about the people associated with the current node.
Node Properties page	IB_NODEPROP	Select PeopleTools, Integration Broker, Integration Setup, Node. Click the Properties link at the bottom of the Node Definitions page.	Use the page to store additional information about the current node that can be referenced by any other node
Connectors page	IB_NODECONN	Select PeopleTools, Integration Broker, Integration Setup, Node. Click the Connectors tab.	Specify the gateway and target connector that the node uses for integrations.

Defining Node Parameters

Access the Node Definitions page.

Description

Enter a descriptive name for the node.

Node Type

Select from:

PIA: Designates the node as a PeopleSoft database that uses PeopleSoft Integration Broker. This is the default for a new node.

External: Designates the node as an entity that doesn’t use PeopleSoft Integration Broker.

ICType: A portal-specific setting that PeopleSoft Integration Broker doesn’t use.

Authentication Option

Select from:

Certificate: The current node uses a digital certificate to sign the messages it sends, and expects messages it receives to be signed by a complementary digital certificate. When a PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture node receives a service operation, PeopleSoft Integration Broker extracts the distinguished name from the certificate and validates it against the sending node's distinguished name retrieved from the default local node’s keystore. Service operations sent by the default local node have the digital certificate automatically inserted by Integration Broker. An external node is expected to respond to certificates outwardly the same way as a PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture node.

None: No authentication is required. This is the default value.

Warning! Single signon is not compatible with this option. If you select None for the default local node, and implement single signon on the same system, all transactions will fail. You must select either Password or Certificate when implementing single signon.

Password: Two new fields appear: Password and Confirm Password. Enter your password in the first edit box, and confirm it in the second edit box. With a PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture node, PeopleSoft Integration Broker expects service operations, both outbound to and inbound from the current node, to include a password, which it validates against the password entered here. An external node is expected to respond to passwords outwardly the same way as a PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture node.

See Implementing Node Authentication.

Default Local Node

Indicates whether the current node represents the database to which you are assigned. PeopleSoft Integration Broker is delivered with one node predefined as the default local node. You can't change which node is the default local node, but you can use the Rename Node button to rename the default local node to more appropriately reflect your application or system.

Note. After you rename the default local node, you must reboot the web server.

See Renaming or Deleting Nodes.

Local Node

Indicates that the current node is either a portal node or the default local node.

Note. You can't change this setting for the default local node.

Active Node

Select to make the current node definition active, so it can be used by PeopleSoft Integration Broker.

Note. Inactivating a node will inactivate related routing definitions. You must reactivate the routing definitions manually.

See Activating and Inactivating Routing Definitions.

Note. You can't inactivate the default local node.

Non-Repudiation

Select to activate nonrepudiation for the current node.

Note. You must also activate nonrepudiation in the service operation definition for which you want this feature.

Segment Aware

Check the box to configure the node to handle message segments.

See Working With Message Segments.

Password

Displays when the Authentication Option is Password.

Enter the node password.

Confirm Password

Reenter the node password you entered in the Password field.

Default User ID

On inbound integrations, this is the user ID that the sender must specify to invoke a service operation, unless you have set up an external user ID for this purpose.

On outbound integrations, this is the default user ID sent with the service operation.

Hub Node

Select the name of a node that will serve as a “gatekeeper” for the current node. You can select any existing PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture node for this purpose.

Note. Not all node types are appropriate as hub nodes. Nodes of type ICType are portal-specific, and aren’t used by PeopleSoft Integration Broker. A node of type External typically isn’t an Integration Broker system, so it might not be usable as a hub node unless you’ve explicitly configured it to be compatible with Integration Broker.

Master Node

This field is for information only. If the current node is used as a hub, you can indicate the target node with which it’s associated. If the current node represents a subordinate database, you can indicate the primary database.

Company ID

Enter the name of the company or organization associated with the current node.

IB Throttle Threshold

Set this parameter on a remote node definition to limit the number of requests sent to the node per dispatch. The setting is in minutes.

For slow-processing systems, this option can help to prevent saturating the targeting system with requests.

This parameter is used only for asynchronous integrations.

Image Name

Select an image from the system database. Any application that uses images can use the selected image to represent the current node.

Code Set Group Name

Select the codeset group to which you want the current node to belong. Transform programs invoked by service operations use this association to search for message data requiring translation.

See Performing Data Translation.

Copy Node

The Copy Node button displays after you have saved the initial node definition.

Click to define a new node with the same properties as the current node. The Default Local check box is cleared for all new nodes.

Note. If you copy a local node, the new node will be local as well. You must clear the Local Node check box to use it with PeopleSoft Integration Broker.

Rename Node

The Rename Node button displays after you have saved the initial node definition.

You can rename only the default local node.

Additional information about deleting nodes is contained elsewhere in this chapter.

See Renaming or Deleting Nodes.

Delete Node

The Delete Node button displays after you have saved the initial node definition.

Note. You cannot delete the default local node.

Additional information about deleting nodes is contained elsewhere in this chapter.

See Renaming or Deleting Nodes.

Specifying Contact Information

Click the Contacts/Notes link to access the Node −Node Contacts/Notes page.

Each node represents a database or other software entity managed by one or more people. Use this page to record information about the people associated with the current node.

Contact Manager	The name of the representative or administrator of the node, in standard PeopleSoft name format.
Contact Email	The Contact Manager’s email address, in standard PeopleSoft email address format.
Contact Phone Number	The phone number of the contact manager.
Contact URL	The address of the Contact Manager’s support web site, if there is one.

Defining Node Properties

Click the Properties link to access the Node − Properties page.

This page provides a convenient place to store additional information about the current node that can be referenced by any other node. Properties created for all nodes are stored in a single table, PSNODEPROP.

Examples include a DUNS number or Tax Identification Number. These properties can be used to update messages with additional information. They can also serve to add additional categorization for custom processing; for example, add a Region property so nodes can be referenced by region for special processing.

Name Type

Select from:

Category: The property is used for categorization.

Ident: The property is used for identification.

Search: The property is used for searching.

Property Name

Enter a new property name or select an existing property of the selected name type.

Specifying Gateways and Connectors

Select the Connectors tab to access the Node − Connectors page.

Use this page to specify the integration gateway and target connector the node uses for integrations.

At least one gateway with at least one target connector must be defined and configured. If the current node is remote, it can use the default local node’s gateway or any other installed gateway as its local gateway. If the current node has its own gateway installed, the default local node’s database must contain a definition for it, configured as a remote gateway.

Specifying a Gateway and Target Connector for the Current Node

To specify a gateway and connector for the current node:

Select the gateway ID for the gateway you want the current node to use.

When the default local node sends a message to any other node, the message first goes to the default local node’s local gateway through its PeopleSoft listening connector, regardless of the gateway ID you select here.
- If you specify a remote gateway ID, the local gateway uses its default remote gateway connector (specified in the integrationGateway.properties file) to route messages to the remote gateway through the remote gateway’s PeopleSoft listening connector. The remote gateway sends the messages directly to the current node, using the connector you specify in the next step.
  
  Note. The default remote gateway connector setting initially specifies the HTTP target connector, which is unlikely to change unless you develop a custom target connector.
- If you specify the local gateway ID, the local gateway sends messages directly to the current node, using the connector you specify in the next step.
Select a connector ID from the list of connectors registered with the selected gateway.

Specify the target connector appropriate to the communication method preferred by the current node. If the node is a PeopleSoft application with Integration Broker installed, select PSFTTARGET. If the node is a PeopleSoft 8.1x application, select PSFT81TARGET.

The rows on the Properties and Data Type/Description tabs are automatically populated with the connector’s properties that are designated Required in the gateway definition. The fields on these tabs are the same as those on the Connector Properties page. If the connector has multiple instances of a required property defined, only the instance designated as Default appears.

See Editing Connector Properties.
Click the Save button.

Note. You can override the gateway and connector selection for individual outbound transactions.

Working With Connector Properties

Properties that appear on this page are copies of the specified connector’s required properties.

Changes you make on this page have no effect on the originals. You can:

Add an instance of a non-required property.
Add a new instance of a required property.
Modify the value or description of a property instance.
Remove a property instance.

Information about appropriate modifications might come from PeopleSoft, from the connector’s developer, or from your own experience and requirements.

Important! Don’t remove a required property unless you replace it with another instance of the same property. Without all of its required properties, the connector is unlikely to work correctly.

You must encrypt any password connector property values. The Connector tab features access to the Password Encryption Utility that enables you to encrypt a password value and paste it into the appropriate field on the page. To access the utility, click the Password Encryption Utility arrow.

Accessing the Integration Gateway Properties File

The Connectors tab features a Gateway Setup Properties link you can use to access the integrationGateway.properties file directly from this tab.

Testing Connector Configurations

The Connectors tab features a Ping Node button you can use to test your configuration.

If the ping is successful, a window displays with a message indicating that the gateway is active and the PeopleTools version that you are running. If the ping is not successful, a window displays with a message indicating the gateway could not be found.

Renaming or Deleting Nodes

This section discusses how to rename and delete nodes.

Understanding Renaming and Deleting Nodes

This section discusses how to rename and delete nodes.

There are several situations in which you might need to rename or delete a node definition. When you do so, PeopleSoft Integration Broker automatically handles most of the dependencies involved — such as deleting routings and other properties associated with the node.

However, the live message data in Integration Broker Monitor remains unchanged. If that data still contains references to the node you want to modify, Integration Broker will prevent you from making the modification. You must remove all data from the live message tables before you can rename or delete the node definition.

You cannot delete the default local node or a node that hosts a portal. As a result, the Delete Node button is hidden on these node definitions.

Note. If you upgraded your PeopleSoft application from a PeopleTools 8.1x release, the newly created default local node definition must be renamed, so you must first remove any remaining live message data if you didn’t do so before the upgrade.

Page Used to Rename and Delete Nodes

Page Name	Object Name	Navigation	Usage
Domain Status page	AMM_MULTIDOM	SelectPeopleTools, Integration Broker, Service Operations Monitor, Administration, Domain Status.	Activate and deactivate domains in the messaging system.
Asynchronous Details page	IB_MONITOR_DET	SelectPeopleTools, Integration Broker, Service Operations Monitor, Monitor, Asynchronous Details.	Archive asynchronous service operations one at a time.
Synchronous Details page	IB_MONITOR_DET	SelectPeopleTools, Integration Broker, Service Operations Monitor, Monitor, Synchronous Details.	Archive synchronous service operations one at a time.
Run Archive	RUN_APMSGARCH	SelectPeopleTools, Integration Broker, Service Operations Monitor, Monitor, Archive Monitor Data.	Batch archive service operations.
Node Definitions	IB_NODE	SelectPeopleTools, Integration Broker, Integration Setup, Nodes.	Rename or delete a node.

Renaming or Deleting a Node

Renaming or deleting a node requires the following actions:

Deactivate all the domains in your messaging system.
1. Access the Domain Status page.
2. For each active domain in the system, from the Domain dropdown list box, select Inactive.
3. Click Update to change the status of all domains to Inactive and all dispatchers to Cleanup.
4. Click Force Reset to change the status of all dispatchers to Inactive.

Remove the data from the live message tables.

You have several choices when removing data from the live message tables:

You can archive messages one at a time from the Asynchronous Details or Synchronous Details component.
You can archive messages with a batch process using the Archive Monitor Data component.

You can purge message data using one of several Data Mover scripts delivered with PeopleSoft Integration Broker. You'll find them in PS_HOME\scripts:

AppMsgPurgeLive.dms	Deletes the queue data from every live message table in the database.
AppMsgPurgeAll.dms	Deletes the message data from every live message table and every archive message table in the database. This is the recommended procedure when upgrading from earlier versions of PeopleTools, because the archived data is largely incompatible with the new release.

Rename or delete the desired node definition.
Reboot the web server.
Reactivate the messaging domains.
1. Access the Domain status page.
2. On the Domain Status page, select All Domains Active.
3. Click Update to change the status of all domains and dispatchers to Active.

Description	Enter a descriptive name for the node.
Node Type	Select from: PIA: Designates the node as a PeopleSoft database that uses PeopleSoft Integration Broker. This is the default for a new node. External: Designates the node as an entity that doesn’t use PeopleSoft Integration Broker. ICType: A portal-specific setting that PeopleSoft Integration Broker doesn’t use.
Authentication Option	Select from: Certificate: The current node uses a digital certificate to sign the messages it sends, and expects messages it receives to be signed by a complementary digital certificate. When a PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture node receives a service operation, PeopleSoft Integration Broker extracts the distinguished name from the certificate and validates it against the sending node's distinguished name retrieved from the default local node’s keystore. Service operations sent by the default local node have the digital certificate automatically inserted by Integration Broker. An external node is expected to respond to certificates outwardly the same way as a PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture node. None: No authentication is required. This is the default value. Warning! Single signon is not compatible with this option. If you select None for the default local node, and implement single signon on the same system, all transactions will fail. You must select either Password or Certificate when implementing single signon. Password: Two new fields appear: Password and Confirm Password. Enter your password in the first edit box, and confirm it in the second edit box. With a PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture node, PeopleSoft Integration Broker expects service operations, both outbound to and inbound from the current node, to include a password, which it validates against the password entered here. An external node is expected to respond to passwords outwardly the same way as a PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture node. See Implementing Node Authentication.
Default Local Node	Indicates whether the current node represents the database to which you are assigned. PeopleSoft Integration Broker is delivered with one node predefined as the default local node. You can't change which node is the default local node, but you can use the Rename Node button to rename the default local node to more appropriately reflect your application or system. Note. After you rename the default local node, you must reboot the web server. See Renaming or Deleting Nodes.
Local Node	Indicates that the current node is either a portal node or the default local node. Note. You can't change this setting for the default local node.
Active Node	Select to make the current node definition active, so it can be used by PeopleSoft Integration Broker. Note. Inactivating a node will inactivate related routing definitions. You must reactivate the routing definitions manually. See Activating and Inactivating Routing Definitions. Note. You can't inactivate the default local node.
Non-Repudiation	Select to activate nonrepudiation for the current node. Note. You must also activate nonrepudiation in the service operation definition for which you want this feature.
Segment Aware	Check the box to configure the node to handle message segments. See Working With Message Segments.
Password	Displays when the Authentication Option is Password. Enter the node password.
Confirm Password	Reenter the node password you entered in the Password field.
Default User ID	On inbound integrations, this is the user ID that the sender must specify to invoke a service operation, unless you have set up an external user ID for this purpose. On outbound integrations, this is the default user ID sent with the service operation.
Hub Node	Select the name of a node that will serve as a “gatekeeper” for the current node. You can select any existing PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture node for this purpose. Note. Not all node types are appropriate as hub nodes. Nodes of type ICType are portal-specific, and aren’t used by PeopleSoft Integration Broker. A node of type External typically isn’t an Integration Broker system, so it might not be usable as a hub node unless you’ve explicitly configured it to be compatible with Integration Broker.
Master Node	This field is for information only. If the current node is used as a hub, you can indicate the target node with which it’s associated. If the current node represents a subordinate database, you can indicate the primary database.
Company ID	Enter the name of the company or organization associated with the current node.
IB Throttle Threshold	Set this parameter on a remote node definition to limit the number of requests sent to the node per dispatch. The setting is in minutes. For slow-processing systems, this option can help to prevent saturating the targeting system with requests. This parameter is used only for asynchronous integrations.
Image Name	Select an image from the system database. Any application that uses images can use the selected image to represent the current node.
Code Set Group Name	Select the codeset group to which you want the current node to belong. Transform programs invoked by service operations use this association to search for message data requiring translation. See Performing Data Translation.
Copy Node	The Copy Node button displays after you have saved the initial node definition. Click to define a new node with the same properties as the current node. The Default Local check box is cleared for all new nodes. Note. If you copy a local node, the new node will be local as well. You must clear the Local Node check box to use it with PeopleSoft Integration Broker.
Rename Node	The Rename Node button displays after you have saved the initial node definition. You can rename only the default local node. Additional information about deleting nodes is contained elsewhere in this chapter. See Renaming or Deleting Nodes.
Delete Node	The Delete Node button displays after you have saved the initial node definition. Note. You cannot delete the default local node. Additional information about deleting nodes is contained elsewhere in this chapter. See Renaming or Deleting Nodes.