Getting Started with Custom Source Configuration Types

You can use the provided Java files to create your own external source configuration types.

Some advantages of the external source configuration type architecture include the following:

• It is easy for Java programmers to implement.
• The source configuration types can be loaded into Deployment Automation without restarting the server and can be used immediately in Deployment Automation components.

Get started creating a custom source configuration type as follows:

1. Download the example project from Knowledgebase item S142533. This includes the sct-commons support files and the example .java file.
2. Build the example project and load the resulting source configuration type jar into a test Deployment Automation system to become familiar with the way it works.
3. Use the Javadoc to supplement this documentation and the example.
4. Create a project for your new source configuration type using any Java/J2EE IDE, such as Eclipse or IntelliJ IDEA. You can use the example project as a model for your new project.
5. Ensure that sct-commons-1.1.0.jar is in the IDE’s current class path.

6. Implement the CommonIntegrator interface from sct-commons-1.1.0.jar. Package the implementation of CommonIntegrator in a jar file that you name according to your naming standard. This includes the source configuration type definitions, which are defined using annotations, and is the file that you will load into Deployment Automation when you are ready to use the source configuration type. See An Implementation of the CommonIntegrator Interface.

7. Define the source configuration type that you want to include in this jar file. For components to work successfully, all the runtime dependencies of the jar must be packaged together.
   Note: Although it is technically possible and more efficient to include multiple source configuration types per file, it is recommended to include only one source configuration type per file. This enables easier maintenance going forward. If you put multiple types per file, you cannot do things like upgrade or delete without impacting all of them.
8. Load your new source configuration type into a test Deployment Automation system. Configure a component to use it and test the functionality you implemented.
9. Load your new source configuration type into your production Deployment Automation system to make it available to your Deployment Automation users.
10. Ensure that those administrators who should have privileges to manage custom source configuration types are given the server role to do so.

Details are included in the subsequent sections of the documentation.

Minimum requirements:

• JDK 1.8 or later
• Deployment Automation 6.2 or later
  Note:

  You can use custom source configuration types developed using the Deployment Automation 6.1.5 CommonIntegrator interface with Deployment Automation 6.2, but you should not use source configuration types developed with the latest CommonIntegrator interface with Deployment Automation 6.1.5.