Building a Novell Data Synchronizer Connector: A Developer's Guide
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Building a Novell® Data Synchronizer Connector A Developer's Guide Tim Draper Developer - Novell [email protected] Kevin Wood Developer - Novacoast [email protected]
description
Releasing in 2010, Novell Data Synchronizer will play a vital role in bringing together the people, tools and interactions that drive greater innovation and productivity. In this session we'll introduce you to this bi-directional, many-to-many synchronization engine that connects disparate collaboration solutions, business applications and mobile devices. You'll also learn how to create your own connectors so you can integrate even more of your environment.
Transcript of Building a Novell Data Synchronizer Connector: A Developer's Guide
Building a Novell® Data Synchronizer ConnectorA Developer's Guide
Tim DraperDeveloper - [email protected]
Kevin WoodDeveloper - [email protected]
© Novell, Inc. All rights reserved.2
Agenda
• Introduction
• Data Synchronizer Architecture
• Connector Design Considerations
• Explore the SDK
• Building a Connector
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Product Introduction
Data Synchronizer is a bi-directional and many-to-many sync solution that connects disparate collaboration software
Features and benefits include:
– Real-time, event-driven sync
– Connection to multiple applications
– Many pre-configured connectors
– Customizable connectors
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Hub and Spoke
Novell DataSynchronizer
SDK
Interwoven
GroupWise®
SAP
MobilitySugar CRM
Teaming
SharePoint salesforce.com
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Contact Use Case
Novell DataSynchronizer
Mobile Device
Novell GroupWise
Contact is addedto application
Contact is synchronizedto all connected
applications
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Connector Architecture Overview
Here is an overview of the connector architecture
SYNC ENGINE
CONNECTOR APPLICATION
• GroupWise• SharePoint• SugarCRM• SalesForce• Documentum• Teaming• And Others...
Sync Engine Connects to Multiple Apps
CACHE
OUTPUTNODE
INPUTNODE
SOURCE
SINK
FILTERS
FILTERS
FILTERS
FILTERS
APPLICATIONINTERFACE
SINK
SOURCE
= Incoming Event
= Outgoing Event
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Scalable Architecture
CONNECTOR
CONNECTOR
CONNECTOR
CONNECTOR
CO
NN
EC
TOR
CO
NN
EC
TOR
SYNC ENGINESERVER “A”
SYNC ENGINESERVER “B”
SYNC ENGINESERVER “...n”
WEB INTERFACESERVER
CONFIGURATIONENGINE SERVER
Here is an overview ofthe scalable architecture.
Single interface foradministration formultiple engines andmultiple connectors.
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Web Administration
• LDAP-based authentication and user management
• Supports no LDAP scenario
• Administrators can configure users, groups, connectors, engines, and caching
• User can log in and manage their connector-specific settings
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Associating Users to Applications
• User names different between applications• App username vs engine username (DN)
– LDAP DN is globally unique and authoritative
DemoLogin to DataSync
Add a user to the GroupWise connector
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XML, XSLT
Java and .NET- Future
Web Services,WSDL, SOAP
SDK Architecture – Technologies
Python
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Flat File Connector
• Flat File connector's purpose
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Filters and Policies using XSLT
• Schema manipulation
– Transforms one XML form to another
– Change <surname> → <lastName>
• Dropping unwanted Events
– Drop a contact
Flat File Connector – DemoSchema manipulation
Dropping unwanted Events
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Building a Connector
• Connector Design Considerations
• Connector file structure
• Connector User Interface creation
• Connector API
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Connector Design Considerations
• Common Sync Engine Schema
• Connector A has no knowledge of connector B
• Does application provide real time events?
– Yes: Connector can listen for events
– No: Connector polls and tracks application state
• User settings
• Customizable connector policies on a per-site basis
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Connector Basics
• Connector core logic– Application Interface
• Connector Factory– Connector definitions in XML
– Connector settings
– Filter set
• Starting up a connector– Connector Manager
– Starting a connector on the command line
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Connector Basics – Web UI
• The User Interface is separate from settings
– Connector Settings
> connector.xml
– User Interface
> connector.tpl
• Not all settings need to have UI
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Exercise #1: Create a New Connector
• Copy Example Connector
• Add Connector Settings
• Add User Interface
• Add an instance of the new connector
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Data Flow in Logs
• /var/log/datasync
• Web admin log
• Config engine log
• Connector manager log
• Connector pipeline “dot-log”
• Connector AppInterface log
• Per-User or Group log
• GroupWise® POA Log
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Administration API - SOAP
• Sync Engines
– start, stop, list, query status, purge cache, get and set settings
• Configuration Engine
– get and set settings
• Connectors
– start, stop, create, delete, purge cache, get and set setting
– List connectors?
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Administration API
• Users and Groups
– add, remove, list, set application name, purge cache, get and set settings
• Profiles
– create, delete, list, get and set settings
• XSLT Policies
– List get and set settings
• Miscellaneous
– authenticate, LDAP search, DN lookups, ping, relay direct query
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Connector API - SOAP
• Configuration Notifications– Connector start/stop– Connector settings change– User/Group is added or removed– Target application name or setting change
• Data Event Notifications– Event Received– Direct Query Received
• Calls to Sync Engine– Send Event/DQ to engine – User/Group lookups, LDAP calls, cache, attachments, etc.
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Application Interface
• GenericApplicationInterface
– Example connector skeleton
Connector Demo
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