Oracle Data Integrator Project Components

Oracle Data Integrator Project Components

The following components are stored into a project. The appear in the in the Project accordion in the Designer Navigator, under the project's node.

Folder

Folders are components that help organizing the work into a project. Sub-folders can be inserted into folders. Folders contain Packages, Interfaces and Procedure.

Packages

The package is the largest unit of execution in Oracle Data Integrator. A package is a workflow, made up of a sequence of steps organized into an execution diagram. Packages assemble and reference other components from a project such as interfaces, procedure or variable.

Interface

An interface is a reusable dataflow. It is set of declarative rules that describe the loading of a datastore or a temporary target structure from one or more source datastores.

Procedure

A Procedure is a reusable component that groups a sequence of operations that do not fit in the interface concept.
Examples of procedures:

• wait and unzip a file
  
• send a batch of files via FTP
  
• receive emails
  
• purge a database
  

Variable

A variable's value is stored in Oracle Data Integrator. This value may change during the execution.

Sequence

A sequence is an variable automatically incremented when used. Between two uses the value is persistent.

User Functions

User functions enable to define customized functions or "functions aliases", for which you will define technology-dependant implementations. They are usable in the interfaces and procedures.

Knowledge Modules

Oracle Data Integrator uses Knowledge Modules at several points of a project design. a Knowledge Module is a code template related to a given technology that provides a specific function (loading data, reverse-engineering, journalizing).

Marker

Component of a project may be flagged in order to reflect a methodology or organization. Flags are defined using the markers. These markers are organized into groups, and can be applied to most objects in a project.

When a package, interface, procedure or variable component is finished, it is compiled in a scenario. A scenario is the execution unit for production. Scenarios can be scheduled for automated execution.

Global Components

Global components are similar to the project objects. The main different is their scope. They have a global scope and can be used in any project. Global objects include Variables, Sequences, Markers and User Functions.

Project Life Cycle

The project life cycle depends on the methods and organization of your development team. The following steps must be considered as guidelines for creating, working with and maintaining an integration project.

1. Create a new project and import Knowledge Modules for this project.
   
2. Define the project organization and practises using folders, markers and documentation.
   
3. Create reusable components: interfaces, procedures, variables, sequences. Perform unitary tests.
   
4. Assemble these components into packages. Perform integration tests.
   
5. Release the work in scenarios