Pure Scripted Connectors

Connector Xpress Guide › Creating Connectors › Pure Scripted Connectors

Pure Scripted Connectors

The fully functional SDK script connector bundled with this SDK is an example of a 100 percent scripted connector.

If you do not want to use a ready-made connector, you can create your own pure scripted connector using a templates provided by Connector Xpress. You can use the following two templates to create a pure scripted connector:

SDK DYN Script
SDK DYN UPO Script

Using this template as a starting point, you can invoke your own JavaScript functions for each mandatory operation. This functionality relies on the 'instead of' operation binding. Before CA IAM Connector Server performs any operation, it checks to see whether there are any operation bindings that tell it to invoke some logic before, after, or instead of the operation. Use the 'instead of' operation binding to invoke a JavaScript operation for your own pure scripted connector.

You must create an 'instead of' operation binding for each of the mandatory operations; Add, Delete, Modify, Search, and Lookup.

You can 'hot deploy' a pure scripted connector, which means that you do not have to change CA IAM Connector Server for the new connector to become operational.

A hot deployed connector specifies its connector.xml content as part of its metadata 'connectorXML' at the namespace level (accounting for proper XML encoding of this value). This means that a scripted connector can be created on the fly on a running CA IAM Connector Server without needing to restart it, or adding a static connector.xml on the CA IAM Connector Server host. Also, any connector configuration changes that are typically specified in connector.xml can be made active without a CA IAM Connector Server restart such as the connection pool settings.

How to Create a Pure Scripted Connector

Using templates as a starting point, you can create your own pure scripted connector that invokes your own JavaScript functions for each mandatory operation (Add, Delete, Modify, Search, and Lookup). Do the following:

Create a project from a template.
The two pure scripted connector templates are SDK DYN Script and SDK DYN UPO Script.
Map the attributes.
The template gives you some attributes as a starting point but you can add more.
Create operation bindings for each of the mandatory functions.
The template includes the five mandatory operations (Add, Delete, Modify, Search and Lookup), but you can add more.
Add your JavaScript operations.
Note: The template provides basic scripts, but you will need to customize these.
Click the Endpoint type node at the top level of the mapping tree.
The Endpoint Type Details dialog appears.
Click Load, then select the connector.xml configuration you want to load.
Connector Xpress loads the connector.xml configuration in the Connector XML field.
In the Connector XML field, configure the following Connector XML settings:
1. Change the value of "name" from the template default to a unique name.
```
<Property name='name'>
<Value>UniqueName</value>
</Property>
```
2. Change the value of connectorTypeName from the template default to a unique name.
```
<Property name='connectorTypeName'>
<Value>UniqueName</value>
</Property>
```
3. (Optional) We recommend that you look at the other configuration items in the Connector XML to fine-tune your connector configuration. For example:
```
<Property name='defaultConnectorConfig'>
```
Note: If you keep the template name for your new pure scripted connector, CA IAM Connector Server recognizes it. You can now deploy the pure scripted connector. It is best practice, however, to give your connector a new name which means you need to hot-deploy it to help ensure that CA IAM Connector Server recognizes it and loads its settings. For more information on hot-deployment, see the CA IM Connector Server Programming Guide.
Save the Connector Xpress project.
Deploy the connector.