Operators and Icons › Operators › Connectors

Connectors

Connectors are optional extensions to CA Process Automation that enable operators that interface with other CA and third-party solutions. When your administrator configures a connector, a new group of operators appears in the Operators palette in the Process Designer.

Connectors integrate CA and third-party products into workflow processes and provide bridge services from other products to CA products and solutions that embed CA Catalyst. You can download other connectors in addition to the connectors provided on the CA Process Automation installation media. Licensing restrictions may apply. A list of the most popular connectors follows:

• Amazon Web Services (AWS)
• BMC Remedy
• CA Client Automation
• CA CMDB
• CA Configuration Automation
• CA eHealth
• CA NSM
• CA Service Desk Manager
• CA Spectrum IM
• CA Workload Automation AE
• IBM AS/400
• IBM z/OS
• Microsoft Hyper-V
• VMware vSphere

Use application-specific connectors to perform tasks such as gathering data or applying actions on target systems and target applications. Connectors provide operators that run in the following locations:

• On the Orchestrator
• On agents that reside on the application server
• On proxy agents that can remotely perform the required task or collect the data on the application server

Each connector module typically includes multiple operators. Each operator performs one of the following specialized tasks:

Decision Tree Support

Returns a binary (true/false, success/failure) value that can be used to decide how to branch in the process. In some situations, the returned value can have more than two options. However, the returned value is always a small and well-defined set of possible values.

Data Collection

Collects more complex datasets from the target application. The result is typically stored in a local dataset where other operators can further analyze it. If so required, the data can also be made global so that other processes can use it.

Active Management

Performs actions on the target system, including all operators that change the behavior of the target system in any way. For example:

• Sending an event
• Reconfiguring the application
• Starting or stopping a related service

In some cases, a single operator can perform more than one of these functions. For example, a connector can run, then return a result set that is based on the connector action.

CA Process Automation includes many connectors. You can create connectors and related operators easily in either of the following ways:

• By calling standard, application-specific executables that are on the agent
• By using standard scripting languages for more complex functions

To minimize the application footprint and user interface complexity, only a set of generic and commonly used connectors are installed by default. Best practice is to install other connectors only when necessary.