API Plug-ins › Overview of API Plug-ins

Overview of API Plug-ins

API plug-ins can query the MDB or another data source and return the number of objects that meet the criteria that you specify. You can either write your own API plug-ins or copy and modify the predefined plug-ins to meet your requirements. In both cases, you meet the prerequisites and compile your plug-ins before you can use them.

API plug-ins are deployed as jar files in the plugins directory of the filestore. API plug-ins run in the same Java Virtual Machine instance as CA Service Catalog.

The network administrator, service delivery manager, and Java programmer work together to write API plug-ins for forms and policies, as follows:

• They work together to write API plug-ins that dynamically load data into the following Form Designer fields:
  • Select boxes and options
  • Dual lists
  • Dynamic tables

  When a user completes a form while requesting a service, the report data object populates the specified field with options for the user to select. For example, when a user completes a form to reserve a virtual computer, the report data object populates the list of available computers. In addition, you can write other report data objects to populate related fields, for example, options for RAM and disk space.

• The network administrator, service delivery manager, and Java programmer work together to write API plug-ins that dynamically load data to specify approvers (assignees) for requests. When you create policies, you can specify a plug-in instead of manually specifying assignees using the Action Builder.