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Transformer is used to change the format of messages. Transformer offers design time and run-time service modes.
Transformer is installed with iWay 6.0.1 Service Manager (SM). For more information on installing and configuring Transformer, see the iWay Installation and Configuration manual.
Design-Time Mode
Design-time mode supports the development and publication of Transform or Ebix components into the run-time server. Design-time mode utilizes iWay-supplied libraries of common Transform or Ebix components, such as standard SWIFT messages. Users can also create their own components to be used in design-time mode. You can transform messages between XML message formats and non-XML message formats.
Electronic messages often use standard formats such as EDI X12 or SWIFT. iWay makes such formats available as part of its standard adapter suites. Frequently, however, modifications to these standards are required for specific business situations. Transformer provides the tools to customize and extend the offered standard formats to cover such specific situations.
Once a Transform or Ebix component has been defined, the design-time tooling allows it to be tested and validated against test profiles. Once validated, the Transform or Ebix component can be published to one or more run-time servers.
Run-Time Mode
Run-time mode uses a published Transform or Ebix component as a service of iWay Service Manager. These components can also be utilized at various points within a message processing life cycle as required.
The Metadata Management Facility provides an interface to work with e-business metadata in iWay Service Manager. It is integrated with the Dictionary Builder tool, which is described in Using Dictionary Builder.
A dictionary is a metadata representation that describes the structure of a transaction or a document that is used in EDI, SWIFT, or proprietary projects. Dictionaries are required when the input data is not structural, such as in EDI or SWIFT formats. In Transformer, you can build, browse, and edit your data dictionaries through the convenient graphical user interface based on the Dictionary Management Facility, and export or publish them afterwards.
iWay Format Adapters are used to convert EDI or SWIFT formatted messages to XML and vice versa. Dictionaries are used to define the message structure and contain structural and content information.
Currently, the Metadata Management Facility supports the following formats:
The Ebix Management Facility enables you to create, update, and browse multiple Ebix entries or export them to Ebix archives. Ebix archives provide a way to efficiently store metadata as one executable file. When written on disk, these files have .ebx extensions and are referred to as Ebix archives in this manual. The design of Ebix archives allows seamless integration with iWay Service Manager.
Each of the data dictionaries and all of its related components correspond to one Ebix entry. An Ebix entry is managed in the Dictionary Builder facility via an Ebix Entry project. Single or multiple Ebix entries opened in Transformer can then be exported as Ebix archives or published on the server as Ebix components. For more information on Ebix Entry projects, see Introducing Ebix Entry Projects.
Currently, the Ebix Management Facility supports the following formats:
The Library Management Facility allows you to collect metadata components in custom libraries and to take advantage of system libraries, which are pre-built collections of standard metadata components provided by iWay.
System libraries are referenced externally and can be imported into the Dictionary Builder on demand using the Library Manager interface. For more information, see Using Library Manager. You can download the available system libraries from the following download site:
http://iwse.ibi.com/ebiz/
The system libraries are currently available in the following formats:
Work in the Transformer design-time mode is aggregated into projects.
Transform Projects
Transform projects provide support for creating, modifying, and publishing Transform components. A Transform project is typically made up of:
A Transform project holds mappings for conversions of messages. It also manages Transform components of iWay Service Manager. For more information, see Introducing Transform Projects.
Ebix Entry Projects
Ebix Entry projects provide support for creating, modifying, and publishing Ebix components. An Ebix Entry project is typically made up of:
An Ebix Entry project holds the work on Ebixes. It manages Ebix components of iWay Service Manager. For more information, see Introducing Ebix Entry Projects.
Transformer is tightly integrated with iWay's library of pre-defined Ebixes. Each Ebix library holds the definitions for one type of e-business standard, such as SWIFT or EDIFACT. When standard messages are received or sent in run time mode, the information in the appropriate Ebix can be employed as is to accomplish the Transform or Ebix component requirements.
Transformer provides tools for all phases of the Transform or Ebix component life cycle.
The key facilities are:
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