OData Adapter

OData, short for Open Data Protocol, defines a protocol for querying and updating databases using REST. This allows you to get, publish and edit database resources by sending simple HTTP messages. Refer to the official OData pages for more information.

The Designer comes with a REST Adapter that enables you to send such messages to an OData endpoint. To do this it needs information on the REST API to be called, means the REST resources and their interface. You can provide this information in two ways:

• Via a connector
  This is the easiest way to provide the necessary information. The Designer features the import of OData CSDL files describing an OData REST interface as a connector (see Creating an OData Connector for more information about that).

• Via a manual data model
  If you do not have a configuration file to import at hand, you can create the necessary resources and interface definitions manually to the Implementation folder (see Manually Providing the OData REST Interface for more).

OData Connector

Each OData REST service has its own distinct interface - defined by the names of the resources, their operations and their parameters. Before you are able access an OData REST service from your service model, its interface definition must be imported to the service model.
With the Designer, you can create a connector that contains

• the OData REST interface that describes how resources of this endpoint can be accessed,

• an OData alias that specifies where the OData REST service is located and more connection options.

For more details on connectors, refer to

• Creating an OData Connector for more information on how to create a connector by importing a descriptor.

• Using Connectors for more information on how to use the elements provided by the connector in your service model.

• Aliases for more information on how to configure an alias.

Accessing an OData Resource

Once you have created a connector to your service (or created the necessary data model by hand), you can add REST operations from the connector to any diagram to create a REST adapter to your service.

1. Add an operation from the REST connector to a diagram to add a REST adapter.
   You can drag out operations from the data model to any diagram:

   • BPMN execution diagram

   • mapping diagram

   • activity diagram

2. Configure the REST adapter to your needs.
   REST adapter operations need to get the extension REST Adapter applied. Refer to REST Adapter Reference for more information on the configuration options of this adapter.

Refer to Using Connectors for more.

Related Content