Introduced in Feature Pack 2

Installing, configuring and deploying: SSFS

SSFS is a flexible and powerful system. Due to this, each installation is likely configured differently. This task includes common configurations made to SSFS to function with the mediation module.

Important: Review the following information for your version of WebSphere Commerce:
These configurations require:
  • Feature Pack 2 SSFS Version 9.0
  • Feature Pack 3 SSFS Version 9.1

See General mapping rules for a general overview of how WebSphere Commerce fields map to SSFS fields.

About this task

To enable SSFS to receive API calls over JMS, you must create a custom async service for each API call. The SSFS API calls to enable are:
  1. findInventory
  2. reserveAvailableInventory
  3. createOrder
  4. Feature Pack 3multiAPI
To enable an API call, you must create a new service which:
  1. Receives the request on a JMS queue
  2. Performs the API call
  3. Puts the response on another JMS queue
The flow resembles the following diagram:
SFSS flow

Procedure

  1. To create an API Service:
    1. Launch the Applications Manager.
    2. Select Applications > Applications Platform from the menu.
    3. Double click on Process Modeling.
    4. Double click on the Order Fulfillment icon.
    5. Click on the Service Definitions tab at the bottom of the left pane.
    6. Create a new service called EXTN_WC_API_NAME, where API_NAME is the name of the API you will be calling. Ensure it is added to the WebSphere Commerce group.
      If the group does not exist, see Creating WebSphere Commerce users and groups for more information.
    7. Drag components onto the palette so it resembles the above flow diagram.
    8. For the line going from the API node to the Generic JMS node, use the following for the configuration parameters.
      Note:
      • These are just sample parameters. Your environment might be different so some of them might have to change. In particular, you will have to update the Provider URL to match the hostname and SOAP port of your WESB server.
      • If a parameter does not appear in the tables below, it denotes that the field is left blank.
      Runtime tab
      Parameter Value
      Sub Service Name WC_findInventory
      Queue Name WCToSSFSMediationModule/SSFSAPIsImport_SEND_D
      Provider URL corbaloc:iiop:your_host_name:your_port_number
      Initial Context Factory WebSphere MQ
      QCF Lookup WCToSSFSMediationModule/SSFSAPIsImport_QCF
      Transactional Selected
      Initial Threads 5
      Selector TargetFunctionName = 'findInventory'
      Default Reply To Queue Name WCToSSFSMediationModule/SSFSAPIsImport_RECEIVE_D
      Server tab
      Parameter Value
      Server Name WC_API_Receiver
      Note: This is the name of the JMS listener server that is set up on Sterling Commerce that listens for the JMS queries.
      Needs Decompression Not selected
      Reconnect tab
      Parameter Value
      Maximum Time Between Reconnects (min) 2
      Exception tab
      Parameter Value
      Alert Type WC_API_Exception
      Alert Queue Name System Announcement Queue (DEFAULT)
      Suspend API Not selected
      Is Reprocessible Not selected
    9. For the line going from the API node to the second Generic JMS nodes, use the following samples for the configuration parameters.
      Runtime tab
      Parameter Value
      Queue Name WCToSSFSMediationModule/SSFSAPIsImport_RECEIVE_D
      Time To Live (seconds) 10
      Provider URL corbaloc:iiop:your_host_name:9104
      Initial Context Factory WebSphere MQ
      QCF Lookup WCToSSFSMediationModule/SSFSAPIsImport_QCF
      Persistent Selected
      Needs Compression Not selected
      Commit of this message depends on parent transaction Selected
      Enable JMS Security Not selected
  2. Enable Outbound API Calls over JMS:
    Similarly to enabling inbound API calls, for SSFS to notify WebSphere Commerce of changes to order status, we must setup custom services. These services:
    1. Make an API call
    2. Send the results of that call over a JMS queue.
    The flow resembles the following diagram:
    SFSS flow 2

    Once we create the services, they can be added to an action which, in turn, can be added to a transaction event. When the transaction event is fired, it will call the action, which will call the service. The service will then send order or shipment details to WebSphere Commerce

    We will create two custom services. The first will notify WebSphere Commerce of order updates and the second will update WebSphere Commerce of shipment updates.

    To create the order update service:

    1. Launch the Applications Manager.
    2. Select Applications > Applications Platform from the menu.
    3. Double click on Process Modeling.
    4. Double click on the Order Fulfillment icon.
    5. Click on the Service Definitions tab at the bottom of the left pane.
    6. Create a new service called EXTN_WC_sendOrderDetails_JMS. Ensure it is added to the WebSphere Commerce group.
    7. Drag components onto the palette so it resembles the above flow diagram.
    8. Double click on the API node and set the API Name parameter to getOrderDetails.
    9. For the line going from the first Generic JMS node to the API node, use the following for the configuration parameters.
      Note:
      • These are just sample parameters. Your environment might be different so some of them might have to change.
      • If a parameter does not appear in the tables below, it denotes that the field is left blank.
      Runtime tab
      Parameter Value
      Queue Name WCToSSFSMediationModule/SSFSAPIsExport_RECEIVE_D
      Time To Live (seconds) 10
      Provider URL corbaloc:iiop:your_host_name:2809
      Initial Context Factory WebSphere MQ
      QCF Lookup WCToSSFSMediationModule/SSFSAPIsImport_QCF
      Persistent Selected
      Needs Compression Not selected
      Commit of this message depends on parent transaction Selected
      Enable JMS Security Not selected
      Header tab
      Parameter Value
      TargetFunctionName sendOrderDetails
      Reconnect tab
      Parameter Value
      Retry Interval (ms) 0
      Number of Retries 0
      Use Backup JMS Not selected
    10. Click on the Actions tab at the bottom of the left pane.
    11. Click on the + icon at the top of the left pane.
    12. Enter the following information:
      Action Code
      EXTN_SendOrderDetails
      Action Name
      Send Order Details
      Action Group
      WebSphere Commerce
      Ensure Invoke the following services as part of this action is selected.
      Invoked Services
      EXTN_WC_sendOrderDetails_JMS
    13. Click Save.
    14. Go to the Transactions tab at the bottom of the left pane.
    15. Double click on the Release Order transaction.
    16. Double click on the ON_SUCCESS event.
    17. Drag your newly created action from the Actions tab of the left pane to the diagram in the right pane.
    18. Save the transaction.
    To create the shipment update service:
    1. Launch the Applications Manager.
    2. Select Applications > Applications Platform from the menu.
    3. Double click on Process Modeling.
    4. Double click on the Outbound Shipment icon.
    5. Click on the Service Definitions tab at the bottom of the left pane.
    6. Create a new service called EXTN_WC_sendShipmentDetails_JMS. Ensure it is added to the WebSphere Commerce group.
    7. Drag components onto the palette so it resembles the above flow diagram.
    8. Double click on the API node and set the API Name parameter to getShipmentDetails.
    9. For the line going from the first Generic JMS node to the API node, use the following for the configuration parameters.
      Note:
      • These are just sample parameters. Your environment might be different so some of them might have to change.
      • If a parameter does not appear in the tables below, it denotes that the field is left blank.
      Runtime tab
      Parameter Value
      Queue Name WCToSSFSMediationModule/SSFSAPIsExport_RECEIVE_D
      Time To Live (seconds) 10
      Provider URL corbaloc:iiop:your_host_name:2809
      Initial Context Factory WebSphere MQ
      QCF Lookup WCToSSFSMediationModule/SSFSAPIsImport_QCF
      Persistent Selected
      Needs Compression Not selected
      Commit of this message depends on parent transaction Selected
      Enable JMS Security Not selected
      Header tab
      Parameter Value
      TargetFunctionName sendShipmentDetails
      Reconnect tab
      Parameter Value
      Retry Interval (ms) 0
      Number of Retries 0
      Use Backup JMS Not selected
    10. Click on the Actions tab at the bottom of the left pane.
    11. Click on the + icon at the top of the left pane.
    12. Enter the following information:
      Action Code
      SendShipmentDetails
      Action Name
      Send Shipment Details
      Action Group
      WebSphere Commerce
      Ensure Invoke the following services as part of this action is selected.
      Invoked Services
      EXTN_WC_sendShipmentDetails_JMS
    13. Click Save.
    14. Go to the Transactions tab at the bottom of the left pane.
    15. Double click on the Confirm Shipment transaction.
    16. Double click on the ON_SUCCESS event.
    17. Drag your newly created action from the Actions tab of the left pane to the diagram in the right pane.
    18. Save the transaction.

What to do next

Once these services are created, they can be added to actions which, in turn can be added to transactions. Transaction examples include Release Order and Shipment Shipped.