Messages

The Messages section describes each message (i.e., a basic unit of communication from one software agent to another sent in a single logical transmission) that is exchanged by the service. NOTE: A service or service operation can have more than one message.

The Messages page contains the following information:

• Name (required): The name used to identify the message.
• Name of Defining Operation: The name of the operation of which this message is a part. NOTE: If the message is created from within the page that describes the operation, that operation's name is automatically provided. If the message is created from within the Messages section, the operation name is chosen from a drop-down list of previously-created operations.
• Description: A short passage that describes the message.
• Direction: A designation of the message as being in (message data is entered into the system) or out (message data is transferred out of the system).
• Message Body Type: A single value that indicates the nature of the actual (business) data transferred by the message. Values are:

Text	The message body contains a text, e.g., XML.
Stream	The message body contains a stream of primitive values that are written and read sequentially.
Map	The message body contains a set of name-value pairs, where names are strings, and values are primitives.
Object	The message body contains a serialized object.
Byte	The message body contains an array of primitive bytes.

• Message Header (link): The part of a message (usually a JMS message) that precedes the message body (payload); typically contains message identification and routing information. NOTE: Message header information is created and viewed on a separate Message Header page which is accessible only from the message's page.
• Message Payload (link): The part of a message that contains the actual (business) data transferred by the message. NOTE: Message payload information is created and viewed on a separate Message Payload page which is accessible only from the message's page.

Message Header

The Message Header page is accessible only from its corresponding message's page. It contains message identification and routing information, as well as application-specific properties that provide information about how the message should be processed or interpreted. NOTE: Message headers apply primarily to JMS messages.

The Message Header page contains the following information:

• Name of Defining Message: The name of the message for which this header is defined. NOTE: The message's name is automatically provided when the header is created.
• Message ID: The identifier assigned by the application or process that creates or sends the message.
• Message Destination: An indication of whether the message will be sent to a topic (delivered to multiple subscribers) or a queue (a staging area containing messages that are waiting to be read).
• Delivery Mode: An indication of whether the message is persistent (the message will be recovered in the event of a message broker failure) or non-persistent (the message will be discarded in the event of a failure).
• Priority: A single digit indicating the priority level assigned to the message.
• Destination Name: The name of the topic or queue to which the message is being sent.
• List of Application-Specific Properties: The names, descriptions, and permissible values of properties (fields) that provide information about how the message should be processed or interpreted. NOTE: Properties are created or edited on a separate Application-Specific Properties page which is accessible only from the message header's page.

Application-Specific Properties

The Application-Specific Properties page is used to create or edit a property, i.e., a message header field that provides information about how the message should be processed or interpreted. NOTE: The page is accessible only from its corresponding message header's page. A message header can have more than one property.

The Application-Specific Property page contains the following information:

• Name (required): The name used to identify the property.
• Description: A short passage that describes the property.
• Permissible Values: A description of the property's set of allowable instances (values), together with their definitions.

Message Payload

The Message Payload page is accessible only from its corresponding message's page. It describes the data entities which make up the actual (business) data transferred by the message.

The Message Payload page contains the following information:

• Name of Defining Message: The name of the message for which this payload is defined. NOTE: The message's name is automatically provided when the payload is created.
• List of Entities:The names and descriptions of data entities that comprise the payload data. NOTE: Data entities are created or edited on a separate Data Entity page which is accessible only from the message payload's page.

Data Entity

The Data Entity page is accessible only from its corresponding message payload's page. It describes each data entity (logical unit of information) carried in the message's payload. NOTE: A message payload can have more than one entity.

The Data Entity page contains the following information:

• Name of Defining Message: The name of the message for which this payload is defined. NOTE: The message's name is automatically provided when the Create/Edit Data Entity page is invoked.
• Name (Required): The name used to identify the entity.
• Description: A short passage that describes the entity.