ARDBC plug-ins

AR System Database Connectivity (ARDBC) plug-ins provide access to data stored outside the AR System database as if it were located in tables owned by AR System. After an ARDBC plug-in is installed, the AR System administrator can create a vendor form that references the table and columns of the external data source. Views and workflow can then be built for vendor forms just as if they were regular AR System forms. The source of data manipulated by the AR System API client, such as the Mid Tier is transparent to the user.

When users enter requests in the vendor form, the AR System sends the requests to the plug-in server, which sends the requests to the ARDBC plug-in instance. The plug-in retrieves the data, if any, from the external data source and returns it in the opposite direction. The AR System maps the external data to fields in the vendor form, and the form displays the data.

Unlike AREA plug-ins, the plug-in server can load multiple ARDBC plug-ins simultaneously.

The following figure shows the flow of requests and information for an ARDBC plug-in:

The following table lists the actions you need to perform to create, configure, and use an ARDBC plug-in: