IdML Configuration Item Connector

When an IdML book is authored, there are two main types of elements to add; configuration items (CI) and relationships. The IdML Configuration Item Connector writes CI elements to open IdML books.

The IdML Configuration Item Connector supports AddOnly mode only.

Configuration

The Connector needs the following parameters:

Class Type
The name of the Common Data Model class for the element (e.g. sys.ComputerSystem). This string should contain the prefix 'cdm:' (e.g. cdm:sys.ComputerSystem).
Book Name
Name of an IdML book within the scope of the AssemblyLine. An Open IdML FC should already have opened this book before attempting to use this connector to write to it.
Detailed Log
Enabling this will generate debug log messages.

Connector Input

Some of the parameters configured in the Configuration screen of the IdML Configuration Item Connector can be provided as Attributes mapped from the work Entry in the Input Map. When present and non-empty, they take precedence over the parameters in the Configuration screen:

book.name
This attribute, of type java.io.String, represents the name of the book in the context of the AssemblyLine data flow and overrides the 'bookName' configuration parameter.

Specifying 'id' Attribute

The 'id' tag attribute is a required unique identifier within the scope of a single IdML book for an element. The value of the 'id' field must be unique across all elements within an IdML book. To specify this 'id' for an element, add a connector attribute named 'id' to the output mapping.

Specifying 'sourceToken' Attribute

The 'sourceToken' tag attribute is an optional unique identifier. It is available for use by Authors to store a locally (to the Author) unique identifier for IdML elements. It is a best practice for Authors to provide an identifier that is unique within the Author’s environment when this attribute is used. To specify this 'sourceToken' for an element, add a connector attribute named 'sourceToken' to the output mapping.

Adding Attributes

To specify Common Data Model attributes in an IdML book, add a connector attribute with a 'cdm:' prefix to the output mapping (e.g. cdm:serialNumber).

Adding Extended Attributes

Extended attributes can be used to add information about a CI that doesn't natively exist in the Common Data Model. To specify an extented attribute in an IdML book, add a connector attribute with an 'extattr:' prefix to the output mapping (e.g. extattr:myattribute).