RESOURCE ADAPTER AND XML DESCRIPTOR FOR USE IN A CLIENT SERVER ENVIRONMENT UTILIZING AN ENTERPRISE INFORMATION SYSTEM

A resource adapter for use in client server computer configurations utilizing enterprise information systems is disclosed. The file format defines the contract between a connector provider and deployer. A packaged resource adapter includes Java classes and interfaces that are required for the implementation of both connector contracts and functionality of the resource adapter; utility Java classes for the resource adapter; native libraries required by the resource adapter; and any help files and documentation and descriptive meta information that ties all of the above elements together. In the preferred embodiment, the resource adapter is packaged using the Java ARchive (JAR) format in to an resource adapter archive (RAR). For example, a resource adapter for EIS A can be packaged as an archive with a filename eisA.rar. The RAR file is structured as a hierarchical directory including a deployment descriptor, a directory containing Java interfaces, implementation and utility classes as required by the resource adapter, and a directory containing any native libraries used by the resource adapter. Any platform dependent libraries are in this directory.