47 Defining Composite Sensors

47.1.1 Restrictions on Use of Composite Sensors

Note the following restrictions on the use of composite sensors:

• Functions can only be used with the payload. For example, XPath functions such as concat() and others cannot be used with properties.

• Any composite sensor that uses expressions always captures values as strings. This action makes the search possible only with the like comparison operator. Also, even if the value is a number, you cannot use other logical operators such as <, >, =, and any combination of these.

• Composite sensors only support the predefined DBSensorAction.

• Header-based sensors are only supported for web service bindings.

• Sensors for Oracle B2B, service data objects (SDOs), web services invocation framework (WSIF), and Oracle Business Activity Monitoring bindings are not supported.

• Sensor values can only be one of the following types.

  1. The following scalar types:

     • STRING

     • NUMBER

     • DATE

     • DATE_TIME

  2. Complex XML elements

• When creating an XPath expression for filtering, all functions that return a node set must be explicitly cast as a string:

  xpath20:upper-case(string($in.request/inp1:updateOrderStatus/inp1:orderStatus) ) = "PENDING"
  

47.2.1 How to Add Composite Sensors

To add composite sensors:

1. Use one of the following options to add a composite sensor in the SOA Composite Editor.

   1. Right-click a specific service or reference binding component to which to add a composite sensor, and select Composite Sensor.

   2. Click the Composite Sensor icon above the SOA Composite Editor.

      Figure 47-1 Composite Sensor Icon

      
      Description of "Figure 47-1 Composite Sensor Icon"
      
      

      The Composite Sensors dialog appears, as shown in Figure 47-2.

      Figure 47-2 Composite Sensor Dialog

      
      Description of "Figure 47-2 Composite Sensor Dialog"
      
      

2. Select the Composite Sensors folder, then click the Add icon.

   The Create Composite Sensor dialog appears, as shown in Figure 47-3.

   Figure 47-3 Create Composite Sensor Dialog

   
   Description of "Figure 47-3 Create Composite Sensor Dialog"
   
   

3. Enter the details shown in Table 47-1.

   Table 47-1 Create Composite Sensor Dialog

   Name	Description
   Name	Enter a name for the composite sensor. You must enter a name to enable the Edit icon of the Expression field.
   Service	Displays the name of the service. This field only displays if you are creating a composite sensor for a service binding component. This field cannot be edited. Service sensors monitor the messages that the service receives from the external world or from another composite application.
   Reference	Displays the name of the reference. This field only displays if you are creating a composite sensor for a reference binding component. This field cannot be edited. Reference sensors monitor the messages that the reference sends to the external world or to another composite application.
   Operation	Select the operation for the port type of the service or reference.
   Expression	Click the Edit icon to invoke a dropdown list for selecting the type of expression to create: Variables: Select to create an expression value for a variable. See Section 47.2.2, "How to Add a Variable" for instructions. Expression: Select to invoke the Expression Builder dialog for creating an XPath expression. See Section 47.2.3, "How to Add an Expression" for instructions. Properties: Select to create an expression value for a normalized message header property. These are the same properties that display under the Properties tab of the invoke activity, receive activity, reply activity, and OnMessage branch of a pick activity. See Section 47.2.4, "How to Add a Property" for instructions.
   Filter	Click the Edit icon to invoke the Expression Builder dialog to create an XPath filter for the expression. You must first create an expression to enable this field. For example, you may create an expression for tracking purchase order amounts over 10,000: $in.inDict/tns:inDict/ns2:KeyValueOfstringstring/ns2:Value > 10000.00
   Composite Sensor Actions	Displays the supported sensor action (DBSensorAction). This feature enables runtime sensor data to be stored in the database. For this release, only this sensor action type is supported for composite sensors. This field cannot be edited.

   
   

4. Click Apply to add more composite sensors.

5. Click OK when complete.

   A sensor icon displays on the service or reference binding component.

   Figure 47-4 Sensor Icon

   
   Description of "Figure 47-4 Sensor Icon"
   
   

47.2.2 How to Add a Variable

The Select XPath Expression dialog shown in Figure 47-5 enables you to select an element for tracking.

To add a variable:

1. Expand the tree and select the element to track.

   Figure 47-5 Variables

   
   Description of "Figure 47-5 Variables"
   
   

2. Click OK when complete.

47.2.3 How to Add an Expression

The Select Properties shown in Figure 47-6 enables you to create an expression for tracking.

To add an expression:

1. Build an XPath expression of an element to track.

   Figure 47-6 Expression

   
   Description of "Figure 47-6 Expression"
   
   

2. Click OK when complete.

47.2.4 How to Add a Property

The Select Property shown in Figure 47-7 enables you to select a normalized message header property for tracking.

To add a property:

1. Select a normalized message header property to track.

   Figure 47-7 Properties

   
   Description of "Figure 47-7 Properties"
   
   

2. Click OK when complete.