Implementing data lookup in ALSB

Question

Hi,
I have an xml message which is similar to one below:
<Reference name="Old Edition" sourceClassName="PROD_STATUS_CLASS" sourceInstanceID="14" sourceSystem="ABC">
          <hasRefExtent sourceClassName="PROD_STATUS_CLASS" sourceInstanceID="14|$|OED" sourceSystem="ABC">
               <ExtName>PHUOPS_ABRV</ExtName>
               <ExtType>ProdStatus</ExtType>
               <ExtValue>OED</ExtValue>
          </hasRefExtent>
          <hasRefExtent sourceClassName="PROD_STATUS_CLASS" sourceInstanceID="14|$|01-SEP-00" sourceSystem="ABC">
               <ExtName>PROD_STATSUS_ABBRV</ExtName>
               <ExtType>ProdStatus</ExtType>
               <ExtValue>01-SEP-00</ExtValue>
          </hasRefExtent>
          <referenceID>14</referenceID>
          <referenceType>ProdStatus</referenceType>
     </Reference>
There are many such reference blocks in incoming message.I need to create an xquery transformation wherein for each value in <ExtName>, a looked up is required in database/property file and corresponding value has to be mapped on target side. My questions are:
1. Is it possible to perform lookup in ALSB at the time of xquery transformation and map values dynamically?There is a possibility that we may receive 100 such blocks.
2. If yes,what are the various options available in ALSB to perform lookup? Can we use java callout and read property file? How about looking up using DB tables?
Thanks.
Arti

Answer 1

1. I have never used it personally, but you may find fn-bea:execute-sql() function useful:
http://download-llnw.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13159_01/osb/docs10gr3/userguide/xquery.html#wp1101465
2. You can use java callout and read property file. You can also use brand new JCA adapter to access your database.
http://download-llnw.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13159_01/osb/docs10gr3/jcatransport/transport.html
I don't know your use case details, but I would consider completely different approach, because java callout seems to me too heavy and accessing database from OSB (former ALSB) is just silly (against SOA principles).
If it is possible for you, you can read your database data using proper service callout and prepare the <ExtName> "mapping" before your xquery transformation takes place. In other words, you can prepare kind of "hashmap" in the following form:
<mapping>
  <entry>
    <ExtName>e1</ExtName>
    <value>v1</value>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <ExtName>e2</ExtName>
    <value>v2</value>
  </entry>
</mapping>Then you can possibly use this variable in your xquery transformation as a source for lookups. Of course, this approach needs a reasonable size of mapping which also should be easily computable from your database data.