A metadata-aware Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) framework for an
application server environment. The framework allows the connector writer
to connect to a system using a low-level API. The framework provides a
space in a connector in which to define high-level functions. Using the
framework, the user can mine metadata for the functions and generate a
description of each high-level function that can be dropped into the
framework and appear as a high-level function invokable through the
connector. This high-level function manifestation, when invoked, drives
the low-level API provided by the connector. An adaptive layer may wrap a
native Common Client Interface (CCI) exposed by a connector to provide an
abstract connector that allows a higher-level abstraction of external
Enterprise Information Systems (EIS). The adaptive layer may interpret
metadata to model an external EIS as a logical data source. The adaptive
layer may be referred to as a metadata-aware CCI adapter.