A deployable unit that contains all Java interfaces, classes, and native libraries, implementing a resource adapter along with the resource adapter deployment descriptor.

A system-level software driver that is used by an EJB container or an application client to connect to an enterprise information system. A resource adapter typically is specific to an enterprise information system. It is available as a library and is used within the address space of the server or client using it. A resource adapter plugs in to a container. The application components deployed on the container then use the client API (exposed by the adapter) or tool-generated high-level abstractions to access the underlying enterprise information system. The resource adapter and EJB container collaborate to provide the underlying mechanisms-transactions, security, and connection pooling-for connectivity to the enterprise information system.

Resource Adapter Archive. A JAR archive that contains a resource adapter module.

Portable Object Adapter. A CORBA standard for building server-side applications that are portable across heterogeneous ORBs.

A software unit that consists of one or more J2EE components of the same container type and one deployment descriptor of that type. There are four types of modules: EJB, Web, application client, and resource adapter. Modules can be deployed as stand-alone units or can be assembled into a J2EE application.

An architecture for integration of J2EE products with enterprise information systems. There are two parts to this

architecture: a resource adapter provided by an enterprise information system vendor and the J2EE product that allows this

resource adapter to plug in. This architecture defines a set of contracts that a resource adapter must support to plug in to

a J2EE product-for example, transactions, security, and resource management.