---
title: ConnectorFacade interface
description: An application interacts with a connector through an instance of the ConnectorFacade class. The following diagram shows the creation and configuration of the connector facade. The components shown here are described in more detail in the sections that follow.
component: openicf
page_id: openicf:connector-dev-guide:connector-facade
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/openicf/connector-dev-guide/connector-facade.html
section_ids:
  create-connector-facade: Creating a ConnectorFacade
---

# ConnectorFacade interface

An application interacts with a connector through an instance of the `ConnectorFacade` class. The following diagram shows the creation and configuration of the connector facade. The components shown here are described in more detail in the sections that follow.

![connector-info](_images/connector-info.png)

The connector facade is instantiated and configured in the following steps:

1. The application creates a `LocalConnectorInfoManager` instance (or instances) and adds the individual connector bundles (or assemblies).

   The `LocalConnectorInfoManager` processes these bundles or assemblies to instantiate a `ConnectorInfo` object.

   To be processed by the connector info manager, the connector bundle or assembly must have the following characteristics:

   * Java Connector Bundle

     The `META-INF/MANIFEST.MF` file *must* include the following entries:

     * `ConnectorBundle-FrameworkVersion` - Minimum required ICF Framework version (either 1.1, 1.4, or 1.5)

     * `ConnectorBundle-Name` - Unique name of the connector bundle

     * `ConnectorBundle-Version` - Version of the connector bundle

     The combination of the `ConnectorBundle-Name` and the `ConnectorBundle-Version` must be unique.

     The connector bundle JAR must contain at least one class, that has the `ConnectorClass` annotation and implements the `Connector` interface.

   * .NET Connector Assembly

     The `AssemblyInfo.cs` is used to determine the bundle version, from the `AssemblyVersion` property.

     The bundle name is derived from the `Name` property of the assembly. For more information, refer to the corresponding [Microsoft documentation](https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.reflection.assemblyname.name\(v=vs.110\).aspx).

     |   |                                                                                                                                       |
     | - | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
     |   | If you change the name of your assembly, you must adjust the `bundleName` property in your connector configuration file, accordingly. |

     The connector assembly DLL must contain at least one class, that has the `ConnectorClassAttribute` attribute and implements the `Connector` interface.

2. For each connector, the `LocalConnectorInfoManager` processes the `MessageCatalog`, which contains the localized help and description messages for the configuration, and any log or error messages for the connector.

   Your application can use this information to provide additional help during the connector configuration process.

3. For each connector, the `LocalConnectorInfoManager` then processes the `ConfigurationClass`, to build the configuration properties for the connector.

4. Your application finds the connector info by its *connector key*. When the application has the connector info, it creates an API Configuration object that customizes the following components:

   * Object pool configuration

   * Result handler configuration

   * Configuration properties

   * Timeout configuration

   The API Configuration object is described in more detail in [OpenICF API](openicf-api.html).

5. The `ConnectorFacade` takes this customized API configuration object, determines which connector to use and how to configure it, and implements all of the ICF API operations.

## Creating a ConnectorFacade

Applications access the connector API through a `ConnectorFacade` class, and interact with the connector through a `ConnectorFacade` instance.

The following steps describe how to create a `ConnectorFacade` in your application.

1. Create a `ConnectorInfoManager` and acquire the `ConnectorInfo` object for your connector, as described in the previous section.

2. From the `ConnectorInfo` object, create the default `APIConfiguration`.

   ```java
   APIConfiguration apiConfig = info.createDefaultAPIConfiguration();
   ```

3. Use the default `APIConfiguration` to set the `ObjectPoolConfiguration`, `ResultsHandlerConfiguration`, `ConfigurationProperties`, and `TimeoutConfiguration`.

   ```java
   ConfigurationProperties properties = apiConfig.getConfigurationProperties();
   ```

4. Set all of the `ConfigurationProperties` that you need for the connector, using `setPropertyValue()`.

   ```java
   properties.setPropertyValue("host", SAMPLE_HOST);
   properties.setPropertyValue("adminName", SAMPLE_ADMIN);
   properties.setPropertyValue("adminPassword", SAMPLE_PASSWORD);
   properties.setPropertyValue("usessl", false);
   ```

5. Use the `newInstance()` method of the `ConnectorFacadeFactory` to create a new instance of the connector.

   ```java
   ConnectorFacade conn = ConnectorFacadeFactory.getInstance()
           .newInstance(apiConfig);
   ```

6. Validate that you have set up the connector configuration correctly.

   ```java
   conn.validate();
   ```

7. Use the new connector with the supported operations (described in the following sections).

   ```java
   conn.[authenticate|create|update|delete|search|...]
   ```