12.1 Overview
The Novell ZENworks Network Access Control Application Programming Interface (API) is based on the Java Message Service (JMS). Novell ZENworks Network Access Control ships with version 3.1 of the ActiveMQ JMS provider, an open source implementation of JMS.
Novell ZENworks Network Access Control API communication is illustrated in Figure 12-1, where:
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JMS Message Bus — Novell ZENworks Network Access Control ships with ActiveMQ Java Messanging Service (JMS).
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XML file — This Extensible Markup Language (XML) file is created by you and contains one or more requests.
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JMS Event Receiver — An external program that subscribes (listens) to topics and can take action base on the information received.
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JMS Requestor — An external program that makes requests of Novell ZENworks Network Access Control.
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Script — A script that can be invoked when an event occurs.
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JJS — A proprietary messaging framework that is used for communication between the MS and ESs and for intra-cluster communication (ES-to-ES).
The JMS bus is used to send requests (such as test endpoints, change access status, and set configuration properties that cannot be set via the Novell ZENworks Network Access Control user interface), and to publish events (such as test results and endpoint status change) to external third parties.
Figure 12-1 ZENworks Network Access Control API Communication
Novell ZENworks Network Access Control is continually testing endpoints that attempt to connect to your network and publishes information about those endpoints as Events to Topics. An endpoint attempts to connect that is untestable. Novell ZENworks Network Access Control quarantines the endpoint and publishes a DeviceChangeEvent to that topic.