/*
 * Copyright 2002 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved.
 * SUN PROPRIETARY/CONFIDENTIAL. Use is subject to license terms.
 */

package javax.resource.spi;


import javax.resource.ResourceException;

/** <p>ConnectionManager interface provides a hook for the resource adapter to
 *  pass a connection request to the application server. 
 *  
 *  <p>An application server provides implementation of the ConnectionManager
 *  interface. This implementation is not specific to any particular type of
 *  the resource adapter or connection factory interface.
 * 
 *  <p>The ConnectionManager implementation delegates to the application 
 *  server to enable latter to provide quality of services (QoS) - security,
 *  connection pool management, transaction management and error 
 *  logging/tracing. 
 * 
 *  <p>An application server implements these services in a generic manner, 
 *  independent of any resource adapter and EIS specific mechanisms. The 
 *  connector architecture does not specify how an application server 
 *  implements these services; the implementation is specific to an 
 *  application server.
 *  
 *  <p>After an application server hooks-in its services, the connection 
 *  request gets delegated to a ManagedConnectionFactory instance either 
 *  for the creation of a new physical connection or for the matching of 
 *  an already existing physical connection.
 *  
 *  <p><b<Note</b>An implementation class for ConnectionManager interface is
 *  required to implement the java.io.Serializable interface.
 *  
 *  <p>In the non-managed application scenario, the ConnectionManager 
 *  implementation class can be provided either by a resource adapter (as
 *  a default ConnectionManager implementation) or by application 
 *  developers. In both cases, QOS can be provided as components by third
 *  party vendors.</p>
 *
 *  @since       0.6
 *  @author      Rahul Sharma
 *  @see         javax.resource.spi.ManagedConnectionFactory
**/

public interface ConnectionManager 
                    extends java.io.Serializable {

  /** <p>The method allocateConnection gets called by the resource adapter's
   *  connection factory instance. This lets connection factory instance 
   *  (provided by the resource adapter) pass a connection request to 
   *  the ConnectionManager instance.</p>
   *  
   *  <p>The connectionRequestInfo parameter represents information specific
   *  to the resource adapter for handling of the connection request.</p>
   *
   *  @param   ManagedConnectionFactory
   *                       used by application server to delegate
   *                       connection matching/creation
   *  @param   ConnectionRequestInfo     
   *                       connection request Information
   *
   *  @return  connection handle with an EIS specific connection interface.
   * 
   *
   *  @throws  ResourceException     Generic exception
   *  @throws  ApplicationServerInternalException 
   *                                 Application server specific exception
   *  @throws  SecurityException     Security related error
   *  @throws  ResourceAllocationException
   *                                 Failed to allocate system resources for
   *                                 connection request
   *  @throws  ResourceAdapterInternalException
   *                                 Resource adapter related error condition
  **/
  public  
  Object allocateConnection(ManagedConnectionFactory mcf,
			    ConnectionRequestInfo cxRequestInfo)
                               throws ResourceException;

}