We are thrilled to announce that the built-in conversion capability is newly introduced in the IBM App Connect Enterprise (ACE) Toolkit on March 31, 2025. This innovative feature significantly reduces the time and manual effort required for conversion by enabling users to convert IBM App Connect Professional (ACP) orchestrations directly into ACE message flows without the need to rebuild from scratch.
The accompanying guide provides a seamless, step-by-step approach to using this capability, ensuring a smooth and efficient transition from IBM App Connect Professional (ACP) orchestrations to IBM App Connect Enterprise (ACE) message flows.

Pre-requisites

Before starting the conversion, ensure:

• The ACP project you intend to convert is opened and available in ACP Studio.
• The latest version of IBM App Connect Enterprise Toolkit is installed on your system.

Step-by-Step Conversion Guide

Step 1: Export the ACP Project from ACP Studio

To prepare your orchestration for conversion:

• Launch your ACP Studio.
• Open the ACP Project you intend to convert.
• Navigate to File > Export Project.
• Specify a suitable file name and directory for your project.
• Save the project as a .par (Project Archive) file.

Step 2: Launch the Conversion Wizard in ACE Toolkit

To initiate the conversion process:

• Open IBM App Connect Enterprise Toolkit.
• Navigate to File > Import from the menu.
• Select IBM Integration > Import IBM App Connect Professional PAR file for conversion.

Step 3: Import the ACP .par File

• Browse and select the .par file you exported from ACP Studio.
• Click Next to confirm details.
• Click Finish to start the conversion.

Step 4: Comparing ACP Orchestration to Converted ACE Message Flow

After the conversion, it is beneficial to visually compare your original ACP orchestration with the new ACE message flow. You will observe that ACP activities have been converted into ACE Toolkit nodes. To make the comparison easier, the same naming convention used in the ACP orchestration including the activity names and their IDs has been retained in the ACE message flow.

Note: To display activity IDs in ACP Studio, go to Edit > Preferences > Orchestration and enable the option Show Activity ID in the Studio Orchestration Preferences.
This consistency helps in quickly identifying and validating the corresponding nodes in the flow.

Step 5: Reviewing the Converted ACE Message Flow

Upon conversion completion, the ACE Toolkit automatically generates:

• An Application project structured within your workspace, with the application name same as the original ACP project name for easy identification.
• A .msgflow file that represents your orchestration as a message flow, the .msgflow file also uses the same name as the original orchestration in ACP.

Initially, the message flow might display configuration-related errors or warnings, indicating required manual adjustments.

Step 6: Examining the Auto-Generated Documentation

The ACE Toolkit produces detailed post-conversion documentation:

• An HTML file (with the same name as the original orchestration), which clearly outlines the configuration required for each node.
• Configuration property file specifying configuration properties and corresponding values used in ACP Project.

Step 7: Using Inline Node Configuration Guidance

When selecting specific nodes within the ACE Toolkit message flow:

• Check the Description property of nodes for detailed TODO items.
• Each TODO includes an "Open Link" button directly leading to relevant instructions within the generated documentation.
• Click Open Link to conveniently access specific configuration instructions.

Step 8: Completing Manual Configurations via Task View

ACE Toolkit’s Task View simplifies manual configurations by clearly listing outstanding tasks:

• Each listed task directly references the associated node, making navigation intuitive and efficient.

Step 9: Finalize Your ACE Message Flow

After addressing all manual tasks:

• Validate the message flow once more.
• Ensure no errors remain to guarantee readiness for deployment.

Your ACE message flow is now prepared for deployment in your ACE environment.

Walk-through Video: ACP to ACE Conversion in Action

To complement the steps outlined above, here is a short walk-through video that demonstrates the complete conversion journey. It begins by running the orchestration in ACP Studio, followed by exporting the project as a .par file. The video then shows how to import and convert the file using the built-in capability of the ACE Toolkit, and finally, deploy the generated message flow to validate the successful migration. This end-to-end visual guide uses the same orchestration referenced in this blog, making it easy to follow along and understand each step of the process.

Summary

Converting orchestrations from IBM App Connect Professional to IBM App Connect Enterprise message flow is a straightforward and manageable process using ACE’s integrated conversion tool. Although manual configurations are inevitable, IBM provides robust documentation, structured task management, and clear inline guidance to significantly streamline the transition process.