Technology Guide: Seven Levels of Application Integration

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7 Levels of Application Integration

7 Levels of Application Integration

The single-application vendor solution promises the highest degree of integration among applications.  However, it is unlikely that this approach can satisfy requirements for complete integration across a portfolio of applications because, according to various analysts, packaged applications address only about one-third of an enterprise’s requirements.  The remaining two-thirds are satisfied by custom applications.  So once integration spreads beyond the scope of a single application suite, planners, designers, and architects must rely on Enterprise Application Integration Middleware.  EAI middleware addresses the uppermost three layers of services shown below.  According to GIGA Information Group, many vendors are in a position to address projects that require EAI middleware.

Business Integration

• Business process development

Business process design/modelling, real-time decision support, state management

Application Integration

• Business event processing

Automatic event notification, flow control, content routing, transactional integrity.

• Application content transformation

Format translation, data semantics, validation, prebuilt templates.

Application Connectivity

• Application bridges and gateways

For legacy, Web, database and packaged applications.

• Application interaction styles

Publish/subscribe, publish/reply, file transfer, request/reply, conversational.

• Message handling services

Queuing, security, message management, administration.

• Basic communications

Point-to-point, reliable broadcast, IP multicast, IIOP/ORB, database, Web, 3270 SNA.