WebSphere

Connectivity scenarios

You can add value to your business by connecting to existing enterprise information systems (EIS). This section shows some of the ways in which you can reuse your EIS systems.

Description

Many enterprises are looking at ways to make use of existing enterprise information systems as services.

EIS systems handle company-wide information; they let enterprises coordinate their business processes and, generally, give a high quality of service.

Integrating EIS systems is a key feature of both WebSphere® ESB and WebSphere Process Server. You can integrate existing enterprise applications and databases using various mechanisms, including IBM® Adapters and messaging bindings.

You can get new value out of EIS systems by reusing existing, and well-tested, applications and databases to support your changing business requirements. Reuse, through integration, can help you develop services quicker and reduce costs. In addition, you can build on top of systems that you already know to be robust.

Business challenge

Existing EIS systems need to be accessed, rather than significantly changed, in order to generate new value for the business. Newly acquired EIS systems need to be integrated into a larger, or different, business model.

Solution

The connectivity scenarios begin when an IT architect decides that a business has data, or business processes, that can valuably be shared, and that sharing can be achieved through application integration.

The development team uses WebSphere Integration Developer to develop applications that integrate various EIS systems. WebSphere Integration Developer helps the developers integrate messaging systems. It also helps them generate services from EIS systems, through the use of adapters together with a wizard. The wizard discovers applications and data on an EIS system, and lets the developers generate services from the discovered applications and data. WebSphere ESB or WebSphere Process Server is used to test, deploy, and administer the new applications.

Implementation highlights

These are the key steps in any implementation:
  • Decide which EIS systems to integrate.
  • Investigate how to connect to the EIS systems.
  • Use WebSphere Integration Developer to create applications that connect to the EIS systems.
  • Use WebSphere Enterprise Service Bus or WebSphere Process Server to deploy, administer, and run the applications.

Products

These are the key products in any implementation:
  • WebSphere Integration Developer, Version 6.2
  • WebSphere Enterprise Service Bus, Version 6.2 or WebSphere Process Server, Version 6.2
  • WebSphere Adapters
Note: For simplicity, most of the enterprise application integration scenarios show how you can make existing systems into service providers. In addition, most of the scenarios assume that the connection between the service requester and the enterprise service bus is made through a Web Service using SOAP/HTTP.

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Timestamp icon Last updated: 20 June 2010 00:38:38 BST (DRAFT)


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