IBM's solution for program-to-program communications, distributed transaction processing, and remote data access across the IBM product line.

Refers to the leveraging of interfaces exposed by custom or packaged applications. Developers leverage these interfaces to access both business processes and simple information. Using these interfaces, developers are able to bundle together many applications, allowing them to share business logic and information. The only limitations that developers face are the specific features and functions of the application interfaces.

A SAP R/3 technology that's able to combine business process with middleware. ALE provides a robust distributed architecture for SAP, giving transparent distributed access to both SAP data and processes. The ALE architecture is also essential for moving information to non-SAP systems and, ultimately, supporting the entire EAI effort.

An interface that enables different programs to communicate with each other.

Servers that provide not only for the sharing and processing of application logic, but also the connections to back-end resources. These resources include databases, ERP applications, and even traditional mainframe applications. Application servers also provide user interface development mechanisms. Additionally, they usually provide mechanisms to deploy the application to the platform of the Web.

A form of communications by which sending and receiving applications can operate independently so that they do not have to be running or available simultaneously. An application sends a request and may or may not wait for a response.

Describes the action when an RPC client stub locates a specific server on a list of servers.

A series of connections that forms a major communications pathway within a network.

The amount of data that can be sent through a connection; usually measured in bits per second. A fast modem can move about 15,000 bits in one second (about a page of English text).

The association of a client and a server.

A synchronous messaging process whereby the requestor of a service must wait until a response is received.

A message queue that resides in memory.

Provide an object-oriented mechanism to get at the underlying proprietary SAP middleware technology, such as RFCs. In addition to providing access to the data and processes, a benefit once only possible by means of specific methods, a BAPI allows access to the SAP Business Objects held in the Business Object Repository (BOR), encapsulated in their data and processes.

Allows internal and external applications to invoke business rules encapsulated within PeopleSoft as well as simple access data. This interface provides a high-level abstraction layer hiding the complexities of the PeopleSoft system from those that invoke the Business Component API.

The concept of shepherding work items through a multistep process. The items are identified and tracked as they move through each step, with either specified people or applications processing the information. The process flow is determined by process logic, and the applications (or processes) themselves play virtually no role in determining where the messages are sent.

The aggregation and high-level model of all objects, methods, properties, procedural logic, batch processing, and everything else in the enterprise that processes information.

An object model standard maintained by the OMG. It is a competing object model of COM/DCOM and JavaBeans.

IBM's SNA peer-to-peer API that can run over SNA and TCP/IP. It masks the complexity of APPC.

Software that provides interapplication connectivity based on communications styles such as message queuing, ORBs, and publish/subscribe.

A formally defined system for controlling the exchange of information over a network or communications channel.

Microsoft's standard for distributed objects, an object encapsulation technology that specifies interfaces between component objects within a single application or between applications. It separates the interface from the implementation and provides APIs for dynamically locating objects and for loading and invoking them.

An automated set of tools that allows a system designer to model a computer system or database before actually programming the system or creating the physical database.

Communications that do not require a dedicated connection or session between applications.

The process—and the techniques and technology—of moving data between data stores. This can be described as extracting information from one database, perhaps processing that information as needed, and updating it in another database. While this sounds direct and straightforward, in a typical EAI-enabled enterprise, implementing EAI might mean drawing from as many as one hundred databases and several thousands of tables. It may also include the transformation and application of business logic to the data that is being extracted and loaded.

A form of EAI that integrates different data stores to allow the sharing of information among applications. It requires the loading of data directly into the database via its native interface and does not involve the changing of business logic.

A key requirement of EAI and message brokers. There are two basic kinds of data transformation: syntactic translation changes one data set into another (such as different date or number formats), while semantic transformation changes data based on the underlying data definitions or meaning.

A database that receives relevant information from several operational databases. Data warehouses are almost exclusively used for decision support.

Allows clients to invoke SQL-based services across multivendor databases. This middleware is defined by de facto standards such as ODBC, DRDA, and RDA.

Microsoft's protocol that enables software components to communicate directly over a network in a reliable, secure, and efficient manner. DCOM is based on the DCE-RPC specification and works with both Java applets and ActiveX components through its use of the COM object model.

From the Open Software Foundation, DCE provides key distributed technologies such as RPC, distributed naming service, time synchronization service, distributed file systems, and network security.

A way for clients to locate services. Usually contained in a single system image of available servers.

A standard for sharing information between trading partners in support of supply chain integration.

A graphical representation of a conceptual or physical database design.

The unrestricted sharing of information between two or more enterprise applications. A set of technologies that allow the movement and exchange of information between different applications and business processes within and between organizations.

Like HTML, a subset of Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML), a standard for defining descriptions of structure and content in documents. However, where HTML is concerned with the presentation of information on a Web page (without context or dynamic behavior), XML provides context and gives meaning to data.

A simple, declarative language that programmers use to bind rules to elements in XML documents and so provide behavior.

The ability for a system to recover from typical system problems, such as network or processor failures.

A hardware and/or software setup that performs translations between disparate protocols.

A collection of technologies that allows the representation of complex processes that center around collaborative human activities. It is a model for client/server computing based on five foundation technologies: multimedia document management, workflow, e-mail, conferencing, and scheduling.

A typical enterprise information system today includes many types of computer technology, from PCs to mainframes. These technologies include a wide variety of different operating systems, application software, and in-house developed applications. EAI solves the complex problem of making a heterogeneous infrastructure more coherent.

The set of markup symbols inserted in a file intended for display on a World Wide Web browser. The markup instructs the Web browser how to display a Web page.

Machine-readable content or data that is in the correct format to be processed by an application or system.

In a client/server environment, integrity means that the server code and server data are centrally maintained and therefore secure and reliable.

Sometimes referred to as "flow control" or "content-based routing," intelligent routing builds on the capabilities of both the rules layer and the message translation layer. In this scenario, the message broker can identify a message coming from the source application and route it to the proper target application, translating it if required.

A structured information set providing a standard format for moving information in and out of a SAP system. In this regard, it represents a similar concept to EDI, but IDOC is not a standard. It is possible to invoke an RFC at the SAP level and get an IDOC as a result.

A standard that ensures interoperability for objects in a multivendor ORB environment.

A mechanism allowing one or more applications to communicate one to another at the process level.

An implementation approach that requires changes or additions to existing applications—opposite of noninvasive integration.

Automatic balancing of requests among replicated servers to ensure that no server is overloaded.

IBM's device-independent process-to-process protocol provides the facilities for peer-to-peer communications between two programs and also supports asynchronous networking.

A key component of EAI, a message broker is an intelligent intermediary that directs the flow of messages between applications, which become sources and consumers of information. Message brokers provide a very flexible communications backbone and such services as data transformation, message routing, and message warehousing.

Used for connecting applications running on different operating systems, most commonly through the use of message queuing.

A form of communications between programs. Application data is combined with a header (information about the data) to form a message. Messages are stored in queues, which can be buffered or persistent. Message queuing is an asynchronous communications style and provides a loosely coupled exchange across multiple operating systems.

A super-application process where messages are routed to applications based on business rules. A particular message may be directed based on its subject or actual content.

A central repository for temporarily storing messages for analysis or transmission.

The sharing of the business logic that may exist within the enterprise. For example, the method for updating a customer record may be accessed from any number of applications, and applications may access each other's methods without having to rewrite each method within the respective application.

Software that facilitates the communications between two applications. It provides an API through which applications invoke services, and it controls the transmission of the data exchange over the network. There are three basic types: communications middleware, database middleware, and systems middleware.

An asynchronous messaging process whereby the requestor of a service does not have to wait until a response is received from another application.

An implementation approach that does not require changes or additions to existing applications.

Allows clients to invoke methods or objects that reside on a remote server. This middleware revolves around OMG's CORBA and Microsoft's DCOM.

A Windows standard API for SQL communications.

Clearly outlines the options that are available to those looking to integrate with PeopleSoft, including up-to-date mechanisms such as XML and their latest Business Component API appearing with PeopleTools 8.

A consortium of object vendors and the founders of the CORBA standard.

Software that allows objects to dynamically discover each other and interact across machines, operating systems, and networks.

A set of shared class libraries with platform-independent interfaces.

Formalize and streamline the idea of EAI—to build once at the application level and then reuse throughout the solution domain. Patterns describe recurring design problems that appear in certain design contexts. They describe generic schemes for the solution of the problems, solution schemes created by defining their components, responsibilities, and relationships.

A message queue that resides on a permanent device, such as a disk, and can be recovered in case of system failure.

Sometimes referred to as "workflow," process automation is the science of managing the movement of data and the invocation of processes in the correct and proper order. Process automation provides another layer of easily defined and centrally managed processes (or workflows) that exist on top of an existing set of processes and data contained within a set of enterprise applications.

A style of interapplication communications. Publishers are able to broadcast data to a community of information users or subscribers who have issued the type of information they wish to receive (normally defining topics or subjects of interest). An application or user can be both a publisher and sub- scriber.

The ability to link to a database residing on a remote system, and requesting information from that database.

A type of database that represents physical data storage as a set of tables with columns and rows, and is able to link (create a relation) through columns that two or more tables have in common.

An interface for SAP callable from a multitude of platforms, development environments, and applications. The R/3 Automation Software Development Kit provides RFC libraries and RFC Dynamic Link Libraries (DLLs), user dialogs, in addition to an error-processing facility. Documentation and sample programs for RFCs are included in this software, allowing access to SAP processes and data from standard software such as MS Excel, PowerBuilder, Visual Basic, C++, and Java. Even more beneficial is the ability to access RFCs using other, more "standard" Microsoft interfaces such as COM, COM+, and OLEDB.

A form of application-to-application communications that hides the intricacies of the network by using an ordinary procedure call mechanism. It is a tightly coupled synchronous process.

A part of the XML story, provides interoperability between applications that exchange information.

A special-purpose computer or software package that handles the connection of two or more networks. Routers check the destination address of the packets and decide the route to send them.

The ability of an information system to provide high performance as greater demands are placed upon it, through the addition of extra computing power.

A computer or software package that provides specific capabilities to client software running on other computers.

A portable standard for network application providers on or network application providers on TCP/IP networks.

The standard database query language for relational databases.

A reporting tool that's a part of all PeopleSoft applications.

Occurs when a transaction, once entered into a system, passes through its entire life cycle without any manual intervention. STP is an example of a zero latency process, but one specific to the finance industry, which has many proprietary networks and messaging formats.

A program that creates a named collection of SQL or other procedural statements and logic that is compiled, verified, and stored in a server database.

A form of communications that requires the sending and receiving applications to be running concurrently. An application issues a request and waits until it receives a response from the other application.

A network architecture from IBM found in the more traditional mainframe technology.

Software that provides value-add services as well as interprogram communications. An example is transaction processing monitors that are required to control local resources and also cooperate with other resource managers to access non-local resources.

Based on the premise of a transaction. A transaction is a unit of work with a beginning and an end. The reasoning is that if an application logic is encapsulated within a transaction, then the transaction either completes or is rolled back completely. If the transaction has been updating remote resources, such as databases and queues, then they too will be rolled back if a problem occurs.

Provides an excellent mechanism for method sharing; it is not as effective when it comes to simple information sharing, the real goal of EAI. For instance, transactional middleware typically creates a tightly coupled EAI solution, where messaging solutions are more cohesive in nature.

The network protocol for the Internet that runs on virtually every operating system. IP is the network layer, and TCP is the transport layer.

A stored procedure that is automatically invoked on the basis of data-related events.

A mechanism to synchronize updates on different machines or platforms so that they all fail or all succeed together. The decision to commit is centralized, but each participant has the right to veto. This is a key process in real-time transaction-based environments.

A standard set of notations and concepts to approach object-oriented analysis and design.

Using this scenario, architects and developers are able to bundle applications by using their user interfaces as a common point of integration (which is also known as "screen scraping"). For example, mainframe applications that do not provide database- or business process-level access may be accessed through the user interface of the application.

Software used to automatically route events or work-items from one user or program to another. Workflow is synonymous with "process flow," although traditionally "workflow" has been used in the context of person-to-person information flows.

Set of function calls, split between the transaction manager and the resource manager. Allows the resource manager to tell the transaction manager whether it is ready to work with a transaction or whether it is in an unresponsive "resting state."

An independent open systems organization. Its strategy is to combine various standards into a comprehensive integrated systems environment called Common Applications Environment, which contains an evolving portfolio of practical APIs.

No delay between an event and its response.

An enterprise in which all parts of the organization can respond to events as they occur elsewhere in the organization, using an integrated IT infrastructure that can immediately exchange information across technical and organizational boundaries.

An automated process with no time delays (i.e., no manual re-entry of data) at the interfaces of different information systems. Straight-through processing (STP) is an example.