Glossary

Note: Some terms are taken directly from www.messageq.com (with permission).

Advanced Program-to-Program Communication (APPC):

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



application interface-level EAI:

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.



Application Link Enabling (ALE):

A SAP R/3 technology that combines 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.



Application Programming Interface (API):

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



application servers:

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.



asynchronous communication:

A form of communication 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.

See also [nonblocking communication]


automatic binding:

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



backbone:

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



bandwidth:

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).



binding:

The association of a client and a server.



BizTalk:

An industry initiative headed by Microsoft to promote XML as the common data exchange language for application integration.



blocking communication:

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



buffered queue:

A message queue that resides in memory.



Business Application Programming Interface (BAPI):

Provides 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 possible only 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.



Business Component API:

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.



Business Process Execution Language for Web Services (BPEL4WS):

An XML-based language for describing portable business processes.



Business Process Integration-Oriented Application Integration (BPIOAI):

Approaching applications integration by controlling information flow and service invocation through a business process.



business process management:

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.



Business Process Modeling Language (BPML):

An extensible markup language developed by the BPMI as a means of modeling business processes.



Business to Business (B2B):

The exchange of information and application services between two or more companies in support of business.



common business model:

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



Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA):

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



Common Programming Interface-Communications (CPI-C):

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



communication middleware:

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



communication protocol:

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



Component Object Model (COM):

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.

See also [Distributed Component Object Model]


Computer-Aided Software Engineering (CASE):

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.



connectionless communication:

Communication that does not require a dedicated connection or session between applications.



data-level EAI:

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 100 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.



data-level integration:

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.



data transformation:

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.



data warehouse:

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



database middleware:

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



digital certificate:

An electronic "credit card" that establishes your credentials when doing a business transaction over the Internet.



directory services:

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



Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM):

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.



Distributed Computing Environment (DCE):

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



Document Object Model (DOM):

A programming interface specification developed by the W3C allowing a programmer to create and modify HTML pages and XML documents as objects.



Electronic Business XML (ebXML):

A project to use XML as a standard and secure way to exchange business data between companies.



Electronic Data Interchange (EDI):

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



Enterprise Application Integration (EAI):

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



Enterprise JavaBeans (EJB):

An architecture for setting up program components written in Java.



Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD):

A graphical representation of a conceptual or physical database design.



Extensible Markup Language (XML):

Like HTML, a subset of Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML), a standard for defining descriptions of structure and content in documents. However, whereas 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.



Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL):

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



fault-tolerance:

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



gateway:

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



groupware:

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.



heterogeneity:

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.



HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act):

A government mandate that deals with protecting health insurance coverage for people who lose or change jobs, as well as the standardization of health care-related information systems and how information flows between them. HIPAA is based on EDI X.12.



Hypertext Markup Language (HTML):

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.



information:

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



Information-Oriented Application Integration (IOAI):

An approach to application integration where the source and target systems exchange information in real time.



integrity:

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



intelligent routing:

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.



Intermediate Document (IDOC):

A structured information set providing a standard format for moving information in and out of a SAP system. In this regard, it represents a concept similar 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.



Internet Inter-ORB Protocol (IIOP):

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



Inter-Process Communication (IPC):

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



invasive integration:

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



Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE):

A Java platform designed for highly scalable computing.



Java Database Connectivity (JDBC):

An API specification for connecting Java programs to databases.



Java Message System (JMS):

An API for Java that supports message queuing.



legacy application:

An older application that serves a valuable purpose in an organization, but is not considered state-of-the art in terms of technology.



load balancing:

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



Logical Unit 6.2 (LU6.2):

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



message broker:

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 communication backbone and such services as data transformation, message routing, and message warehousing.



Message-Oriented Middleware (MOM):

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



message queuing (MQ):

A form of communication 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 communication style and provides a loosely coupled exchange across multiple operating systems.

See also [buffered queue]
See also [persistent queue]


message routing:

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.



message warehousing:

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



method-level EAI:

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.



middleware:

Software that facilitates the communication 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: communication middleware, database middleware, and systems middleware.



nonblocking communication:

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



noninvasive integration:

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



normalization:

The process of organizing information into tables in such a way that the result of using the information is always unambiguous.



Object Management Group (OMG):

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



object middleware:

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



Object Request Broker (ORB):

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



OpenDoc:

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



Open Database Connectivity (ODBC):

A Windows-standard API for SQL communications.



Open Integration Framework (OIF):

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



Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS):

A nonprofit international consortium whose goal is to promote the adoption of product-independent standards for information formats.



patterns:

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.



persistent queue:

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



Portal-Oriented Application Integration (POAI):

Approaching application integration by aggregating the information contained in many back-end systems within a portal.



process automation:

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.



public key infrastructure (PKI):

Allows users of public networks to exchange data using a public and private cryptographic key pair that is obtained and shared through a trusted authority.



publish/subscribe (pub/sub):

A style of interapplication communication. 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 a subscriber.



Relational Database Management System (RDBMS):

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.



Remote Data Access (RDA):

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



Remote Function Call (RFC):

An interface for SAP callable from a multitude of platforms, development environments, and applications. The R/3 Automation Software Development Kit provides RFC libraries, RFC Dynamic Link Libraries (DLLs), and 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.



Remote Procedure Call (RPC):

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



Resource Description Framework (RDF):

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



RosettaNet:

An organization set up by leading information technology companies to define and implement a common set of standards for B2B application integration.



router:

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.



scalability:

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



Semantic Web:

An intuitive standard created by Tim Berners-Lee providing a mechanism for the Web to address semantics.



server:

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



Service-Oriented Application Integration (SOAI):

The process of joining applications together by allowing them to share services between them.



Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP):

An XML- and text-based mechanism allowing applications to invoke remote Web services.



sockets:

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



SQR:

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



stored procedure:

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.



Straight Through Processing (STP):

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.



Structured Query Language (SQL):

The standard database query language for relational databases.



synchronous communication:

A form of communication 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.



System Network Architecture (SNA):

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



systems middleware:

Software that provides value-added services as well as interprogram communication; for example, transaction processing monitors are required to control local resources and also cooperate with other resource managers to access nonlocal resources.



transaction processing (TP) monitor:

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 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.



transactional middleware:

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 example, transactional middleware typically creates a tightly coupled EAI solution, where messaging solutions are more cohesive in nature.



Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP):

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



trigger:

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



two-phase commit:

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.



Unified Modeling Language (UML):

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



Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI):

An XML-based registry for Web services, allowing remote users to discover and invoke Web services whether they are known or not.



user interface-level EAI:

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.



Web services:

Application services that are made available to local or remote applications through well-defined interfaces and communication protocols.



Web Services Description Language (WSDL):

An XML-based language used to describe how to invoke a Web service, analogous to an Interface Definition Language (IDL), used with traditional ORBs.



Web Services Interoperability (WS-I):

An organization of several IT industry companies aimed at creating Web services specifications that all companies can use.



Web Services Security (WS-Security):

A proposed IT industry standard addressing security when data is exchanged as part of a Web service.



workflow:

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.



World Wide Web Consortium (W3C):

An industry consortium that seeks to promote standards for the evolution of the Web.



XA interface:

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."



X/Open:

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.



XML:
See [Extensible Markup Language]
XML Query Language (XQL):

A way to locate and filter the elements and text in an XML document.



Xpath:

A language that describes a way to create and process items with XML.



XSL Transformations (XSLT):

A standard way to describe how to transform the schema and content of an XML document.



zero latency:

No delay between an event and its response.



Zero Latency Enterprise (ZLE):

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.



zero latency process:

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.





Next Generation Application Integration(c) From Simple Information to Web Services
Next Generation Application Integration: From Simple Information to Web Services
ISBN: 0201844567
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2005
Pages: 220

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