Java-Based Middleware Categories

If the idea of Java-based middleware sounds complex, don't be dismayed. It is complex. To simplify the complexity of Java's hype-driven standards and products, we have structured six major categories of Java middleware:

• Database oriented

• Interprocess

• Message oriented

• Application hosting

• Transaction processing

• Connectivity

As you may expect, we'll focus on the standards that are most relevant to application integration: message-oriented, application hosting, transaction processing, and connectivity. See Table 8.1 to see what Java middleware standards are applicable to which type of application integration.

Table 8.1. Java middleware standards compatibility.

	IOAI	BPOAI	POAI	SOAI
Database	X	X	X
Interprocess		X		X
Message	X	X	X
Application Hosting		X	X	X
Transaction Processing		X	X	X
Connectivity	X	X	X