Introduction to EAI

Enterprise Application Integration (EAI):

Imagine that a large company/project have more than one applications/softwares:
1. These applications run in different platforms, say for example: windows, linux, sun solaris, os/400, and so on.
2. Between these applications: from one application to another application must can communicate to each other. As example: for common case, one application need data from another application.
3. Message format for each applications are different. As example: One application uses EDI, another application uses XML, another application uses ISO8583 format, and so on.
4. Each application use different communication tools. As example: One application can use MQ, another application can use TCP/IP, another application use WebService, another application just can use HTTP, and so on.



EAI architecture must accommodate all transactions that need coordination from one application to another system application. EAI architecture must have characteristics as below:
1. A standard message format.
2. Middleware as communication channel.

Middleware must can handle following aspects:
1. Make sure message arrive at its destination.
2. Convert message from it's standard message format to other application message format and the other way.
3. Coordinate transaction.
4. Monitoring and logging.



EAI architecture components:
1. Adapter. EAI first implementation usually built by an adapter program for each application. This adapter will convert message from application's message format to middleware standard message format and other way.
2. Middleware also must have message router. This program will validate message and route message to appropriate destination.

Next material:
EAI Technology. EAI products as hub-and-spoke. Example of EAI products.
Taken from this material link.