ITPE 114
Integrative Programming
& Technologies 2
Methods for Integration
Application integration is an integration framework composed of a collection
of technologies and services which form a middleware or “middleware
framework” to enable integration of systems and applications across
organizations. The four following methods used in application integration are;
File Transfer
Shared Database
Remote Procedure Invocation
Messaging
File Transfer
One application writes the file that another later reads. The applications need
to agree on the filename and location, the format of the file, the timing of when
it will be written and read, and who will delete the file.
File transfer allows independent applications built on different platforms to
integrate by producing files that other applications can read and consume.
Integrators manage file transformation and schedule file creation based on
business needs to ensure proper data exchange.
cont...
Choosing the correct file format is important because the output of one
application rarely matches exactly what another application requires, so
additional processing tools are often needed.
Shared Database
Multiple applications share the same database schema, located in
a single physical database. Because there is no duplicate data
storage, no data has to be transferred from one application to the
other.
Remote Procedure Invocation
This method develops each application which is required to be integrated
as a large-scale object or component with encapsulated data, and it
provides an interface to allow other applications to interact with the
running application.
Remote procedure invocation applies the principle of encapsulation to
integrating applications.
cont...
If an application needs some information that is owned by another
application, it asks application directly.
If one application needs to modify the data of another, then it does so by
making a call to the other application.
cont...
Each application can maintain the integrity of the data it owns.
Furthermore, each application can alter its internal data without having
every other application be affected.
Messaging
One application publishes a message to a common message channel.
Other applications can read the message from the channel at a later time.
The applications must agree on a channel as well as the format of the
message.
Messaging allows interactions between applications possible. Messaging
passing can be used to transfer packets of data frequently, immediately,
reliably, and asynchronously, or synchronously using customizable
formats.
cont...
Asynchronous messaging addresses distributed system challenges by allowing
communication even when systems aren't simultaneously active.
This approach encourages developers to design efficient components that prioritize
local processing and minimize remote dependency due to network latency.
A messaging system is needed because computers and networks are unreliable, and
applications may not always be ready to communicate. When delivery fails, the
messaging system stores the message and retries sending it until it is successfully
received.
cont...
A message is transmitted in five steps:
1. Create - the sender creates the message and populates it with data.
2. Send - the sender adds the message to a channel.
3. Deliver - the messaging system moves the message from the sender’s computer
to the receiver’s computer, making it available to the receiver.
4. Receive - the receiver reads the message from the channel.
5. Process - the receiver extracts the data from the message.
cont...
This diagram illustrates these five transmission steps, which computer performs
each, which steps involve the messaging system:
cont...
The diagram also illustrates two important messaging concepts:
1. Send and forget - in step 2, the sending application sends the message to
the message channel. Once that send is complete, the sender can go on to
other work while the messaging system transmits the message in the
background. The sender can be confident that the receiver will eventually
receive the message and does not have to wait until that happens.
cont...
The diagram also illustrates two important messaging concepts:
2. Store and Forward - in step 2, when the sending application sends the
message to the message channel, the messaging system stores the message
on the sender’s computer, either in memory or on disk. In step 3, the
messaging system delivers the message by forwarding it from the sender’s
computer to the receiver’s computer, then stores the message once again on
the receiver’s computer. This store-and- forward process may be repeated
many times, as the message is moved from one computer to another, until it
reaches the receiver’s computer.