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Definition:
Enterprise Application Integration
(EAI) involves linking applications to exchange business-critical
information in real time. They can be purchased or developed in-house, so they can
better support a business process. Most packaged EAI software will
offer users tools to model their business processes and link the
applications with middleware that can make each application
communicate via data messages.
How does it work
- An order comes in
via the call center, mail, e-mail, the Web or fax.
- Customer
information captured in the order process is sent to a
"new customer" process, which distributes the
new customer information to multiple applications and
databases.
- Once the order is
validated (customer, credit, items) relevant details are
sent to order fulfillment – which may pick the requested
items from inventory, schedule them for manufacture or
simply forward them.
- Fulfillment
returns status and shipment info to the order-entry system
. . .
and
to the call center, which needs to know about outstanding
orders.
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How it is done
Business Process
Integration Layer
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| (BPI) involves the integration
logical entities represented as business process elements in
terms of activity and workflow. This is where users can declare rules
for each message, such as "when an order is complete,
have the order application tell the accounting system to
send a bill and alert shipping to send out the
product." Some tools include "intelligent
routing" capabilities that can look at a message and
figure out what should be done with it next in the process. |
Interface
Integration Layer
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| Interface
Integration or Method Integration is the process of sharing
logic between applications. EAI software gains access to
various applications by attaching interfaces to them. The
interfaces interact with applications either via
descriptions they provide to their platform's component
model or by taking advantage of the program's application
programming interfaces. |
Data Integration
Layer
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| Because not all
applications store data the same way or in the same format,
most EAI software includes a way to convert data into
whatever form the receiving applications require. Some
software includes tools that let users visually
"map," or coordinate, one application's data
formats with another's. For example, the XML based data
from the web application has to translated into a different
form of application. This is achived by Application
Adapters such as API in SAP or other conventional
methods such as screen scraping. |
Transport
Integration Layer
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| Transport
Integration Layer provides communication channels for moving
data packets between two points with different
protocols. Data can be routed point-to-point or
with an architecture called publish/subscribe, in which an
application sends messages to applications that have told
the broker they're interested. Depending on the network and
platforms the applications reside on, this could be done
with middleware such as database drivers, component object
models or messaging middleware. |
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