System-to-System Integration
Large organizations are increasingly faced with the need to integrate complex, disparate systems. The challenge for IT managers is to create a cross-application architecture that can easily accommodate current systems, while at the same time providing for changing business requirements. There are several mechanisms used to build such architectures. Some of the more common ones include:
- Database integration - one system writes values to a database, the second system reads them. The databases may be transactional, or they may be data warehouses;
- Proprietary web services - using a tool like WebMethods, one system may provide a service (for example, an export of data) and the other system may call that service;
- Call integration - one system may export an interface, using SOAP or Java objects or J2EE session beans, that provides a service (for example, an export of data or invocation of an operation) and the other system may call that service;
- File sharing - one system writes values to a file, the second system reads them. File integration is certainly open, but it has performance implications and is mostly used to integrate legacy applications;
- Memory mechanisms and queuing - one system writes to a queue or sets up data and a semaphore mechanism, the second system is alerted and responds accordingly. This mechanism is tightly coupled and is mostly used to integrate in a real-time environment.
These integration mechanisms are almost always coded and tested using traditional, manual programming methods. However, the architecture of each mechanism is subject to standardization and in fact all integration code that uses one of the above mechanisms should have a similar structure.
ResQSoft offers an automated approach to meeting system-to-system integration requirements. We automatically generate source code that fits these or other integration models by utilizing Engineer as the bedrock of our system-to-system integration methodology. Rather than looking at these disparate systems as elements that must be modified extensively to work with each other, ResQSoft uses Engineer to create a common architecture that can bridge the gaps between your systems.
We welcome the opportunity to assess your oganization's integration needs. Our team can demonstrate how Engineer, combined with our rapid development methodologies, quickly resolves complex system requirements.
