| The methodology of Enterprise Integration has | | | | levels of coders that is the Holy Grail enterprises will |
| advanced to Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) | | | | be striving to acquire. |
| because of its ability to weave disparate applications | | | | Less sophisticated audiences, one proven method |
| and services to produce a business structure where | | | | It is an early adopter assumption to think everyone |
| data can flow as a business process. Environments | | | | using your product knows what they are doing. The |
| have been built over time with diverse layers of | | | | first implementers of any new technology will cater |
| applications. The development time and maintenance | | | | to the most sophisticated users. But the SOA |
| cost to manage these layers is driven down when | | | | audience is as varied as the many applications they |
| integration components are built on standards. The | | | | are trying to integrate, so this market will need a |
| most compelling standard in the integration space is | | | | splay of products to cover different levels of |
| Java Business Integration (JBI) which allows for the | | | | expertise. A graphical interface, as we have seen |
| creation of a Service Oriented Architecture with | | | | successfully implemented in workflow and business |
| interchangeable components that are | | | | process applications, is a proven method to simplify |
| vendor-independent. | | | | the design and implementation process. Just as BPEL |
| Isn't all development easier with a standard? | | | | maps out high-level business processes as a |
| Not really. Don't confuse the ease of using the | | | | workflow, an intuitive graphical interface for the |
| standardized run-time components with the creation | | | | lower level integrations has a definite market for a |
| of those run-times. The creation of JBI run-time | | | | technical user that wants to keep their distance from |
| components is a whole new technology, with layered | | | | the detail specifications and simply drag and drop |
| naming conventions and rules for each binding and | | | | functionality. |
| service engine components. As with any new | | | | Graphical Interfaces hide mundane details from |
| technology, JBI brings with it a sizable learning curve. | | | | developers |
| Plan time to learn JBI technology | | | | If vendors create graphical interfaces that generate |
| Developers interested in JBI will need to reserve | | | | standards-based code under the covers, a developer |
| some time to learn. This type of exposure is mostly | | | | can avoid understanding the intimate details of the |
| reviewing code snippets from existing open source | | | | specification while still enjoying the benefits of |
| JBI applications, like ServiceMix, and supplementing | | | | developing a standards-based integration. A robust |
| that learn-as-you-explore strategy with the 228 page | | | | graphical interface allows each SOA developer to |
| JBI specification document publicly available from the | | | | visualize the integration path and then simply click to |
| Java Community Process organization. SOA | | | | define the properties in a fill-in-the-blank format. This |
| integration experts, like Scott Ganyo with Moongate | | | | expands the standards-based playing field to include a |
| Technologies, agree that it can take a long time to | | | | broader base of developers. The true beauty of the |
| learn the rules of the JBI spec nomenclature and | | | | interface is to ultimately create standards based code |
| nuances to code within the standard. While it is not | | | | so that the resulting run-time components integrate |
| brain surgery, even an experienced integration | | | | easily with other internally and externally developed |
| developer will need to devote targeted time to get | | | | components. |
| up to speed. | | | | Graphical Interfaces are not always a priority |
| The Holy Grail of Simplified Integration | | | | It is a certainty that more organizations will eventually |
| So here is the hitch. Everybody is focused on SOA, | | | | go the graphical direction. First vendors develop the |
| and the push-point of that statement is everybody is | | | | functionality and then they make it easier to reuse. |
| everybody, from code crunchers to web designers. | | | | While a couple of vendors have already started |
| The use of standards, like JBI, simplifies the | | | | down a user-centric graphical path, an |
| combining of components but it is the ability to make | | | | across-the-board improvement to robust graphical |
| those high-learning-curve standards accessible to all | | | | interfaces for integration will take a year or more. |