What types of EAI does webmethods support

[eaienthu]

Hi all
How about the idea of discuusing how webmethods product line fits into the EAI world.
For example we have different ways to acheive intergration
between the application
- data level eai
- process level eai
- application level eai
- method evel eai
May be we can start with how webmethods supports these
types. Or somebody can throw questions on how we can proceed.
I feel it is very important to hear it from the people who are
actually working on this rather than blindly looking at the product fact sheet.
If the group feels it is a good idea, we can drop it.

Looking For Resonses
Best Regards
Sreekanth Babu

[reamon]

Not a bad idea. Who first wants to take a crack at defining these areas so that we're all working from the same starting point? Or does everyone have Linthicum's book which I assume is where the list comes from? :-)

[sreekanth (eaienthu)]

Hello,
To start the discussion again i am throwing some light,
The WebMethods product suite supports both message brokering and document brokering capabilities. It can support data level, application interface level integration. I also heard webmethods BPM supports process level integration also. But the term process level integration is always confusing for me. How it differs from the others (data, application and method).
Method level may not be acheived using WebMethods since it is not meant for that. Application Servers are best fit for method level EAI.

Waiting for the comments

Cheers
Sreekanth

[reamon]

For process integration: Layout a flow chart that describes some process. That process may define the exchange of documents/data between entities. Thus, process integration usually uses data integration underneath. Data flow drives the process from one state to the next. Process state is managed by the process engine.

webMethods Modeler supports this. It configures IS and/or the broker with the right items to implement a process. webMethods Workflow is used when human interaction is needed to support a process.

Aren't web services a form of method level integration? Maybe not. However, the distinction between application interface and method integration on the surface seems to be pointless. Under the covers, app interface and method are quite different, but the end result is the same for the caller.