Data Transformation Engine Intelligent Business Integration Reference Guide

Intelligent Business Integration Reference Guide
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Chapter 8 - Web Services
Mercator software provides integration solutions that accelerate the adoption of
web services, eliminating the expensive, time-consuming, and risky overhaul of
critical business systems. By combining the powerful integration capabilities of the
Mercator Integration Broker with the emerging web services standards, Mercator
products make it possible for organizations to provide and employ web services at
both the business process and data process levels.
Mercator products now support the implementation and invocation of web
services. In the simplest terms, web services represent a new standards-based
and simplified model for creating and connecting distributed applications across
the Web in the form of services. Web services are built on top of existing and
widely-adopted Internet protocols. Web services are XML depictions of objects,
messages and documents designed to interact over the Web to enable application-
to-application integration. Web service applications can be published, found, or
invoked as atom-like services anywhere on the Internet, thus creating a network
of dynamic business components.
What is a Web Service?
A web service is a method exposed by a company or software program that is
both discoverable and accessible by other programs or organizations that are in
need of a particular service, such as purchasing a product, reserving a flight, or
calculating tariffs. These are discrete business services that have value to many
organizations.
Why Use Mercator Products to Implement Web Services?
The following is an analysis for using Mercator products as both a provider and
consumer of web services.
♦ Does the web service require a complex system of maps to generate the
response?
♦ Does the web service, or overall integration solution, require asynchronous
messaging?
♦ Is a light footprint solution desired to receive external web requests?
♦ Is integration needed to support internal application system integration using
XML transported over HTTP, where the application system currently may not be
implemented as a web service?