Applications Integration in a Semi-Virtualized Environment

Abstract

Enterprise application integration quickly arose as a problem for companies and solutions were proposed including point-to-point architecture, ETL (Extract, Transform and Load), EAI (Enterprise Application Integration) and ESBs (Enterprise Service Bus). With the rise of virtualization, how applications in a physical environment could interact with those that are in a virtualized environment. The objective of this paper is to study and define a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) in a semi-virtualized environment. The authors propose an architecture which allows service integration in a semi-virtualized environment. This study uses a survey-based technique to seek which technology can be used in the considered environment. A state-of-the-art of the various IT designs and solutions enabling SOA implementation is presented. ESB technology has been retained for this study. A literary review is done on ESB to examine how it could be used in the semi-virtualized context. The findings of this study propose an architecture which allows service integration in a semi-virtualized environment. After an in-depth examination of different deployment possibilities and technical solutions proposed for this purpose, a new architecture based on the Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) is proposed for semi-virtualized context. This architecture is organized around two ESB solutions each deployed in an environment and interconnected by a communication bridge which ensures message routing between the two ESB buses. A practical deployment phase is carried out for illustration under Talend Open Studio with encouraging results. The proposed architecture is a good solution for companies whose information systems operate in a semi-virtualized environment.