Mule ESB

Mule ESB is a service-oriented integration bus of the enterprise

Mule ESB scope

Creation of IT infrastructure of the enterprise using an integration bus allows:

• Organize data streams between different information systems;
• Organize a common information space, receiving an efficiency maximum from the used infrastructure;

• Receive scalable architecture at which it is possible without any additional costs having begun with "consolidation" of only several systems to expand functionality of the service bus of the enterprise over time, adding to it all new and new services and systems;
• Separate data exchange between applications into the transport layer and the business logic layer that will simplify afterwards support and upgrade of infrastructure;
• Carry out change of an interaction logic of applications, without resorting to programming, using instead only settings of the bus;
• Use the ready functionality of the bus which is available under all widespread protocols and technologies at the transport layer;
• Reduce the number of integration communications between information systems, facilitating support and development of information systems;

As the system of the performing function of the service bus of the enterprise we suggest to use the free distributed software of Mule.

Mule is the system of routing of messages which allows to organize data exchange between different software applications. Mule treats the open source with the open code distributed according to the CPAL license. It means that there is no need to pay for use of a system, and provisions of the CPAL license allow to carry out necessary upgrades.

Possibilities of Mule ESB

In comparison with similar commercial products of Mule has a number of essential advantages:

• Possibility of binding of components from different software environments (framework);
• Repeated to use components;
• Components do not require changes of the code directly under accomplishment in Mule, and specific program API are absent;
• The business logic is completely separated from message exchange logic;
• Support of any message format, for example, it can be the message of SOAP or even a binary image of the file;
• Lack of restrictions for applications on architecture, for example, transfer only XML of messages or the organization of WSDL services;
• Deployment in various topology;
• Security, scalabilities and adaptivity to changes;
• Lack of protectionism and blocking of on specific producers.

Regardless of the technologies used by applications (JMS, Web services, JDBC, HTTP and ave. …) Mule will allow to set interrelation between them and irrespective of, they are placed in one virtual machine or are distributed in the Internet. Constructed on the basis of Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) of architecture it acts as a transit system for "transportation" of data that allows the applications which are in an intranet or the Internet to communicate with each other.

Advantage of network applications, consists that one application can send data to other application. However no many appendices are had by opportunities to read or process the data arriving from other application. It is possible to solve this problem using the environment of message exchange Mule which reads, will transform and transfers data between applications in the form of messages. The message is a data packet which can be processed and transmitted between applications through a certain channel. Mule reads out data from one application, will transform them in case of need, with that the final application could read data and sends them to this application. It allows to integrate applications of any types, even those which initially were not for this purpose constructed.

Structure of an integration bus of the enterprise

Mule is based on the concept of service-oriented architecture (SOA). SOA is the development approach based on use of services with standard interfaces. In SOA the principles of reuse of services as functional elements and exception of duplication of functionality of applications are underlain. As each service performs a certain function, the same services can be used as standard blocks for several processes and not to be created again for each type of process or the message. Such modular approach allows to develop rationally, having created functionality once it it is possible to reuse if necessary. SOA promotes more full integration of IT resources of the enterprise, including earlier isolated applications, and the outdated systems.

Mule ESB equipment

Architecture of Mule such is that it allows to separate the business logic layer from the transport layer, i.e. processing of a useful component of the message from its transfer and conversion, thereby providing big flexibility in the organization of architecture of applications and simplifying setup of business logic. Also, it is possible to unroll Mule in different topology, for example, it is possible to have several copies of Mule distributed on network. Such approach is useful on a failure case if one copy of Mule becomes unavailable, other copy of Mule undertakes its messages. Similar approach can be applied to balancing of loading.

Mule represents the message exchange environment which allows to exchange data between applications, doing their joint work harmonious and reliable, providing a full support of routing, transport and data translation.