Next Generation Application Integration: From Simple Information to Web Services

Step 2: Make Sense of the Data

We begin with the data for a couple of reasons. First, most application integration projects exist only at the data level. This reality alone justifies the quest to understand what exists in the databases scattered throughout an enterprise. Second, even if the application integration project works at the service, application interface, and user interface levels, it is still necessary to understand the databases. Face it. There's no getting around this step.

Ultimately, the implementation of IOAI comes down to understanding where the data exists, gathering information about the data (e.g., schema information), and applying business principles to determine which data flows where, and why.

There are three basic steps ...