David Epstein

This is the second in a two-part series of articles introducing the benefits of a hub-and-spoke architecture and IBM's WebSphere Business Integration (BI) Server. In the first article, we detailed the financial and technical benefits of using a hub-and-spoke design, such as reduction in software maintenance costs, overall simplicity compared to point-to-point programs, ease of general administration, and a more modular design allowing the business logic to be application independent. Here, we start with the application independent business process modules contained in the hub, which work their way through the design and purpose of each of the major components of IBM's WebSphere BI Server. After an introduction to the major components, we conclude with the details of handling updated data using WebSphere BI Server cross-referencing tools to synchronize data. WebSphe... (more)

At the Heart of an Enterprise

There are a handful of enterprise application integration (EAI) products aimed at helping small, medium, and large businesses integrate enterprise assets to reduce costs and improve communications. This article is the first of a two-part series introducing IBM's EAI solution, WebSphere Business Integration Server, and its benefits. It is first essential to understand the advantages of a hub-and-spoke architecture, particularly in comparison to point-to-point integrations. With years of expertise conducting EAI training sessions and implementing customer integration solutions, we... (more)