WebMethods A Pioneer in Integration - An Introduction to webMethods ESB

previously Software AG's now IBM webMethods is one of the best tools in today's market for your B2B(business to business) integration as well as internal A2A(applications to applications) integration .

This blog is meant for the beginners who are new to the webMethods.

webMethods is a tool which is based on the  Hub and Spoke Architecture ,Hub and spoke is some thing where you have a centralized server, and all the data lines extending from it like spokes .

For more information about the hub and spoke EAI architecture follow the below given link   http://www.eaipatterns.com/ramblings/03_hubandspoke.html

Now we will continue with the discussions about webMethods Product Suite , their basic components and how to use the webMethods for integration .

First let us first concentrate on the main components of the webMethods Product suite , we will have a brief introduction of the major components :

1.    Integration Server

webMethods Integration Server is one of the core application servers in the webMethods platform. It is a Java-based, multiplatform enterprise integration server. It supports the integration of diverse services, such as mapping data between formats and communication between systems. An integration server may also be known as the core of webMethods Enterprise Service Bus .

The Software AG webMethods Integration Server together with the Universal Messaging/Broker forms the foundation of the Enterprise Server Bus (ESB). The webMethods Integration Server hosts packages that contain services and related files and comes with several packages out-of-the-box.

An Integration Server instance runs as a multi-threaded process within a single Java Virtual Machine (JVM) which itself relies on operating system resources to execute its work.

Services can also be created to form the overall application systems that perform functions, such as integrating your business systems with those of external systems, retrieving data from legacy systems, and accessing and updating databases.

The Integration Server listens for client requests on one or more ports. The type of protocol that the server uses can be associated for each port. The server supports HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, FTPS and e‐mail ports.

In the webMethods ESB , the Integration server act as the endpoint of spoke or you can simply call IS is the spoke in the webMethods ESB. Now the question is what is the center i.e. the hub ….. continue reading.....

2.    webMethods Broker (deprecated)

webMethods Broker is the core of the webMethods ESB , it is the hub of the ESB . It is the backbone of the webMethods ESB and supports synchronous and asynchronous message based integrations using Publish Subscribe Model .

A webMethods Broker can be connected to multiple clients (Here client is an Integration Server) , but an Integration Server can be connected to only one Broker.

Prior to 9.6 version of webMethods product suite broker was the default messaging provider , but now this product is obsolete and has been replaced by the next generation messaging platform known as "Universal Messaging".

3.    Universal Messaging

Universal messaging is the messaging system in what is referred to as the “message backbone” (It is the Hub in any webMethods Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) integration environment  Universal messaging facilitates asynchronous message based interaction across as variety of protocols as well as providing the messaging links between the components.

4.    Developer (Obsolete)

webMethods Developer is the IDE through which you can open your session on IS and you can develop your services . You can open more than one session on webMethods developer , from webMethods version 8.2 Developer has been deprecated and Software AG focuses on using Designer tool instead.

5.    Designer

webMethods Designer is a customized eclipse based tools which can be used for multiple purposes from service development to CAF page design and coding as well as deploying it to My webMethods server . It is used for a variety o f purposes let us list it all down :-

       a) Service Development (flow service , java service , web service  etc.)

       b) BPM Development   (BPM process design , deploying)

       c) CAF page development

       d) DSP page development

       e) working with Centrasite

For every specific work you do on Designer you have to select the corresponding perspective in Designer . For example if you want to develop some flow service then you have to use the Service Development perspective in the designer.

Let us now discuss webMethods ESB what is webMethods ESB? What are its main components?

The webMethods ESB is the Enterprise Service Bus which runs throughout the organization . It is a logical bus which provides the following capabilities :-

1. Messaging Infrastructure which acts as center for routing of messages.

2. It also provides infrastructure for transformation of messages.

3. It also supports multiple communications protocol.

webMethods ESB consists of Integration Server , Broker(It also has JMS capabilities) now Universal Messaging , Trading Networks , Adapters and Interfaces for support and monitoring.

The below mentioned are the main products provided by Software AG which eases the development , maintenance, reporting and management of the Integration Assets.

6. webMethods Designer Workstation

webMethods Designer Workstation simplifies the development of webMethods projects by providing a local webMethods run-time environment that integrates directly with version control systems. This local development model is NOT an alternative to requiring local developers to connect to a centralized webMethods Integration Server environment such as a Development environment.

7.    My webMethods Server

My webMethods Server (MWS) is central to many webMethods architectures, providing the user interface to Active Transfer, Trading Networks, Optimize and other functionality. In addition it acts as a container for the Task Engine servlets and custom portlet.

It uses an embedded Jetty server as its servlets environment and is capable of very high performance.

An MWS instance runs as a multi-threaded process within a single Java Virtual Machine (JVM) which itself relies on operating system resources to execute its work.

7.    Trading Networks

Trading Networks is the component of the webMethods product suite which is used for B2B transactions. It is a component which runs on webMethods Integration server(IS) and enables your enterprise to connect with external enterprises preferably call them as partners to your enterprise and marketplaces and etc. Trading Networks supports almost all standards of e Business standards for communication such as EDI , RosettaNet , SWIFT , FIX , ebXML , aseXML and many more.

8.    Mediator

The Software AG webMethods Mediator is a service mediation and policy enforcement application for Web services (SOAP-based Web services, REST XML Web services and plain XML Web services).

Mediator is designed for use with Software AG Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) products. The application, which is deployed as the WmMediator package that runs on Integration Server, provides an infrastructure for the run-time enforcement of service policies that are defined and managed from Software AG's UDDI registry/repository, Centrasite.

9.    Centrasite

Centrasite is a standards-based SOA registry and repository  It serves as the central "system of record" for the Web services and other computing assets of an organization and provides the tools and infrastructure necessary to implement and manage SOA-based applications successfully.

Centrasite supports the entire development lifecycle of a SOA-based application, from its design and implementation to its deployment and on-going operation in the runtime environment.

10.    Business Activity Monitoring - Optimize

The BAM Layer monitors and alerts on business key performance indicators (KPIs), which are based on business scenarios or other business metrics. These KPIs are extracted from the various Layers. A KPI can be generated by:

• Selection of fields from the BPM Layer at model design time.
• Insertion of monitoring calls in any flow service.
• Sending formatted messages via JMS.
• Sending formatted messages via web services.

BAM is an integral part of the monitoring of the webMethods infrastructure as well as monitoring metrics in the Business Process. BAM utilizes rules and alerts users when important business events occur.

BAM consists of the following components:

• Analytic Engine
• Messaging Server
• Web Service Data Collector
• Infrastructure Data Collector
• SNMP data collector
• Prediction Engine

11.    Insight

WebMethods Insight Server is a Web services network management tool for understanding the interdependencies of complex service networks that change frequently. It helps identify and isolate the root cause of problems quickly, preventing them from spreading and rippling through the service network. Insight Server can predict and prepare for the impact of planned changes, enabling deployment without service interruption. Administrators can create and apply policies to monitor performance and enforce Service Level Agreements (SLAs) without requiring custom programming.

12.    Command Central

webMethods Command Central introduced in version 9.0 and enhanced in version 9.5 and version 9.6, is an integrated suite management tool that provides a unified web user interface and a command-line interface for common management tasks in the webMethods suite. Command Central is a one-stop interface for:

• Landscape management. Start or stop servers, monitor basic key performance indicators (KPIs) from a central location and license reporting. 
• Central configuration. Configure similar items across multiple products using a consistent model, and compare servers to see differences between configurations. 
• Fix or service pack management. View existing fix levels across servers. 
• Automation. Use a command-line interface to automate common operational tasks.

Enjoy Reading , If you have any Question related to webMethods please comment below , I will try to answer the questions. Please Subscribe for latest update on the blogs