Officially, the JBI (Java Business Integration) standard is limited to a single Java Virtual Machine (JVM) instance. In a new article, Sun’s Derek Frankforth describes and contrasts the strengths and weaknesses two different styles of setting up a distributed JBI topology using OpenESB, and shows how they complement each other in the end.
Derek points out that while the specification doesn’t explicitly state how a distributed version would function, two different ways of setting up a distributed JBI-based ESB setup have emerged. These topologies differ in the way they set up the individual ESB instances: In a homogeneous topology, each bus instance is configured with the same components; in a heterogeneous setup, the set of components is different. Finally, a combined topology aims to blend the advantages of both into a solution that should satisfy most needs.
In his discussion about the different strategies, Derek takes into account factors such as scalability, management, awareness and transport diversities. While he uses the open source OpenESB as his reference, many of the architectural implications can be transferred to other ESBs, whether JBI-based or not.
Read the full article for details.