Applications need to access data, and that data can reside anywhere, in different formats and in huge volumes. Information integration technologies enable applications to access and integrate diverse data as though it were a single resource, regardless of location. Integrating data and content assets provides real-time read and write access, transformation of information for business analysis and data interchange, and management of information for performance, currency, and availability. Use the resources here to examine best practices, tools, patterns, and standards for integrating data and content assets that reside within your company and in repositories and databases at your partner and supplier locations.
From data management to information integration: A natural evolution
: Read about a platform that proposes extending a federated database architecture to support both
relational and XML as first-class data models, and tightly integrates content management
services, workflow, messaging, analytics, and other enterprise application services.
Getting started on
integrating your information
: Read this IBM Redbook to learn, using various examples, how information integration can be implemented as a "pure play" or in conjunction with the other approaches for integration.
Information management in Service-Oriented Architecture
: Explore different approaches: Leverage the power of information management for Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA)-based modeling, architecture, design, and implementation. See the various services that information management offers arranged into a stack view and get a detailed description of each.
Introduction to Service Data Objects
: Discover next-generation data programming with Service Data Objects (SDO).
Simplify and unify data with a Service Data Object architecture
: Simplify and unify data access across different data source types using the SDO API. Read this article to see how it can be used by applications to handle data.
Using Service Data Objects with Enterprise Information
Integration (EEI) technology
: SDO and EII technologies can be used together to
provide Java™ architects with a single, object-based API to a wide variety of data sources. This article explains how to integrate SDO and EII technologies with a Service-Oriented Architecture.
Best practices for SDO/JDBC Mediator Service
: Examine usage patterns and scenarios to learn where SDOs are most appropriate, and review a step-by-step example using SDO with the JDBC Data Mediator Service provided by WebSphere Application Server 6.0.
Using data federation technology in IBM WebSphere Information Integrator, Part 1: Design and configuration
: Discover how data federation can allow you to integrate the diverse data in your enterprise. This first article in a two-part series introduces you to federated data concepts and discusses design and configuration considerations for WebSphere Information Integrator.
Using the DB2 V8.2 Design Advisor: Expert help for
designing DB2 UDB data warehouses, Part 1
: Get expert help with designing data
partitioning keys, materialized query tables, and multidimensional clustering for IBM
DB2® Universal Database™(DB2 UDB), in addition to indexes. The Design Advisor offers the help you need and is built right into DB2 UDB. Part 1 in the series, this article describes how to use it with OLTP databases.
Using the DB2 V8.2 Design Advisor: Expert help for designing data warehouses, Part 2
: This second installment in the series explains how to use the Design Advisor, a built-in component of DB2 UDB, to achieve an optimal design for your data warehouse.
Federating grid data with WebSphere Information Integrator
: Use WebSphere Information Integrator and Grid Wrapper from alphaWorks to provide data federation and transparency.
Integrate unstructured content into a distributed federated system
: Develop a connector for IBM WebSphere® Information Integrator Content Edition, a Java-based, bidirectional interface to any number of disparate content repositories and workflow systems. Part 1 of this new series takes you through planning.
Enabling a Service-Oriented Architecture with SDO and the JDBC Data Access Service
: See how the JDBC Data Access Service included in Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software V6 provides standardized access to the persistence layer of a Service-Oriented Architecture.
Data federation with WebSphere Business Integrator Message Broker and WebSphere Information Integrator
: Implement data federation using WebSphere Business Integrator Message Broker with WebSphere Information Integrator and WebSphere Information Integrator Classic Federation.
Access Web services as databases: Tying disparate applications together
: This tutorial shows J2EE developers a good method to incorporate disparate data environments and easily leverage standard data access methodologies.
An XML-based information architecture for learning content
: Find out how topic-based DITA XML can provide the basis for developing an information architecture for single-sourced XML learning content.
Use Enterprise Core Objects to create model-driven ASP.NET apps with DB2 UDB
: This article focuses on an ASP.NET Web application, using the IBM DB2 UDB database as basis for the EcoSpace, presenting the UML model of the Employee and Department classes with associations, and generating ASP.NET Web forms.
DB2 UDB databases and Enterprise Core Objects (Delphi 2005)
: Use Borland Delphi 2005 and the Enterprise Core Objects (ECO) to import an IBM DB2 UDB database and create a UML object model that is the basis for a .NET WinForms application.
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Rational Data Architect is an information integration tool that can document
your business decisions and business transformations, introduce checkpoints, and automate the information integration process. Learn more about this product.
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WebSphere Portal provides a framework—including a runtime server,
services, tools, and many other features -- that you can use to integrate your enterprise into a single, customizable interface called a portal. It also enables you to combine applications and content into a unified presentation, which your users can access from a wide variety of devices. Learn more about this product.
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IBM WebSphere Information Integrator provides a framework to help speed new
application deployment and control IT costs while enabling real-time, integrated access to multiple types of business information. Learn more about this product or download a trial version.
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Unstructured Information Management Architecture (UIMA) SDK is an architectural and software framework that supports the creation, discovery, composition, and deployment of a broad range of analysis capabilities and the linking of them to structured information services. It allows you to plug in and run UIMA component implementations, along with other independently developed components, and enables you to build and deploy UIM applications. Learn more about this product or download a trial version.
Federation: Use the Federation application and runtime patterns when you need to provide access to many diverse data sources and while creating the appearance that these sources are a single logical data store.
Population: Use the Population application and runtime patterns when you need a specialized copy of data from a preexisting source.
Two-way synchronization: Use the Two-way Synchronization application pattern when you need a coordinated bidirectional update flow of data in a multicopy database environment.
Service Data Objects (SDO)
is designed to simplify the way in which applications handle data, enabling you to uniformly access and manipulate data from heterogeneous data sources, including relational databases, XML data sources, Web services, and enterprise information systems.
Service Component Architecture (SCA)
is a set of specifications that describe a model for building applications and systems using a Service-Oriented Architecture. SCA extends and complements prior approaches to implementing services, and SCA builds on open standards such as Web services.
The Open Applications Group Integration Specification (OAGIS)
uses XML as the common alphabet for defining business messages and for identifying business processes that allow businesses and business applications to communicate.
JSR 170: Content Repository for Java technology API
allows content repositories to use a dedicated, standard way of interacting with applications that handle content.
SOA Foundation
: This white paper introduces you to the SOA Foundation as defined by IBM and explains IBM's view of Service-Oriented Architecture. It provides a high-level description of the architecture with a focus on its life-cycle model, logical architecture, programming model, and physical architecture.
Introducing the WebSphere Integration Reference Architecture
: Learn how this comprehensive service-based foundation covers the breadth of enterprise-level business integration needs -- without the traditional integration pitfalls.
The On Demand Operating Environment: Architectural overview
:
Examine the elements of the IBM On Demand Operating Environment, which is based on the concepts of a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA).
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