Application Integration::Federation application pattern::Product mappings

After reviewing Runtime patterns, we now map the logical nodes defined in the Runtime pattern to specific products which implement the Runtime solution design on a selected platform. The product mapping identifies the platform, software product name, and often version numbers as well. The Patterns for e-business architectures are designed on the open standards and practices of the IBM e-business software strategy. This framework approach to e-business provides support for many platforms, including IBM AIX®, IBM OS/400®, IBM z/OS®, Sun® Solaris®, HP-UX®, Linux, and Windows® NT/2000®.

The open standards and practices of the IBM e-business strategy let you develop and test an e-business application on your development runtime platform and easily deploy the application on any other supported platform. Further, it is common for a company to have a mixture of platforms within an integrated e-business solution. With their support for these multiple platforms, the Patterns for e-business solution designs are an appealing choice when faced with the requirement for integration with a mixed platform environment.

Consider the following issues when deciding on a platform to host your e-business application:

• Existing systems and platform investments
• Available customer and developer skills
• Customer choice
• The platform chosen should fit into the customer's environment and ensure quality of service, such as scalability and reliability, so that the solution can grow along with the e-business