A data integration node is a specialized application or data server that is optimised for real-time access (read-only or sometimes read/write) to remote data sources, understanding how to access diverse data structures and stores and how to manipulate and process the resulting data. A data integration node typically operates in an "on-line" mode, allowing real-time access to remote data sources either for users, as part of a business process, or for applications, as part of a business or population process.

A population node is a specialized application or data server that is optimized for record-oriented processing where the records must be gathered from one or more source data sets, processed singly and multiply and finally applied to one or more target data sets. A population node typically operates in an "off-line" mode to prepare data in advance of its business usage and based on rules that have been previously defined through a separate user interface module and stored in a metadata repository.

A population server may be further specialized for one or two of its inherent sub-functions--gather, process or apply (also known as extract, transform and load respectively). Such specialization may be for reasons of performance or physical placement.

A Win 32 App is the process, running on a user workstation, that provides 'fat client' function to the user.

A Browser is the process, running on a user device, that provides 'thin client' function to the user.

A Web application server node is an application server that includes an HTTP server (also known as a Web server) and is typically designed for access by HTTP clients and to host both presentation and business logic.

The Web application server node is a functional extension of the informational (publishing-based) Web server. It provides the technology platform and contains the components to support access to both public and user specific information by users employing Web browser technology. For the latter, the node provides robust services to allow users to communicate with shared applications and databases. In this way, it acts as an interface to business functions, such as banking, lending, and HR systems.

The node can contain these data types:

• HTML text pages, images, multimedia content to be downloaded to the client browser
• JavaServer Pages
• Application program libraries, such as Java applets for dynamic download to client Workstations

See Also

• Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)

Additional Resources

• (in English) ESS

A Query and Analysis Server is the process that provides access to structured data residing in a database or collection of databases or other stores. Function placement depends on whether the interface is via a Win 32 App client or Browser client, and if the data is distributed over multiple servers. The Query and Analysis Server may range in complexity from simply making database calls, through report writing to high-function Business Intelligence processing like on-line analytical processing (OLAP).

A Data Server/Services node is a generic data storage node that provides managed, persistent storage of any type of data and a means to directly access and manipulate that data. The data may be stored in files and accessed through file I/O routines or may be stored in a database with more structured and managed access methods.

A Search & Indexing node provides a function to catalog and/or index the content data sources. This will provide the capabilities to locate specific content (e.g. product or catalog information) and to update this search capability when updates are added (via indexing).

The Search Adapter contains the logic to interface with data indices — either interacting directly with the index at a database level, or interacting with a controlling application’s search interface (normally via a product API). The search adapter then returns the search results from each individual data index, which the search and indexing node must then aggregate and normalize so that the results appear to be from one "virtual" source.