WebSphere Application Server - IBM Redbooks

A significant amount of data resides on the Enterprise Information System.
Examples of EIS include:
► Customer Information Control System (CICS®) server
► Legacy applications developed on mainframes or legacy systems
► Relational databases such as DB2
Connectors provide the link between the new business logic in the middle tier to
the vast accumulated assets in a company's existing applications and data
systems.
Note: WebSphere Application Server - Express provides JDBC connectivity to
back-end relational databases. WebSphere Application Server - Express also
supports the creation and use of Web services.
2.1.2 IBM Patterns for e-business
The job of an IT architect is to evaluate business problems and to design a
solution. The architect begins by gathering input on the problem, the desired
solution, and any special considerations or requirements that need to be factored
in. The architect takes this input and designs a solution that includes one or more
applications that provide the necessary functions.
It is to our advantage to capture the experience of these IT architects in such a
way that future engagements are made simpler. By taking this experience and
crafting a repository we provide a way for architects to use this experience to
build future solutions. Using proven scenarios saves time and money for both
sides and helps ensure a solid solution that will stand the test of time.
The IBM Patterns for e-business effort does just this. Its purpose is to capture
e-business approaches that have been tested and proven. The information
captured is thought to fit the majority of situations. By making these approaches
available and classifying them into useful categories, we save the e-business
planners, architects, and developers both time and money.
These approaches are further refined into useful, tangible guidelines. The
patterns and their associated guidelines allow the architect to start with a
problem and a vision, find a conceptual pattern that fits this vision, define the
necessary functional pieces that the application will need to succeed, and then
actually build the application using coding techniques outlined in the guidelines.
The IBM Patterns for e-business Web site (below) contains the information and
references you need to design and build a solution from beginning to end.
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/patterns/
Chapter 2. Application design 21