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Cloud application integration architecture


Overview

The platform is low-code, employing built-in features, such as templates, pre-built connectors, and an asset repository to drive speed in integration development while reducing cost.

In support of DevOps, the platform provides tools for test-driven development and automated continuous integration, continuous delivery (CICD) pipelines.

In a unified management approach, we can complete management operations activities by using a single interface with visibility into all integration components and AI-assisted augmentation.

A distributed component-based architecture supports lightweight fine-grained integration services to enable microservices and on-demand runtime application-level composition and aggregation.

We can build on open standards for quick innovation and assured compatibility across a diverse environment. Use a range of integration styles that include APIs, message queues, and emerging capabilities such as event-driven architecture and high-speed data transfer.

We need support for integration in an architecture that is built on different cloud services from different cloud vendors and technologies and across many cloud deployment models, including public, private, and SaaS. We also need support for traditional integration styles and the ability to experiment with a containerized approach across delivery models, domains, endpoints, and personas. We can migrate, innovate, and scale at the enterprise's pace.

With omnichannel integration endpoints, we can integrate applications, data, and services anywhere to support a comprehensive user experience.


Move traditional integration patterns toward modernization

Traditional integration patterns such as gateway services, message queues, file transfer, and enterprise service bus (ESB) still hold steady roles in the enterprise architecture. However, they're all going through an evolution process toward modernization, especially with the prominence of new focus areas such as private cloud and containerization, APIs and microservices, event-driven architecture, and agile integration architecture.

Gateway services evolve toward a single multi-channel gateway form factor. The gateway provides security, control, integration, and optimized access to a wider range of mobile, web, API, service-oriented architecture (SOA), business to business (B2B), and cloud workloads.

File transfer integration is augmented with high-speed large-file transfer technologies such as IBM Aspera. Aspera provides predictable, reliable, and secure delivery regardless of file size, transfer distance, and network conditions across the WAN.

Application data integration sees the evolution of the ESB pattern moving from a centralized model toward a more decentralized fine-grained model. That model eventually supports microservices and weaves integration into the agile development process.


API lifecycle management architecture

Transformation with APIs and API management continues to serve a primordial role in modern integration. However, it is moving beyond the API economy model toward becoming a full-fledged application-centric integration layer. An API management platform helps to accelerate innovation by making it easier to discover new business assets in current enterprise systems. We can expose existing functions as APIs and publish them on a self-service portal that developers of digital applications can use to consume the APIs. As a result, existing enterprise assets are made available to new channels and new audiences, with enriched customer experience in integrated omnichannel interactions. An API management platform allows for the support of new business models that might not be possible without API adoption. It provides that layer of controlled and secure self-service access to core business assets.


Event-driven architecture

Event-driven architecture is a new addition to the publish/subscribe model for integration in the cloud. It uses event-streaming technologies to connect both cloud and on-premises workloads with cloud services and SaaS offerings, especially in AI and analytics.

When we move to cloud-native architectures with microservices, container-based workloads, and serverless computing, we can revisit event-driven approaches in the cloud-native context. Think of event-driven architectures as extending the resilience, agility, and scalable characteristics of cloud-native architectures to also be reactive and responsive.


Hybrid messaging architecture

Hybrid messaging uses both the point-to-point and publish/subscribe models to process events and triggers from the digital channels. It does this processing by pairing with event-streaming technologies such as Kafka and by playing the enterprise integration role within event-driven architectures.

In an IT environment that spans both cloud and on-premises systems, those systems must communicate across network boundaries in many scenarios. Hybrid messaging is an approach that enables the seamless communication between those systems.


Optimize the integration platform

A hybrid private cloud that uses open standards and managed container technology presents the optimal platform for modern integration. It addresses hybrid multicloud operations, deployment options, architectural approaches, and integration patterns within a modular and scalable environment.

The integration platform must accommodate many integration patterns and have that support ready on demand and as a self-service model.

API integration enables synchronous access to fine-grained services, such as create, retrieve, update, and delete operations to business objects across various backends. Thus, the composition of the integration logic on the consumer side.

Application data integration enables synchronous access to coarse-grained services such as transaction processing across various backends in accordance with enterprise compliance requirements. Thus, the governance of integration logic on the provider side.

Enterprise messaging enables asynchronous point-to-point access to services such as those that involve closed heritage systems or heterogeneous partner backends.

Event publish/subscribe integration enables asynchronous many-to-many coordination of services across both cloud and on-premises components in an event-driven architecture context.

File transfer enables batch integration between SORs that involves the movement of large data files for content across vast physical distances within short time windows.

The integration platform must provide a unified framework for security, management operations, and resiliency. The managed container platform of a private cloud provides resiliency through the elasticity of container clusters and platform-level security. The unified management component provides ease of operations with a single view across all integration components within the platform. The gateway services provide runtime-level security and enforce access control policies to integration services.


IBM Cloud Pak for Integration

IBM Cloud Pak for Integration offers a single, unified platform for all enterprise integration needs. It deploys integration capabilities into the Red Hat® OpenShift® managed container environment. IBM Cloud Pak for Integration uses the monitoring, logging, and security systems of Red Hat OpenShift to ensure consistency across all integration solutions. To get started, see IBM Cloud Pak for Integration.

Traditional integration vs. modern integration


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