Devising architecture for a small-scale project that addresses
integration between a few technological assets residing on a single platform is one thing. Addressing
an enterprise initiative that involves a heterogeneous computing environment empowered by
a diverse operating systems and middleware is another. In the second scenario, the challenges
can be vast. This complexity has been defined by the International Standards Organization and
the International Electrotechnical Commission. Their ISO/IEC 2382-01 standard identifies interoperability
as ???the capability to communicate, execute programs, or transfer data among various
functional units in a manner that requires the user to have little or no knowledge of the unique
characteristics of those units.???
In a logical architecture, interoperability challenges should be addressed by bridging the
various participating environments to facilitate an effective solution. Imagine a technological
landscape that, on one hand, consists of a mainframe system, and on the other, consists of a J2EE
platform that empowers Web services. How is it possible to provide a viable logical solution
Interoperability Perspective 355
to bridge the gap between these different configurations? The proposed remedy would clearly
require a number of intervening technologies that can both deliver the exchanged messages and
translate the transported data. Consider the following logical architecture best practices that can
enable effective communications and information transformation in an interoperable technological
environment:
EMPLOYING INTERMEDIARIES.
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