Open-Source ESBs In Action

Most modern business systems include independent applications that exchange information with each other-a technique usually called enterprise integration. An architectural approach called the Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) offers developers a way to handle the messages between those independent applications without creating a lot of custom code. While commercial ESB solutions can be quite expensive to implement and maintain, a set of high-quality open source ESB tools offer the same functionality at a substantially lower cost.

Open Source ESBs in Action shows you how to implement and use two open source ESB implementations: Mule and ServiceMix. The authors introduce you to these freely-available ESB tools and present practical examples of how to use them in real-world scenarios. You will learn how the various features of an ESB such as transformation, routing, security, connectivity and more can be implemented using Mule and ServiceMix. You will also learn how to solve common enterprise integration problems using a structured approach.

Beyond simply learning how Mule and Service Mix work, you'll learn the core techniques of ESB implementation such as Process Choreography, or the implementation of complex business processes through an ESB, and Service Orchestration, or exposing a set of services as a single service. The book shows you the fundamentals of ESB-based event processing and Quality of Service concerns like security, reliable delivery, and transaction management.

Working in integration projects is exciting, with new technologies and paradigms arriving every day. Open Source technologies like Mule and ServiceMix both offer lower-cost solutions and a higher degree of innovation than commercial ESB implementations. Open Source ESBs in Action will help you master ESB-driven integration techniques quickly and will provide you with knowledge you need to work effectively with Mule and ServiceMix.

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Part 1 Understanding ESB functionality

1 The world of open source ESBs
1.1 Why do you need an ESB?

Benefits of an ESB

Using an ESB from an application perspective

1.2 Explaining the core functionalities of an ESB

Location transparency

Transport protocol conversion

Message transformation

Message routing

Message enhancement

Security

Monitoring and management

Core functionality overview

1.3 Researching the open source ESB market

Demystifying the open source ESB

Overview of open source ESBs

1.4 Why did we choose Mule and ServiceMix?

Defining selection criteria

Assessing the open source ESBs

1.5 Hello world with Mule and ServiceMix

Taking a donkey ride with Mule

Taking a JBI dive with ServiceMix

1.6 Summary
2 Architecture of Mule and
2.1 Mule architecture and components

Mule components overview

Mule endpoints

Transformers

Routers

Component

Mule deployment models

Mule wrap-up

2.2 JBI, the foundation for ServiceMix

Service engines and binding components

Services and endpoints

Normalized message router

Service description, invocation, and message exchanges

Service unit and service assembly

JBI wrap-up

2.3 ServiceMix architecture and components

ServiceMix overview

Routing and transformations in ServiceMix

ServiceMix deployment models

ServiceMix wrap-up

2.4 Summary
3 Setting up the Mule and ServiceMix
3.1 Three technologies enhancing the ESB functionality

Using Spring as an object container

XML marshaling with JiBX

Using JMS with the ActiveMQ broker

3.2 Preparing the development environment

Setting up ESBs, tools, and required libraries

Running examples from Eclipse

3.3 Inaugurate the Mule environment

Writing and configuring the Mule components

Running the Mule example

3.4 Inaugurate the ServiceMix environment

Select the necessary JBI components

Configuring the ServiceMix example implementation

Running the ServiceMix example

3.5 Summary
4 The foundation of an integration solution
4.1 Implementing integration logic with Mule

Creating a logging solution with Mule

Developing a cu...

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