Release 10.1A: OpenEdge Getting Started:
OpenEdge Reference Architecture

Scope of integration

Because integration has a very broad scope, it can be helpful to think of it using these three general categories:

Data integration — Direct communication between two or more data sources.
Application integration — Coordination of data, processing, and communication among external applications.
Enterprise integration — Coordinating multiple applications across the enterprise.

Each of these is described in more detail in the following sections.

Data integration

Data integration provides direct communication between two or more data sources and direct transfer of data. No complex processing is involved.

Data integration is commonly used to exchange data with legacy applications. This type of data exchange often requires transformation and validation of data.

Application integration

Application integration means an application in your business that communicates with an external application in another business. For example, in supply-chain integration, communication and integration might needed among different companies up and down the supply chain.

Designing application integration requires significant research into the applications involved to ensure that your design meets the needs set forth by each application.

Enterprise integration

Enterprise integration makes different parts of the enterprise work together seamlessly. For example, suppose you have a finance department in Europe and a finance department in Asia. Both must be integrated to manage the finances of the enterprise.

Designing an application that will be part of an enterprise integration project requires a great deal of investigation and research to determine all the requirements for integration and the issues involved. Some of the design considerations include:

Standards.
Business Process Management (BPM).
Enterprise workflow.
Highest levels of security.
Application functionality based on messaging.