Data Integration Blog -

If you are an independent software vendor or a service provider, automation of your integration process for on-boarding customers needs to be slick, seamless, and manageable. If customization needs to happen, it needs to be accessible. If customers demand configurable run times, it needs to be flexible (without a brand new project containing a huge backlog of features). We’ve seen this pattern occur many times, and the thought of implementing this internally can usually get some folks squirming in their swivel chairs.

At Pervasive, we introduced Integration Hub v2.0 not too long ago. iHub boasts an enterprise level scheduler, integration organization/management, process templates and reuse, error emails, and horizontal clustering capabilities. Fantastic right? It’d be perfect for my ISV or data vendor project, if only I could automate the deployments… Oh, but we can!

One highly overlooked feature of iHub is the REST Web Service interface. Because anything that is done within the web based UI can be accessed via the REST service, we are a quantum leap closer to using this data feed management tool as an integration automation machine. Taking a SaaS ISV for example here, there are a couple of things to consider:

1. The “Software’s” Web Based UI controls. (On some Application Server in firewall)
2. Integration Machine (iHub) behind firewall.

The ISV’s Web UI would obviously have a few changes: a few controls to select some settings, end-points, scheduling parameters, etc. All of these can be constrained however the ISV desires at the front end. Once a user has an integration “enabled” and they save, a call is made from the Application Server to the iHub Machine with all of the appropriate credentials and integration options. All of these options can be set as “Parameters” in the request. A CREATE is issued for an integration “Job”, a schedule or two, and for Job tasks. There may be other options set but generally, the integration is now deployed on iHub!

The same type of scenario could be implemented for Business Service Providers or End Users that have outside data vendors who have access to some type of “Partner Portal” where they can manage their delivery or feed options. This can provide for a much leaner business process.

Some Additional Topics:

Adding a Broker Web Service:

If you are a company that doesn’t have a “Partner Portal” or SaaS App but other applications need to schedule or interact with the integrations from a custom app, add a simple Web Service Broker in the DMZ. The service relays messages to the secure iHub machine behind the firewall.

High Availability:

With iHub’s horizontal clustering, we install another iHub Machine and point to the same config. database. Then we would want to build in some error handling logic to the calls your App Server or Web Service Broker is making to the iHub machine. Upon failure or timeout, make a call to your other machine!

For more information, see Pervasive Integration Hub