Everything about systems integration.
Companies often start by setting up one system, such as an ERP system, for their main processes. But as the organisation grows, so does the need for other applications, e.g. for the HR or marketing department. If you keep tying everything together, at some point a jumble of APIs and other integration components that connect systems and applications will emerge. A hell of a job to maintain. That is why we share all our best practices for enterprise, data and system integration, so you can get started in a structured way, resulting in an integrated infrastructure with systems that work together seamlessly.
Technical integrations with REST API's
REST API's allows software to communicate with other software’s. REST APIs are typically used to develop HTTP services. There are different guidelines for REST, if an API meets them, you can speak of a RESTful web service. In this blog article we discuss what a REST API is and the four different levels of REST.
SOAP and REST
SOAP en RESTSoap is an older protocol that has been used for communication between web services for some time. But as the internet evolved, the need to build ‘lighter’ web and mobile applications arose. And REST API saw the light. This architecture style is very popular these days to link web services because of its simplicity. Have you built web services with SOAP and would you like to migrate to REST API? We are happy to explain how you can approach this.
The advantage of an integration framework
A data integration framework ensures the correct connection of systems and applications. Our Frank!Framework is an example of an Open Source framework that consists of ready-to-use building blocks and a management module. In this article we compare our framework with building connections yourself versus a fixed integration solution to give you an idea of how an application integration framework can support your organization. The great advantage of building links between different systems yourself is that you can integrate any application: it offers you 100% flexibility.
Connecting business applications
Employees experience inconvenience from the fact that applications are not or insufficiently linked. To collect all the necessary information, employees must regularly switch between different applications. System integration or application integration may be a solution here, but how do you do that? Every organization that has been around for a number of years has the necessary applications and systems running. And over the years, legacy systems emerge. Integrating those systems with other applications without compromising control, flexibility and scalability is a challenge.
Map your data streams
With APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) you integrate different systems and applications within your company, you can create a functional working solution. But before you start developing APIs. It's wise to map out the context first. This is difficult when data flows are not transparent (black box) and easier when data flows can be clearly traced back (glassbox). Only when you have insight into your data flows, then you should start developing APIs and automating the processes.
Open Source integration specialist
The Frank!Framework is an open source solution. This means that other developers can also get started with our framework. We like to contribute to the framework ourselves, but also on behalf of customers. When new components or features are developed, they are made available to all users so that everyone can benefit
Many companies such as MuleSoft and WSO2 often require you to purchase a mandatory subscription if you want to use the enterprise version. This means, first, that their Open Source solution often has limited functionality and, second, that if you have to take an expensive subscription you can hardly call it Open Source anymore. Also consider the innovative ability and transparency of an Open Source integration specialist.
