The WebSphere business integration system consists of the following components:
An adapter is a set of software modules that communicate with an integration broker and with applications or technologies to perform tasks such as running application logic and exchanging data.
The task of an integration broker is to integrate data among heterogeneous applications. The WebSphere business integration system can include any of the integration brokers in Table 1.
In the WebSphere business integration system, information sent or received between components is packaged in the form of a business object, as follows:
Both application-specific business objects and generic objects are modeled during design-time as business object definitions, which are stored in the business integration system. At run time, data is populated in a business object instance (often called a "business object"), which is based on the appropriate definition. The business object moves through the business integration system as dictated by its routing and business logic rules.