Web Services, Xml-based Middleware Technology

Middleware is an application widely used for the integration of different systems. This article is an investigation on middleware in the Internet environment. It provides the architecture of XML orientated middleware applied for web service. We designed and implemented such software , WebWare, which was developed for OLTP(OnLine Transaction Process) and EAI(Enterprise Application Integration).Traditional OLTP system employs Client/Server model based on Host/Terminal model. User needs to commit transaction by telnet, server receives the request and calls applications to handle the requests then it sends the results back. The limitation of this model lies in the special user interface and also the inconvenience of EAI. With the booming of Internet, Brower/Server model is replacing Client/Server model step by step, Internet Explorer is a representative of thin client and will be widely used as user terminal in the future. So there is demand of merging OLTP system into Internet technology.WebWare was accomplished with JAVA now. It accepts the request packages in XML format from Internet users and converts them to appropriate ones, which is understandable to OLTP system. And an opposite conversion is needed before WebWare sends the answered packages back.Based on TCP/IP protocol, a new application protocol was designed to transfer data between WebWare and OLTP system. So no change was required in OLTP system while it was transited to Internet condition.