SonicXQ

SonicXQ is a middleware application connectivity platform that allows multiple types of disparate, distributed applications used both within and external to the enterprise to communicate with one another along a centralized messaging backbone. Once an individual application is integrated to the messaging backbone, it can then effectively communicate with all other services already attached. The SoniqXQ platform employs multiple standard communication and information exchange protocols to achieve this connectivity, with a core set of features broadly classified into three categories: Messaging, Connectivity, and Business Processes.

At the heart of the SoniqXQ platform is the messaging backbone itself. The JMS (Java Messaging Service) based platform sports guaranteed once-only delivery and support for secure messaging with PKI and/or SSL. It features the vendor's own Dynamic Routing Architecture (DRA), a method of message routing that seeks to provide maximum efficiency in message tranmissions to both local and external brokers. Its JMX-based distributed management framework includes a centralized GUI for the management and configuration of multiple brokers, allowing the enterprise to avoid single-server bottlenecks.

Connectivity between multiple systems and applications is achieved through SonicXQ's support of multiple standard communication and file exchange protocols. Web services can connect to the SonicXQ backbone via its support for WSDL and SOAP. Legacy applications are assisted via the platform's support of the J2EE Connection Architecture (JCA), and indeed Sonic provides a toolkit for the building of JCA adapters, as well as specific adapters for external apps and connection interfaces including BEA WebLogic and JDBC. Both HTTP and HTTPS based messaging is supported by the platform in addition to the aforementioned JMS; and a native C/C++ client is also provided enabling direct connectivity from non-Java applications.

Finally, once connected to the backbone messages sent to and from disparate services can be processed according to sophisticated, company-defined business processes. Individual messages can be interogated, potentially split into multiple parts, and routed to specific end-points based on their contents. Each resulting message can have a specific "itinerary" attached which describes to the platform the specific actions and processing end-points this message is targeted to. Individual messages may then themselves have sub-itineraries, allowing for nested processing. Additionally, the messages themselves can be transformed en-route via support for XSL, or JavaScript plug-ins with access to JMS properties. A key feature of the business process engine is that it operates independently of the end-point applications; meaning that the itineraries and message transformations can be modified without necessarily requiring the individual applications themsleves to be altered.

SonicXQ is expected to be available in Q1/2002. Contact Sonic Software for further information.