Planning to shift career from Java/J2EE technologies to Java Integration technologies. Please suggest.

Question

Hi, I am Java/J2EE programer with over 5 years of experience. I recently read some posts and I realized that Java Based Integration platforms such as WLI, oracle SOA, Tibco, will rule the future in Java Space. And there are other reasons as well for my move. So, I am planning to move to java integration technologies and I wanted to know from you guys which integration platform will be good one based on my experience. thanks in advance.

Answer 1

I don't think these platforms are replacing old-fashioned programming, because they target a different market. In the past they were specialised in connecting enterprise applications (EAI), but recently they have moved in the business process modelling/automation space, taking business from ERPs, like SAP and Oracle Applications. They remain 'consultancyware' for large companies, although Oracle have started developing new applications on their Fusion platform.
Of course working with them can provide a good living. Java is a good base for most of the EAI/BPM/SOA/whatever platforms, as they are built on Java (except e.g. TIBCO iProcess or MS BizTalk). They are meant for the same thing, but there are big differences in their implementation philosophy. Some of the vendors I had experience with:

• TIBCO & WebMethods (Software AG): their own framework(s). Development is very visual and intuitive, you'll rarely need Java coding to do anything.
• Oracle & IBM: running on Java EE servers (Weblogic/WebSphere). Development is graphical, administration is the same as Java EE administration.
• Vitria: their own framework, based on CORBA. Only a thin graphical layer, you are practically writing Java code all the time.
• Sonic (Progress Software): like Vitria, just with webservices instead of CORBA

Oracle and IBM are the biggest on the market (Oracle is really pushing now with Fusion 11g). TIBCO and WebMethods have better products (in my own biased opinion), but they are smaller, cannot sell as much as the big boys. Vitria and Sonic were big, but now only niche market.
It's your choice which one to start with, but beware, each vendor have a huge, often overlapping portfolio of software from all kind of acquisitions. You can spend years just to get familiar with the products of one vendor. Probably the most popular products are:

• TIBCO: BusinessWorks, iProcess, ActiveMatrix Service Bus
• WebMethods: IntegrationServer, BPMS, Trading Networks
• Oracle: Fusion BPEL, Service Bus (you mentioned WLI, but I think it is dead)
• IBM: too many products and they are regularly renamed, so I don't know anymore

My advice is to start with the basics. They all use SOAP and JMS for messaging. They all use XML Schemas, XSLT (or XQuery) for data modelling/transforming. They all implement and extend standards like BPEL and BPMN. They all claim to be the best for SOA - but don't forget, SOA is rather a business model than a technical model and it is independent from vendors.
Also, when you move from programming to integration, expect to use your communication skills more. Working in integration means you spend 50% of the time gathering requirements, 30% designing and only 20% implementing.