Difference between WebLogic Integration and Oracle Service Bus?

Question

I have limited knowledge of Java-based technologies, and for business enforced reasons, I may need to decide whether WebLogic Integration (WLI) or Oracle Service Bus (OSB) is the better choice for integrating a small number of standalone systems together. Both products seem capable of similar tasks, though in one case (WLI) the integration is more technically driven where the other (OSB) is more business process driven.

Assuming cost is no option, can anyone provide a good description of when one would choose to use one product vs. the other? Is one choice going to involve more custom Java coding vs. configuration?

Answer 1

Well it depends.

OSB will integrate existing BEA's Aqualogic Service Bus. It is a service bus only.

WLI will no longer exists. Now it will be part of Oracle BPEL PM ( Oracle BPEL Process Manager execution engine )

A service bus may be used to integrated webservice "ready" applications. If your small applications can already be deployed as webservices this would be the correct choice, there is nothing to coordinate there, you just, expose them.

In the other hand, WLI is for coordinating the interaction among services and create a new one. You would code the way those services will be interacting with each other.

If your applications are very "process" oriented ( where little to none user interaction is required ) and you need to create a new service out of this this would be the choice ( I think the apps should be webservice ready anyway )

If your applications are more user oriented, and you're binding them together to create a new flow ( a business process ) then the right tool would be Oracle BPM. With that tool you can integrate applications ( which may not be web-service ready ) create a new business process and expose it as webservice.

So , it depends on your needs.

With Oracle BPM tool you can integrate your apps and deploy them as WS.

_{As for Oracle BPM goes, I could give you more details if you need :)}

Answer 2

I disagree on what Oscar's comment on "WLI no longer exists"

WLI is not going away. It is a part of Oracle Integration platform. WLI provides more tighter integration than OSB which is mean for Web Sevices only. Prior to ESB WLI platform was also referred as WLI-ServiceBus.

With WLI you can create Processes (WLI or BPEL) and expose them as webservices. You can also have the WLI perform ESB like funcationality , such as impplement different patterns for Routing,splitting,aggrgation and pipeline. WLI was supposed to go in the direction of BPM, but BEA aquired Fuego and went ahead creating the BPM platform, leaving WLI to the integration of "Weblogic" product suite than making it a part of Aqualogic" product suite which is targted towards the Business users. Weblogic is targeted towards the Developers.

OSB supports creation of the patterns above, but is more geared toward Web services and SOA.Form Orchestation you may have to use the BPM tools.

WLI is more powerful if you are looking for performnce oriented applications. On the other hand if you are looking for SOA based integration OSB or ALSB should be good enough.

In your case since your looking to integrate small number of application WLI would be the good choice.

Anil Datt

Answer 3

It sounds like WLI is a premature BPM & ESB tool. It is also listed as part of the Oracle SOA Stretegry platform on their website. Since it does things what an ESB and a BPM tool should do, what is the future of WLI?

Answer 4

WLI is more Developer friendly than Business analyst friendly. It is wrong to view WLI from BPM or the ESB perspective. It can be used lot many Process oriented and message oriented implementations, which may not be necessarily BPM. BPM and ESB fall under SOA, but WLI may not necessarily work only within SOA. I beleive it is going to stay as a tool to support more lower level process designing and intergration efforts.

Answer 5

Yes. It is correct. You should focus on Aqualogic servicebus. WLI will disappear next 5 - 10 years. Because it is not strategy product for oracle. This is confirmation news.