One of the proposals, called Service Data Objects, provides a layer of abstraction above heterogeneous data sources, including relational databases, data stores based on extensible markup language, content management systems and applications accessible through emerging web services standards.
SDO is a programming model that helps in building loosely coupled connections between multiple applications, as opposed to less-flexible integration provided by software adapters available today. The technology, therefore, opens up the Java platform further for use in a service-oriented architecture.
A SOA is essentially a collection of services, which are functions that are well-defined, self-contained and do not depend on the context or state of other services. Communication between services can involve either simple data passing or it could involve two or more services coordinating some activity.
Proponents of SOAs claim they can solve many of the problems of connecting business applications across networks by separating the integration layer from the application, which makes it possible to change the application without breaking the connection with other software on the network.
The other specifications, Work Manager for Application Servers and Timer for Application Servers, make it possible to perform asynchronous tasks within the infrastructure software. That enables a developer to build applications that could, for example, take an order from a customer over the Internet, and then perform multiple tasks concurrently, such as a credit card validation, inventory check, shipment scheduling and other activities. This flexibility can help in providing faster service to a customer, officials with IBM and BEA said.
