Importance

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Abstract

A system and method for exchanging data between two or more applications includes a data exchange engine and a number of adapters associated with a corresponding number of applications. Each of the adapters is customized to interface with a corresponding application and transforms data being transferred between the application and the data exchange engine. Data produced by a particular application is converted from a technology dependent form to a technology independent form by the corresponding adapter. In one embodiment, the format associated with a data stream is disassociated from the informational content of the data stream by the adapter. The informational content of the data stream is then transformed by the adapter into a common or generic format. The data exchange engine receives data in a technology independent form from each of its associated adapters and coordinates the routing of informational content to particular adapters associated with applications that have requested specific informational content. The adapters receiving the informational content from the data exchange engine transform the informational content having the common format into a data format compatible with, or specific to, their associated applications. A queuing mechanism is employed to construct a reliable asynchronous or pseudo-synchronous interface between disparate applications and systems. The data exchange engine may apply business rules or logic when processing a request for particular informational content. User-specified routing logic may be applied by the data exchange engine to dispatch selected informational content to one or more destination applications.

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First Claim