Metadata-Based Middleware for Integrating Information Systems (Dissertations in Database and Information Systems, 62)

The integration of distributed and heterogeneous legacy applications and system components is a major challenge to remain competitive in a global market. To cope with this need, different kinds of middleware have been developed. This book presents three approaches realizing middleware for integrating information systems based on metadata. The benefit of using metadata is that it provides a generic way of integration instead of hard-coding the knowledge required for integration. Based on the characteristics of these approaches, a criteria catalog is presented that serves as a basis for the evaluation of metadata-based middleware. This book is not only devoted to database researchers interested in the field of metadata management, but also to a broad industrial community seeking practical solutions to their various integration problems.