Problem 1:

• Search the Internet and identify a definition of Middleware that you like
• Compare and contrast the definition you found with the definition in the course text/slides
• According to this definition, which ones of the following are considered as middleware (put an * next to all that apply)

Router, Web Services, Payment system, HTTP, antivirus software, cookies, proxy servers, Ajax, email, operating system, Java, inventory management system, RPC, C#, CRM system, SOAP

d) Given the architectural client/server configurations in Figure 1 that show how applications can be split across computer1 (client) and computer2 (server), use the following table to answer the following questions:

• Show the middleware for each configuration.
• Which configuration will be most secure?
• Which configuration will give best performance?
• Which configuration will minimize the network traffic?

Figure 1: Architectural Configurations

Problem 2:Understanding System Integration (15 Points)

3A: Find and list three different definitions of architecture and three different definition of integration. Choose the one that you like the most in each category.

3B: Find and list three different examples of integrated systems and three examples of systems that are not integrated. Just give 1-2-line description of the system, its URL (if available), and reason why do you think the system is integrated or not. You can use any examples from any systems anywhere in the world.

3C: Answer the following questions:

• What exactly is an Enterprise Architecture (2 sentences)?
• What are the key components of an Enterprise Architecture (list 3 to 5)?
• Why an enterprise architecture needed? One sentence
• What is the difference between enterprise architecture and business architecture?
• Is technical architecture part of enterprise architecture?

Problem 3: Case Study in Integrated Architectures

Surf the Internet and any other literature to find 1 case study that will be interesting to discuss in class.The case study may be based on a real-life situation you are aware of. Here is some additional information:

• The case study must be related to enterprise architecture and integration and must deal with at least one of the following: management issues, business architectures, enterprise architectures, integrated architectures, service-oriented architectures, or enabling technologies (e.g., Web 2.0+, Web Services, Mobile Services).
• It may indicate success or failure
• It must be accessible over the Internet
• It must be relatively short (2 to3 pages)
• It must present some interesting information that can be discussed briefly for 5 to 10 minutes
• Title of the case study, the source and the link
• What does it describe (one para)?
• What is interesting and valuable information for this class (few sentences). It may include information such as the following: the integration problem addressed, the key enterprise applications that were involved, the results (good, bad), key lessons learned.
• Possible Sources of Information: CIO magazine (www.cio.com), CIO-insight magazine (www.cioinsight.com), Information week (www.informationweek.com), eAI Magazine (www.eai.com),computerworld (www.computerworld.com)
• Instead of external sources, you can use a case study from your own company or any other place that you know of through your contacts. You can hide the proprietary information.

The case study should be written as a one-page report that contains the following information:

Additional information:

Deliverable: Upload your assignment files for all of the tasks (in .zip format). You should include screen shots of your demos where appropriate.

Hint: www.w3schools.com provides a great deal of information on Web, XML, JSON and other web technologies.