As a high-end transaction processing platform, openUTM is used for OLTP (online transaction processing) applications. These may be banking applications or travel booking systems, for example: bank customers transfer payments between accounts at different banks in different locations – and not just by actually going to the bank. They may also do it by phone or via the World Wide Web. Travel agents book international flights and hotel rooms and have online access to the databases of airlines and hotel chains. openUTM is also the basis for enterprise-wide, integrated IT solutions based on client/server concepts or for stockkeeping and production control systems.
openUTM can handle dialog-controlled services or asynchronous services that are detached from the dialog. Its message queuing features support workflow concepts, mobile computing and similar applications.
As an application server, openUTM takes on the following tasks:
openUTM forms the runtime environment for service routines.
The service routines can be generated statically or added dynamically to the application during live operation.
The service routines use standardized interfaces to the openUTM application server (X/Open: CPI-C, TX, XATMI; DIN: KDCS, UTM HTTP).
The service routine can accesses databases directly (by means of SQL).
The openUTM application server coordinates the transactions with the database system.
openUTM controls the exchange of information between clients, applications and resources on the basis of transactions. openUTM thus ensures reliability, availability and performance – even in the case of complex distributed structures.
openUTM provides the KDCADMI programming interface which can be used to administer UTM applications.
For communication with HTTP-clients openUTM provides the UTM-HTTP programming interface.
UTM applications can be operated both in the form of a standalone application (one host) and in the form of a UTM cluster application (on more than one host). Cluster functionality is available for Linux, Unix and Windows systems.
Figure 1: The UTM application server as a high-end transaction processing platform
openUTM supports mult-tier architectures that permit distribution of business logic (processing) to a number of servers. openUTM acts as a distributed, high-level operating system.
When designing applications, there is a range of powerful functions on which you can build: openUTM controls global transactions, optimizes the utilization of system resources (working memory, CPU, etc.), manages concurrent access and takes care of access control, the establishment of network connections and a great deal more.
The specifics of heterogeneous networks and different platforms do not find expression in the application components, so the various components remain environment-independent and offer great flexibility in that they can be replaced easily and used universally.
You will find detailed information on client/server computing and server-to-server communication with openUTM in a separate chapter of the manual devoted to this subject (chapter "Integration scenarios with openUTM"). |