science

Integration platform

Integration platform is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Integration platform rather than just read about it. In short: An integration platform is software which integrates different applications and services. It differentiates itself from the enterprise application integration which has a focus on supply chain management.

Key takeaways

Integration platform belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Integration platform to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Integration platform from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

An integration platform is software which integrates different applications and services. It differentiates itself from the enterprise application integration which has a focus on supply chain management. It uses the idea of system integration to create an environment for engineers. It connects different systems to enable them to share data and information. Integration platforms can be built from components, purchased as a pre-built product ready for installation or procured from an integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) company.

Overview An integration platform tries to create an environment in which engineers can:

Data (information) integration: Ensure that they are using the same datasets and can share information. Data management with metadata information and versioning ensures the data is kept consistent. Integrate many kinds of applications (independent from platform, programming language or resource) so they can be bound together in workflows and processes to work in conjunction. The different interfaces are hidden by the usage of a uniform interface in the integration platform (Process Integration). Collaborate between distributed and scattered applications and engineers over the network. Interoperability between different operating systems and programming languages by the use of similar interfaces. Take security considerations into account so that, for example, data is shared only with the right resources. Visual guidance by interactive user interfaces and a common facade for all integrated applications.

Common components of integration platform An integration platform typically contains a set of functional components, such as:

Message bus for enabling reliable messaging between enterprise applications. Adapters to transform messages from and to application's proprietary protocol. Adapters often offer connectivity via common standards, like FTP, SFTP or format support, like EDI. Transformation engine and visualized data mapping to transform messages or files from one format to another. Metadata repository for storing information separated from processes, like business party. Process Orchestration Engine for orchestration design and execution. In this context orchestration is a technical workflow that represents a business process or part of it. Technical dashboard for tracking messages in a message bus and viewing execution history of orchestrations. Scheduler for scheduling orchestrations Batch engine for controlling large file transfers, batch jobs, execution of external scripts and other non-messaging based tasks. Platforms can be cloud-based.

Differentiation An integration platform has a focus to be designed by and helpful to engineers. It has no intention to map business processes or integrate tools for supply chain management. Therefore, it is not related to those systems.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Integration platform

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Integration platform claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Integration platform before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Integration platform ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Integration platform

In research: Integration platform appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Integration platform in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Integration platform is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Integration platform, Interoperability, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Integration platform outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Integration platform in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Integration platform means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Integration platform out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Integration platform in simple terms?

Why does Integration platform matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Integration platform?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Integration platform.