Mule Architecture

üMule is based on the concept of a service-oriented architecture (SOA). The SOA approach to development allows IT organizations to create applications by bringing together components of application functionality, or services. Services are discrete sets of functionality that are completely separate from each other but can work together on the same objects. For example, if you need to process invoices, you might have one service that merges customer data from a database into the invoice and another service that checks the inventory database to see if the items on the invoice are in stock.

üBecause each service stands alone, services can be used as building blocks for multiple processes and do not have to be recreated for each type of process or message. For example, the service that merges customer data onto the invoice could also be used to merge customer data onto statements, letters, or other documents. This modular approach allows you to create functionality once and re-use it as many times as needed, streamlining development.

üUsing SOA, businesses can realize dramatic savings on development costs and can rapidly adapt to changing business conditions by reusing and reconfiguring existing services in developing new applications. SOA also enables better integration of enterprise IT resources, including previously isolated application silos and legacy systems. Mule fully supports the SOA approach and orchestrates communication among the services, allowing you to easily tie all these applications together.