Web Services adapters allow Web Services connections to systems that were not originally developed with Web Services in mind. Adapters can be written in-house or purchased from third-party software vendors. Some examples of systems that could use adapters include:
- Internally developed systems
- Packaged software
- Database systems
- CORBA
- DCOM
When a message router uses Web Services, it is shown one line is shown connecting to the message router instead of one line to each of the connected systems as shown in Web Services message routers.
The following figure shows two of the internal systems using adapters. This is meant to represent that some internal systems may need adapters that are not part of the internal system. These adapters could be written in-house or purchased from third-party software vendors.
Adapters almost always transform non-XML formats into XML formats and back again. For more information, see XML processing (new window).
More information on Web Services adapters can be found in Web Services and Service-Oriented Architectures: The Savvy Manager's Guide.
If you are interested in a listing of adapter products, click here.
More on the general topic: Messaging components