Large scale interoperability and distributed transaction processing

This article integrates an interoperability architecture, the OSCA^TM architecture, and a distributed transaction processing protocol, the X/Open^® Distributed Transaction Processing model, into a unified model of large scale interoperability and distributed transaction processing. Applications supporting different business operations are often deployed in heterogeneous environments in which applications are stand alone islands and operations are fragmented. But in order to have integrated operations, a loosely coupled system of autonomous applications is required often bound together via a distributed transaction processing protocol. This article describes a model for this configuration. It will propose that the span of control of a transaction manager defines the transaction environment for a single application. Any two applications need not conform to the same supplier's transaction environment nor reside in the same environment. Interoperability must be provided among applications, since any one application cannot assume that any other application is under the control of the same transaction manager. Requirements are imposed upon the interactions of applications to support interoperability. The interface between transaction managers must be compatible with these requirements. Other distributed architecture standards must define the requirements for release independence, resource independence, accessibility transparency, location transparency, contract interfaces, and secure environment.