Integrating two web applications from different platforms

[Eqbal]

I am working on some proof of concepts and prototyping for integrating
another web application into an existing web application that I
maintain (which is J2EE). The remote web application is also J2EE (with
SAP system at the backend). What are the best ways to seamlessly
integrate the two applications? How would we initiate sessions,
exchange cookies, user data, pass new registration data etc.?

We are trying to see if iframe would work on most pages, but for
certain tasks like user single sign-on, registration, initiating of
sessions on the remote application we have to think outside of iframe.
Are there any opensource connectors that maybe use
URLConnection/HttpURLConnections etc. and manage session data,
login/single sign-on etc.?

I would greatly appreciate anyone sharing their experience/ideas.

Thanks.

 

[Roedy Green]

What are the best ways to seamlessly
integrate the two applications?

There are two meanings to that.

1. You want to have only one womb and all the code will be migrated to
work on it.

2. You will have two separate servers each running on a different
platform. You want the outside world to be as unaware as possible
there are two systems. You want to have them intercommunicate in
various ways.

Which is your goal?

 

[Eqbal]

My goal is number 2, have two serparate servers each running on
different platform (but both are J2EE at least in terms of the customer
facing web application).

 

[Roedy Green]

2. You will have two separate servers each running on a different
platform. You want the outside world to be as unaware as possible
there are two systems. You want to have them intercommunicate in
various ways.

What could one say in general that would be useful?

1. The outside world really does not care. It is common for requests
to be farmed from server to server. So long as responses come from
the same domain, very few people would even notice.

2. Unsigned Applets are not permitted to load files from a server
other that the one they were loaded from. You have to set up some sort
of proxy service on the Applet machine to the other.

3. Everything is going to work fastest if clients talk directly to
both machines. Any sort of proxy handoff in either direction adds
overhead. You just want to use either machine to introduce the client
to the other, not to relay every piece of conversation.

4. maybe you have databases on both machines and you need to access
them both to handle a given transaction. Consider giving direct access
to both databases from both machines rather that creating transactions
and trying to take apart HTML responses.