Transaction Server Middleware

Transaction server middleware delivers application services needed to host transactions, typically independent of the application development tools used to construct the business logic for those transactions. Transaction server middleware includes services for transaction and state management, high performance and availability, resource pooling, transaction and data integrity, workload management, and access to data and legacy application program resources. Because the hosted transactions are bundled as distributed modules or components, TSM delivers the infrastructure needed to communicate requests and replies back and forth between all of the modules or components that are needed to execute the distributed application program (transaction) on behalf of the requesting client. TSM delivers a consistent cross-platform execution environment because it operates independently of the underlying OS, network, and DBMS. Accordingly, customers can openly mix their use of TSM with their choice of underlying heterogeneous OSs, networks, DBMSs, and application development tools.

In various combinations with other deployment software products, TSMW products work in the logical middle tier of a distributed multiple-tiered environment of clients, back-end applications code, content, and data sources: They perform various types of intersystem transaction management (as well as classic transaction monitoring on a single system) and real-time analytical automation in support of B2B and B2C transaction management (but this market does not include products that analyze the transactions for subsequent end-user reporting; see the various information access and delivery software markets)

Representative vendors and products include the following:

• BEA Tuxedo and the former Top End
• HP ACMSxp and NonStop — in maintenance mode
• IBM CICS