Enterprise Messaging System (EMS)

Techopedia explains Enterprise Messaging System (EMS)

EMS may describe email, fax or instant messages where there is human-to-human interface. However, EMS messages are asynchronous and consist of report and event data designed to be received by the enterprise’s applications and not by humans. The message coordinates enterprise systems and records the progress towards enterprise project goals and objectives.

Enterprise messaging system processes are facilitated by XML messaging, SOAP and Web services.

An enterprise messaging system should be able to meet certain criteria:

1. Policy: There must be a centralized policy of messages allowing different classes or responsibilities of users to access appropriate messages.
2. Security: Messages traveling over public facilities must be encrypted and authenticated or digitally signed.
3. Routing: Messages must be efficiently routed; and intermediate nodes are used if the body is encrypted.
4. Subscription Systems: Systems should have the ability to subscribe to all messages matching a specific pattern; and differing content messages should have different type of routing. For example, meeting different security or priority policies.
5. Metadata: Body of message must be unambiguous and use metadata registries for each element of data.

EMS messages are usually in two sections, message header and message body. The message header design contains data necessary to route it correctly from one node to another. It is analogous to the information on the outside of a letter, such as name, address, zip code, etc. The message body semantics contains the precise definition of the data elements. These are aided by a precise data dictionary documenting metadata, which is data about one or several aspect of the data such as means of creation, purpose along with time and date of creation.

Java Message Service is an example of an application programming interface (API) implementing EMS.