Patent ID: 7237037

Claim:
A combination message broker system for use with a firewall defining an internal side and an external side, and a plurality of service engines including a plurality of internal service engines being located on the internal side of the firewall and a plurality of external service engines being located on the external side of the firewall, individual service engines of the internal and external pluralities of service engines being configured to transmit messages intended for receipt by other service engines of the internal and external pluralities of service engines, comprising: an internal message broker on the internal side of the firewall, the internal message broker including a communications link to the plurality of internal service engines, wherein the internal message broker is configured to route each message it receives toward the other service engine intended for receipt of that message; an external message broker on the external side of the firewall, the external message broker including a communications link to the plurality of external service engines, wherein the external message broker is configured to route each message it receives toward the other service engine intended for receipt of that message; and a communications link placing the internal message broker and the external message broker in communication; wherein the message broker system is configured to translate messages from data formats in which they are received by the message brokers to data formats suitable for the service engines intended for receipt of the messages.