complex middleware concepts, such as topics or queues. Further, the implementation-level services can run on any machine across the network by virtue of the built-in dynamic deployment support SOAIF provides. The combination of service-oriented tools and built-in support for distributed debugging, run-time tracing and logging, and dynamic deployment allows the SOAIF to dramatically reduce the time taken to implement and deliver working processes. SOAIF requirements A SOAIF is a general-purpose infrastructure platform that lets developers and business analysts create, deploy, manage, and change processes within and across the enterprise. SOAIFs have unique requirements at both the tools and infrastructure levels that are not typically provided by any single current technology or platform. These include: distributed event-enabled architecture, flexibility via service-enabled processes, enterprise standards support (fault tolerance, reliability, and scalability), security in distributed environment, visual process composition and monitoring, rapid process changes. By addressing these requirements, an SOAIF lets users quickly respond to changes and integrate operations efficiently, regardless of platform, language, database, or application. Distributed event-enabled architecture Enterprise processes are usually distributed across multiple applications and hardware/software systems. These processes are also event-based in the sense that the subprocesses are linked by a series of events. For example, the depletion of inventory at a manufacturer may lead to an event-trigger that is automatically generated and propagated to one or more suppliers to replenish the depleted inventory items. Most current BPM solutions control the processes through a centralized hub. Changes to applications, or additions of new applications, require modifications at the centralized hub. Further, all data exchanged between applications needs to traverse the central hub. This type of topology restriction is inefficient, inflexible, and leads to bottlenecks. To overcome this limitation, a framework that tries to integrate enterprise processes needs to be fully distributed across the network within the enterprise. The framework must also be symmetric, which implies that the same event-based infrastructure software and tools need to run on all machines within the enterprise. Enterprise standards support Support for data exchange, messaging, and existing enterprise standards becomes essential in an SOAIF. Since content needs to be exchanged between partners, XML messages and documents will be the desired format. Further, since most businesses want to leverage existing infrastructures, an SOAIF needs to easily support multiple standards. Fault tolerance, reliability and scalability A SOAIF should be able to offer a very high degree of reliability. The platform should support a broad range