Chapter 1. Java Enterprise Design

Before we dive into specific patterns for enterprise architecture, we need to set the stage. In this chapter, we'll take a closer look at design patterns as a context, and then take an extremely quick tour through J2EE. Next, we'll explore the various tiers of an enterprise application, from the client up through the business logic and enterprise level services. We'll look at component-based design, and the four major themes that govern much of enterprise development: Extensibility, Scalability, Reliability, and Timeliness.

In the next chapter, we'll break off and concentrate on UML, the Unified Modeling Language, which provides a standard vocabulary to describe both design patterns and systems as a whole.

The rest of the book builds on the themes of good enterprise architecture practices and the design patterns that support them.