Mule is the most widely used open source ESB-with millions of downloads-providing an alternative to expensive commercial options. Mule in Action is a comprehensive tutorial designed for working Java developers. This authoritative book explores the architecture and the main features of version Mule 2 through numerous running examples. It starts with a quick overview of ESB technology and a bit of Mule history-including the key changes between Mule 1.x and Mule 2. Readers learn to configure Mule and then get straight to the good stuff-putting Mule to work.

Because the core of an ESB system is handling message traffic, the book dives into the way Mule handles data with chapters on sending and receiving, routing, and transforming data. Next, it takes a close look at Mule's standard components and how you can roll out custom ones. The book closes with a set of chapters on the nuts and bolts of working with Mule. Readers can take Mule farther by learning techniques for testing, performance tuning, BPM orchestration, and even a touch of Groovy scripting.