System and method for exchanging information among exchange applications

A gateway for performing message-based business processes among a plurality of applications, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory, coupled to the processor, the memory comprising a plurality of instructions executed by the processor, the plurality of instructions configured to:
• store configuration data in a data store in the gateway, the configuration data including information defining one or more simple transactions that can be performed by the gateway;
• receive a gateway message at the gateway, the gateway message including a gateway message header and a payload, the gateway message header including a routing slip block providing a template of a complex transaction in which the gateway message is participating, the complex transaction comprising one or more simple transactions performed in a defined order;
• and
• execute at the gateway at least one simple transaction in accordance with the template in the routing slip and the configuration data defining the one or more simple transactions.

A gateway for performing message-based business processes among a plurality of applications, comprising:

• a data store configured to store configuration data, the configuration data including information defining one or more simple transactions that can be performed by the gateway;
• an abstract queue configured to receive a gateway message at the gateway, the gateway message including a gateway message header and a payload, the gateway message header including a routing slip block providing a template of a complex transaction in which the gateway message is participating, the complex transaction comprising one or more simple transactions performed in a defined order;
• and
• at least one processing unit configured to execute at the gateway at least one simple transaction in accordance with the template in the routing slip and the configuration data defining the one or more simple transactions.