Mule is a lightweight Java-based messaging framework that allows applications to connect and exchange data using a service-oriented architecture. It handles interactions between applications regardless of technology, and routes messages between them using transports while transforming data as needed using transformers. Services contain business logic components and configuration to specify message routing. This allows easy integration and reuse of existing applications and components.

1. Mule ESB

7. Logical Data Flow

9. Summery Mule provides a messaging framework that enables exchange of data among applications. The application functionality is wrapped as a service, which includes a service component (the business logic that processes the data), routers (which use endpoints to specify where to send the message), and other configuration settings. Transports carry the messages on different channels from service to service, and transformers convert the messages and data as needed along the way. Mule is not a replacement for existing application frameworks. Instead, Mule leverages many open source projects such as Apache CXF, Spring, and ActiveMQ and fills a void in enterprise Java development where an application requires complex interactions with a variety of systems on a variety of platforms. Mule makes light work of wiring systems together in a robust, decoupled environment with little to no code and provides the necessary support to route, transport, and transform data to and from these systems.