A Sample Internationalized System

An internationalized system may include internationalized client applications, gateways, and servers running on different platforms in different native language environments.

For example, an international system might include the following components:

Order processing applications in New York City, Mexico City, and Paris (Client-Library applications)
An inventory control server in Germany (SAP ASE)
An order fulfillment server in France (SAP ASE)
A central accounting application in Japan (an Open Server application working with an SAP ASE)

In this system, the order processing applications:

Query the inventory control server to determine if requested items are in stock
Place orders with the order fulfillment server
Send financial information to the accounting application

The inventory control server and the order fulfillment server respond to queries, and the accounting application collects financial data and generates reports.

The system looks like this:

Example of an international system
Graphic showing a heterogeneous server environment. Includes three servers, one each in New York, Mexico City, and Paris, and each work on a different operating system. Each server connects to clients in France, Germany, and Japan, and each client fulfills a distinct role: order fulfillment, inventory control, accounting, and an accounting gateway.

Graphic showing a heterogeneous server environment. Includes three servers, one each in New York, Mexico City, and Paris, and each work on a different operating system. Each server connects to clients in France, Germany, and Japan, and each client fulfills a distinct role: order fulfillment, inventory control, accounting, and an accounting gateway.

In this example, all applications and servers use local languages and character sets to accept input and output messages.