[teiid-users] Question on the best way to fit teiid into our project infrastructure

Hello, I am new to Teiid and is currently investigating whether we can best leverage teiid as a middle data layer for our project. Here is the scenario: we need to develop web visualization application (currently using Java Applet, possibly bringing others such as Flash into picture in the future) with data sources coming either from SOAP web services and/or from iRODS server (see http://www.irods.org for details). We want to use teiid as a middle data layer to build and deploy a vdb so that Java Applet can access data by talking to this teiid vdb via JDBC or web services. We have teiid server installed on the same machine with iRODS server, and I have teiid designer installed on my local machine to build vdb that can connect to data hosted in iRODS server. Although at the moment I still have some issues to successfully connect to data hosted in iRODS server from teiid designer, I have some doubts on the best way to deploy teiid vdb for use by Java Applet assuming we have a vdb built successfully. Specifically, 1. If Java Applet accesses vdb via JDBC, is Teiid Application Server a must to have? If so, do we need to install Teiid Application Server on the same machine as iRODS server that hosts physical data? Can we install teiid designer to build a vdb on a different machine and then deploy the vdb to Teiid server or Application Server for web access? 2. I can add a web service model in a vdb in teiid designer and test the operations successfully in teiid designer, but how can I deploy the web services embedded in the teiid vdb to a web server so that the web services can be accessed by any web applications? I am reading teiid documents here and there but have not found any guidance yet on how to achieve this. Any suggestions and guidance are very much appreciated. Thank you very much in advance, Hong