There are different following approaches that can be used when modularizing a configuration.

• Independent configurations – a Mule instance can load several independent configuration files SIDE by side.
• Inherited configurations – main idea is to express a formal parent-child dependency between two configurations. By strongly expressing this dependency, you will have the guarantee at boot time that no configuration file has been omitted. Simply by using the same name for the parent and child models and by flagging the child as being an heir, as shown here:
• <model name="myConfig">
• <model name="myConfig" inherit="true">
• IMPORTED configurations – You can easily import external SPRING application context files into your Mule configuration files. The following illustrates how instance.xml would import its Spring context file:
• <spring:BEANS>
• <spring:import resource="instance-beans.xml" />
• </spring:beans>
• HETEROGENEOUS configurations – It is possible to mix several styles of Mule configuration in an instance. An instance can be configured with a Groovy script and Spring XML configuration builders.

There are different following approaches that can be used when modularizing a configuration.