Enterprise Application Integration (EAI)

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LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. Describe necessity and characteristics of Enterprise Application Integration(EAI)

2. Define EAI and its aim, benefit and challenges

3. List principles for Enterprise Integration

4. Describe the advantages of E-Collaboration scenarios, IS Integration and E-Collaboration platforms

Agenda

B. E-Collaboration scenarios

C. IS Integration

A. Introduction

D. E-Collaboration platforms

Enterprise Application Integration

• Enterprise Application Integration– Definition: The process of integrating

multiple applications that were independently developed, may use incompatible technology, and remain independently managed.

– By this definition, EAI would include:• Business Process Integration• Enterprise Information Integration

Agenda

C. IS Integration

A. Introduction

D. E-Collaboration Platforms

Motivations

• Merger and Acquisition

• Expansion of inner IS

• Governments’ trends

• Cooperation Alliance

Guiding Principles for Enterprise Integration

1. Clear IT Strategy mapped to Business Strategy

2. Mapping of corporate process and data models

3. Plan ahead for EI - investment vs. cost justification

4. Formulate an EI architecture based on integration characteristics

5. Establish clear lines of ownership and accountability

6. Evaluate vendors on commercials, stability, references, strategy

7. Evaluate technologies - scalability, flexibility, customization, standards

8. Invest in the right skills - Solution & Integration Architects

9. Pilot the desired solution, but in a real environment

10. Ensure tools and processes in place for end-to-end service mgmt

Agenda

A. Introduction

C. IS Integration

Enterprise Integration Taxonomy

Common Layers of EAI Solutions

Business Intelligence

Business ProcessManagement

Messaging

Adapters

Provides real-time and historical data on performanceof processes and assists in making decisions.

Manages and tracks business transactions that mightspan multiple systems and last minutes to days.

Ensures the reliability of data delivery across the Enterprise or between systems.

Provides “open” connectivity into data sources whileallowing filtering and transformations of data.

A sample of Integration MethodologyDEFINE

BusinessProcessAnalysis

Tech ReqDocument

SystemTest Cases

SoftwareQA Plan

Req WTReport

FDRReport

DESIGN

FDRReport

LogicalDesign

LogicalDesign WT

Report

SimulationDocument

IntegrationTest Cases

Architect.Document

IntegrationWT Report

Unit TestResults

SystemTest Result

IntegrationTest

Results

IntegrationDesign

CodeReviews

ErrorHandling

Unit TestCases

SourceCode

FDRReport

CTQSignoff

Repository Repository Repository

DEPLOY

FDRReport

LessonsLearned

Repository

IS Integration Approaches

Motivation

• Technical considerations for web services– Service scenarios (services, business processes)– Process model (heuristic)

• Extending EAI concept into an inter-organizational direction– EAI provides different levels of integration (from

loose coupling to very tight integration)– EAI is a concept, I.e. independent of programming

languages, technical infrastructures etc.

Integrate existing - both intra- and inter-organizational - applicationsusing a common middleware rather than recreate the same business processes and data repositories over and over again.

Reasons• Saving development costs• Retaining existing value of legacy applications (but “ancient”

technology)• Increasing need for integration by popularity of packaged applications

such as SAP R/3• Need for a comprehensive integration system rather than creating

interfaces and integration points between every application and data source

Benefit• Reuse of integration objects• Modeling business information corresponds

directly to business model• End-user / SME driven changes• Multiple presentations for single piece of

information• Lower cost of integration

– Initial– Maintenance

Spaghetti integration

Source: [Linthicum 1999, 9]

The way to EAI

Source: [Pinkston 2001, 49]

EAI vision

Levels of EAI

Implementation of Inter-EAI

• User Interface Level– HTML Frames– Content syndication

• Method Level– Web Services

• Application Interface Level– Middleware (e.g. CORBA)– Jave RMI– SAP R/3 business objects

• Data Level– EDI standards (e.g. EDIFACT)

– XML standards (e.g. BMEcat, openTrans)

Web Services

XML Web Services

Source: www.microsoft.com

Web Services

Benefits• Loose application coupling• Independent application evolution• All vendors are pushing for web services• (Some) interoperability• Standardization of integration technologies• Convenience APIs and tools• Enable ASP (Application Service Providing)

The Web Service ArchitectureApplication services

Applicationservice

Service grid

Standards and protocols

Software standards• WSDL• UDDI• XML

Communication protocols• SOAP• HTTP• TCP/IP

Shared utilitiesSecurity, auditing and assessment of third-party performance, billing and payment

Service management utilitiesProvisioning, monitoring, ensuring quality ofservice, synchronization, conflict resolution

Resource knowledge management utilitiesDirectories, brokers, registries, repositories,data transformation

Transport management utilitiesMessage, queuing, filtering, metering, monitoring, routing, resource orchestration

Source: [Hagel/Brown 2001]

Agenda

C. IS Integration

A. Introduction

E-Collaboration Platforms

• Platform (technical infrastructure) for offering web services

• Possible platform concepts– Corporate portal– Co-operation platform– Electronic marketplace– Application Service Providing

• Selection decision is affected by– Standardization issues– “Richness” of service portfolio– Customer acceptance

Corporate portal

• Internet portal– (Closed) platform owned and provided by Siemens

ICN– Relationship: One-to-some/one-to-many– Low/moderate investments on customer side (Web

browser)– Offering tailored (proprietary) services– Low standardization demands

Corporate portal

• One front-end for whole service portfolio

• Requirements analysis/implementation according to Process Portal Methodology

• Most firms (Dell, Cisco, etc.) providing their web services on a corporate portal

Less a competitive advantage rather than a “must have”

Customer acceptance regarding one more proprietary platform?

Co-operation platform

• Co-operation platform– (Open) platform hosted by Siemens ICN, a third-party or a consortium– Relationship: Some-to-some/some-to-many– Low/moderate investments on customer side (Web browser)– Offering (more) generic web services– Standardization is more important

• Various business models possible• Negotiations between platform providers neccessary• Examples: Covisint, …Conflict resolution (e.g. negotiation of standards)?Reduced service portfolioCustomer acceptance should be higher

Electronic Marketplace

• Electronic Marketplace– Open platform hosted by a third-party or a consortium– Relationship: Many-to-many– Not only market transactions but also value-added services

(financial/logistic services)– Low/moderate investments on customer side (Web browser)– Offering standard web services (e.g. service call)– High degree of standardization (industry/provider standards)

• Offering valued services on Electronic Marketplaces where ICN products are already offered

• ICN is “only” a service providerNo specific service portfolio (just general web services)Customer acceptance (regarding marketplaces)?

Application Service Providing

• Outsourcing model• IS integration

– Access either via Web or via IS integration/coupling– e.g. implementation uses web services– Supporting various applications/systems (ERP

systems as well as Web browsers, even mobile devices)

– Might require high investments on both sides– Underlying technology/infrastructure (web services)

is standardized, demand/customer specific application services

Application Service Providing

• New business models possible– Offering communication services rather than selling and

maintaining communication systems– PBXs can be hosted either on Siemens or on customer side

– Customer can configure its PBX via Internet (similar to web hosting)

Specific service portfolio (based on web service standards)

Customer acceptance (proliferation of web services)?

References

• Special thanks to1)Lehrstuhl für Wirtschaftinformatik undInterorganisationssysteme (IOS)Prof. Dr. Stefan KleinUniversität MünsterInstitut für Wirtschaftsinformatik

2) http://www.integrationconsortium.org

Enterprise Application Integration (EAI)

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