| SOA is too big and too expensive regardless | | | | investment. It is at this point where the |
| of what all the vendors tell you. Is it wise | | | | most agility in terms of solution is needed. |
| to trust the people who created the original | | | | The more rigid the user interface, the |
| mess with fixing it? Isn't it likely that the | | | | processes, data and content access is the |
| typical large corporation will end up with a | | | | less it will support corporate agility. Code |
| larger mess than before? | | | | a single line in Java for any of the five |
| | | | integration levels and there goes your |
| Every IT expert must be aware that developing | | | | so-wished-for agility! |
| a software product is an expensive | | | | |
| proposition. Thus it is understandable that | | | | It is PARAMOUNT that for all levels of |
| any software vendor will have to try and | | | | integration - data, content, backend apps, |
| expand the lifetime of a product by selling | | | | business process and user interface - full |
| it under a new name. The same is obviously | | | | lifecycle change management is available. All |
| true for an inhouse application. | | | | levels of consolidation/integration need |
| | | | integrated SECURITY as otherwise one cannot |
| So how can we utilize those applications and | | | | open up between levels. This is one of the |
| data without too much cost and effort? Using | | | | huge issues still hindering consolidation |
| a clever mix of integration, consolidation | | | | today! What is needed is FULL consolidation |
| and federation does the trick without the | | | | and not just interaction that is smugly shown |
| need for a fully blown SOA project. | | | | on a dashboard. Any change needed on any |
| | | | level has to be propagated automatically to |
| Business service consolidation integration | | | | ALL levels. |
| and federation is a difficult task, and given | | | | |
| the data and applications explosion in most | | | | A business service approach as suggested here |
| organizations, it will not get easier if you | | | | requires a powerful data federation |
| wait. Large organizations typically have | | | | technique, which in turn requires a metadata |
| large amounts of legacy data and numerous | | | | repository to provide the flexibility to |
| hard-coded processes because they typically | | | | define and use multiple data sources. A |
| buy the so-believed best-of-breed products | | | | business service can then query any data |
| that create the integration problem. SMB or | | | | source or business application at any time. |
| small to medium businesses have less legacy | | | | Because of the metadata information, |
| data and thus focus on integration from a | | | | synchronized writes are possible when needed, |
| business intelligence perspective. | | | | but must be used carefully. Data federation |
| | | | can be slower in accessing than data |
| Five integration towers are to be considered: | | | | consolidation or propagation but requires the |
| metadata, content, applications, business | | | | least changes to current systems and provides |
| process, and user interface. Do not forget | | | | the highest flexibility and the most accurate |
| SECURITY on all levels. There are many | | | | and real-time data access that offsets the |
| offerings for each tower but it is important | | | | possible additional runtime issue. |
| to consolidate on all levels of enterprise IT | | | | |
| and not just on one of them. Only then a | | | | By means of the metadata the business service |
| coherent view of the business can be given to | | | | has access to semantic and model information |
| the user as well as the customer. I call this | | | | and can merge data from different sources |
| approach a Business Service Approach or BSA. | | | | into a coherent image for the business user |
| The key problem is that in the sense of | | | | or customer without the huge overhead of |
| consolidation ERP, ECM, CRM, and BPM products | | | | consolidation or propagation. Model |
| are legacy systems and have to be considered | | | | information can provide data access paths |
| as expendable. | | | | that the user can freely explore given the |
| | | | right authorization. |
| Integrating on any level lower than the user | | | | |
| interface and customer service will come back | | | | Data federation is also the best approach for |
| to haunt the IT organization once again. Yes, | | | | existing content from archives or newly |
| I know that IBM and others talk about | | | | created content from the federated data that |
| integrating on a business process level, but | | | | is transmitted back to the source |
| that it still not enough and a huge problem | | | | application. A simple process oriented |
| if it involves any Java coding at all. Yes, | | | | changed-data mechanism can ensure that data |
| SOA as a concept is good, but it is nowhere | | | | changes are written back to the data source |
| near enough. Calling some other approach with | | | | with full conflict resolution. Time-stamps |
| business process SOA is just adding to the | | | | and versioning that are common in content |
| confusion. | | | | management are here used for data records. |
| | | | |
| Several vendors now support business process | | | | A solution than can perform data |
| and application integration with a single | | | | consolidation, propagation and federation |
| product set, just business intelligence | | | | from a SINGLE metadata definition is the best |
| vendors fail to understand that business data | | | | choice. A solution also has to perform data |
| only make sense to anyone from a business | | | | replication to remote locations and easily |
| process perspective. | | | | link to the data sources by means such as |
| | | | ODBC, JDBC, SQL or messaging services such as |
| A business service approach has to provide | | | | JMS, MQ-series, SOAP or others. Enforcing the |
| users - and/or customers via the web - with a | | | | use of SOA Webservices at this point will |
| personalized interface to customer focused | | | | drive integration cost and time sky-high. |
| business services using data, content, | | | | |
| business processes, and backend applications. | | | | As you can see, much of that is not part of |
| At this point the user interface also has to | | | | the typical SOA project, but these are the |
| support collaboration via email and other | | | | problems that have to be and can be solved |
| means. Setting up a portal without taking | | | | without SOA overhead. These were the |
| integration to that level will only highlight | | | | consideration that went into the development |
| the lack of integration and reduce the | | | | of the ISIS Papyrus Process and Content |
| possible benefits and thus the return of | | | | Platform. |