Lesson 5: Integration Methodologies PDF

INTEGRATION METHODOLOGIES Lesson 5  Importance When working on business system or application integration projects, it is vital to follow suitable protocols and procedures. The steps further will help gain a better understanding that can be applied to the majority of enterprise applicat...

INTEGRATION METHODOLOGIES Lesson 5  Importance When working on business system or application integration projects, it is vital to follow suitable protocols and procedures. The steps further will help gain a better understanding that can be applied to the majority of enterprise application integration projects.  STEP 01 Understanding the Enterprise and Problem Domain Step 01: Understanding the Enterprise and Problem Domain The first step in understanding the enterprise and problem domain involves analyzing the issue within the context of the company. Engaging with leaders and stakeholders is crucial to gather necessary information about systems and business needs. The quality of information collected at this stage significantly influences the subsequent steps and the overall quality of the outcomes.  STEP 02 Making Sense of the Data  Step 02: Making Sense of the Data The second step emphasizes that data is central to EAI initiatives, requiring a thorough understanding of the various databases within an organization. Key actions include identifying the data, cataloging it, and creating an enterprise metadata model, all while applying business principles to determine data organization and relevance.  Implementing Data-Level EAI Image Source: Enterprise Application Integration, David Linthicum, 1999  STEP 03 Making Sense of the Processes  Step 03: Making Sense of the Data The third step focuses on understanding and documenting business processes in relation to the enterprise metadata model. This involves choosing an approach based on the specific EAI issue domain, using traditional modeling techniques to design processes. Instead of starting with new application requirements, it's more effective to analyze existing processes to inform their integration at the method level.  STEP 04 Identifying Application Interfaces  Step 04: Identifying Application Interfaces This step involves identifying the interfaces through which different applications will communicate. These interfaces can be APIs, web services, or other forms of middleware.  STEP 05 Identifying the Business Events  Step 05: Identifying the Business Events Business events are specific occurrences within a business process that trigger actions or workflows. Identifying these events is crucial for integration as they determine when and how data should be exchanged between systems.  STEP 06 Identifying the Schema and Content Transformation Scenarios  Step 06: Identifying the Schema and Content Transformation Scenarios This step involves defining how data will be transformed as it moves between different systems. This includes mapping data fields from one system's schema to another and ensuring data consistency and integrity.  Step 06: Identifying the Schema and Content Transformation Scenarios With an existing understanding of the data and application semantics that exist within an application integration problem domain, it is good to get an idea about how schema and content of the data moving between systems will be transformed. This is necessary for a couple of reasons. First, data existing in one system won't make sense to another until the data schema and content is reformatted to make sense to the target system. Second, it will ensure the maintenance of consistent application semantics from system to system.  STEP 07 Mapping Information Movement  Step 07: Mapping Information Movement In this stage, you'll track the flow of information between different systems within the enterprise application integration (EAI) environment. The goal is to understand how data travels from one system to another. You start by identifying the data elements, such as customer numbers or transaction IDs, and where they are initially located (source systems) and where they will end up (target systems).  Key Points: Data Sources: Identify all the data elements involved and their source systems. Example: Customer numbers originating from the sales database. Data Destinations: Determine where the data needs to go. Example: Customer numbers being sent to the credit-reporting system, where they are stored in a credit table. Information Flow Events: Identify the trigger or event that initiates the data transfer. Example: A state change, such as a purchase, could trigger the transfer of customer data to a billing system. Security and Storage: Understand where the data is physically stored, the security protocols protecting it, and the technology (e.g., relational databases) involved. Data Transformation: Some systems might require that data be transformed or processed before it moves to the next system.  STEP 08 Applying Technology  Step 08: Applying Technology Once the flow of information is mapped, the next step is to select the appropriate technology to facilitate the EAI solution. This step can be both exciting and difficult because of the wide range of technologies available.  Considerations: Technology Choices: Options include application servers, message brokers, and distributed objects. Integration of Technologies: Often, a single vendor will not be able to provide a complete solution. It will likely be a combination of technologies from various providers. Criteria Development: A detailed list of technology and product requirements should be established before making decisions. Trial Studies: Conducting a proof of concept (PoC) or pilot study is essential to verify that the chosen technology will perform as required. Long-Term Impact: Selecting the wrong technology can lead to project failure, making this stage critical to the success of the overall solution.  STEP 09 Testing, Testing, and Testing  Step 09: Testing, Testing, and Testing Thorough testing of the EAI solution is crucial to avoid future problems. Although time-consuming and sometimes unappreciated, testing ensures that the solution works under real-world conditions and scales properly.  Considerations: Testing Strategy: Develop a robust testing plan that covers all potential use cases. System Availability: Most source and target systems are mission-critical, meaning they cannot be shut down during testing. This makes testing challenging, as you’ll need to ensure no disruption occurs in live environments. Types of Testing: Ensure the solution is tested for: o Data Accuracy: Ensure no data loss or corruption occurs during integration. o Performance: Test the scalability of the system and its ability to handle high loads. o Security: Verify that data transfer complies with security protocols. STEP 10 Considering Performance  Step 10: Considering Performance Considering performance has a critical importance in Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) systems. Overlooking performance can lead to system failure, while achieving zero latency may not be possible with current technology, EAI solutions should aim for sub-second response times for data flow and common business processes  Scenario: Imagine a large retail company that decides to implement an EAI solution to connect its online store, inventory management system, and customer service platform. The goal is to provide real-time inventory updates and seamless order processing.  Check the inventory system to confirm the item is in stock Reserve the item in the Scenario: inventory A customer places an order Process the payment through the financial system for a popular toy during the holiday shopping season. The EAI system needs to: Update the order status in the customer service platform Send a confirmation email to the customer  In a poorly performing EAI system: Slow Response Discrepancies Customers abandoning their Inventory discrepancies as carts due to slow response 01 02 the system fails to update times stock levels quickly Overwhelmed customer service representatives dealing with confused Lost sales and damaged 04 03 customers reputation Confusion Overall Loss During peak holiday shopping hours, this could lead to process taking 30 seconds or more.  Consider: Performance Performance Scalability Testing Optimization System should maintain Conducting thorough Performance must be a consistent performance as performance testing under fundamental consideration user load increases various user load scenarios from the outset of system before going live design and cannot be improved after implementation  STEP 11 Defining the Value  Step 11: Defining the Value It is important to define the concept of value in Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) solutions, such as distinguishing between "hard money" and "soft money" factors. Hard money value is more easily quantifiable, representing direct cost savings through improvements like process automation, error reduction, and faster order processing. Soft money value, while more difficult to measure precisely, encompasses long-term benefits such as enhanced productivity, increased employee retention due to better system integration, and improved customer satisfaction resulting from more user- friendly integrated systems.  STEP 12 Creating Maintenance Procedures  Step 12: Creating Maintenance Procedures We need to clearly define and assign responsibilities for various aspects of system upkeep, such as managing the message broker server, overseeing security, and monitoring performance. An EAI solution is crucial to an organization's operations, acting as a central hub for data transfer between critical systems. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!