Service oriented architecture and integration
An increasing number of leading businesses manage the complexity of applications and hardware using service oriented architecture (SOA). SOA facilitates development of module based business services which can easily be integrated and recycled.
SOA advantages:
- Less time spent on development and lower costs – SOA services can easily be recycled and included in new, complex applications.
- Lower maintenance costs – recyclable services reduce the number of components and complexity between components.
- Higher service quality – increased recycling generates higher quality through increased testing by different users.
- Lower integration costs – standardised services know how to communicate with each other and allow fast and simple connection of other applications.
- Reduced risk – fewer recyclable services make it easier to be in control and thus reduce the total risk.
NSA takes service oriented architecture seriously. Most will agree that SOA has been somewhat hyped, but there can be no doubt that this type of architecture addresses some of the largest current IT challenges for businesses:
- Little flexibility
- High maintenance costs
- High risk
- Communication gap between business and IT
- Silo systems and mentality
SOA cornerstones:
- Loose connection
- Business oriented systems architecture
- Process based systems development
1. Loose connection is achieved through standardisation, abstraction and asynchronous communication.
2. Commercial systems division refers to grouping business relevant service functionalities, which the business can relate to.
3. Business needs are met through process based systems development. Automatic and manual activities are linked together through functional and technical processes.
NSA’s SOA reference architecture
NSA’s SOA reference architecture consists of:
- Presentation services: complex applications, portals, multi channel management, presentation components and portlets.
- Processes: workflow, business and IT related processes
- Business and integration services: new and customised services managing the company’s integration and business needs.
- Data services: assembly of data sources and making them available
- Infrastructure services: monitoring and security
- Service management: versioning, deployment, overview and reporting
Products
Presentation services
Presentation services are the most visible parts of SOA – the point of contact for the customers and their staff. Using products such as Oracle Portal, iKnowBase, Oracle UCM and WebCenter, NSA helps the customer provide a good and flexible communication channel. New communication sources can easily be connected. These tools support end users’ expectations of accessing the same services through different channels.
Processes
NSA provides process management services using Oracle BPM, Oracle BPEL, e-vita iKnowbase or CognIT Best Practice. Oracle BPM and CognIT Best Practice are business process tools which allow for quick and easy draft and simulation of business services with minimal IT support. IT connects this to underlying services and processes. The tools are suited for companies focusing on business processes.
Oracle BPEL is the most flexible Oracle SOA tool. It is slightly more technical and a little less accessible for the normal user than Oracle BPM. Oracle BPEL suits companies focusing on IT and integration process management. Oracle BPEL is everything a small company needs and the IT department’s first choice of process support.
iKnowBase is a packaged product where workflow, presentation and document management are joined in one solution. This tool is suited for companies wanting a holistic solution as quickly as possible.
Business and integration services
Business and integration services are the core of system oriented architecture, providing the building stones for almost all functionality. Oracle Service Bus (OSB) is the main product. Configuration allows the customer to use a looser connection to back-office systems and external service providers. Products such as Weblogic, iAS and BPEL are used to make services available and develop new business services.
Data services
Oracle Data Integrator is the answer for customers depending on making large and complex data sources available in a service oriented world. NSA provides customised data availability using J2EE.
Infrastructure services
All businesses with IT needs are dependent on good infrastructure: Oracle Service Bus offers most of what you need:
- Monitoring and notification/warning
- Transformation
- Routing
- Security
Oracle WebService Manager is another product in the same group – an excellent security gateway when allowing external partners to use available services. NSA also offers assistance establishing a security regime based on Oracle Identity Management.
Service governance
Most SOA experts agree on one thing: to succeed, governance must be successful. Good governance can be both time consuming and complicated, especially keeping updated on the current situation. Oracle Enterprise Repository (OER) assists you by handling dependencies in the runtime environment, service definitions (WSDL) and BPEL. OER provides you with an automatic overview and you are no longer dependent on updated code documentation.
Even though service governance tools make the process easier, the main challenges are establishing a functional procedures framework and an organisation to handle governance. NSA combines experience and expertise on portfolio management, ITIL, business architecture and SOA to assist our customers in developing holistic service governance.
