Application integration
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Application integration involves connecting different enterprise applications and data sources to allow for sharing of business data and processes. The key goals are to integrate legacy systems, share distributed content repositories, simplify processes, and provide a single user experience. When planning integration, it is important to understand existing systems, scope what will be integrated, and choose a methodology like mediation, federation, or a hybrid approach using techniques like web services and standard interfaces. The benefits include centralized access and discovery, while the main disadvantage is high initial costs.
Application integration
- 1. Application Integration by Imran Aziz headshift Friday, 11 March 2011
- 2. What is it ? Wikipedia .... Gartner Group .... “Application Integration or “unrestricted sharing of data and Enterprise Application Integration business processes among any (EAI) is defined as the use of software connected application or data sources and computer systems architectural in the enterprise.” principles to integrate a set of enterprise computer applications” Typical Applications are : DMS (Document management systems) CMS (Content management systems) CRM (Customer relationship management) etc Friday, 11 March 2011
- 3. Purpose Key Factors Goals • Legacy Systems unable to cope with growing needs • Share and integrate business data • Huge Distributed Content Repositories • Simplify and Automate business process • Multiple applications • Bridging the Silos • Reluctance to Change (familiarity with • Avoiding Major changes, slow graceful existing applications, and want to transition to support adoption continue using it) • Adopting latest technologies • Keeping up with new technologies • Single / Consistent end user experience • Applications on different operating systems, different Languages, different databases • Legacy Systems no longer supported by vendors Friday, 11 March 2011
- 4. Do your home work Existing Systems • Understand the Infrastructure and systems • Understand IT compliance policies • Research the integrated applications / systems (Identity etc) • Determine individual application dependencies • Integration or Migration ? Friday, 11 March 2011
- 5. Scope the integration • Determine features to integrate • Determine if the integration requires two way Sync • Identity management • Permissions management (centralised or distributed) • Centralised Search (Use new or existing) • Navigation between applications (Interface integration) Friday, 11 March 2011
- 6. Methodology Patterns • Mediation : Broker of updates, keep apps in sync • Federation : Facade across multiple apps, Serving requests from external users • Hybrid (Combination of above two) (Box) Technical Considerations • Service-oriented Architecture Bus / hub : Requests from hub to apps using adapters (Message bus, Web services). • Data Transformation: Standard interfaces to generalise data format Friday, 11 March 2011
- 7. Methodology continued ... Federation Friday, 11 March 2011
- 8. Key factors for integration • Standard Interfaces (Application Integration) • Web Services • Pluggable Architecture • Avoid database level integration • Translation of Identity • Content Security • Consumer / Provider Model or Separation of Concern Friday, 11 March 2011
- 9. Advantages and Disadvantages Advantages • Centralised access • Better exposure to existing applications / data • Content Discovery / Information flow Disadvantage • Initial high cost • Might become unmanageable as no of applications grow Friday, 11 March 2011
- 10. Questions ? Friday, 11 March 2011