Enterprise Integration System - Essay Example

Enterprise Integration System An enterprise ismade of many custom built applications, which operates on different operating platforms. It is not rare to find an enterprise with numerous websites and uncountable number of solutions for the respective departments. We might be wondering a lot what causes many business failures, why the owners of these enterprises allow the businesses to fail and whether or not they are accountable to the losses. Forming a business application has proven to be tough and so is formulating an application to run an enterprise. The enterprise resource planning vendors have been successful in making humongous enterprise applications. Still the applications only account for a little percentage of the functions of a business that are required in an enterprise. The spread of these functions across applications renders the business more flexible in selection of packages for accounting, software that manage customer relationship and systems that process orders for the needs. The main aim of the selection done is to ensure that only the best is there for effective functioning. With the numerous requirements for the individual businesses, many applications will be highly recommended as compared to using a single enterprise application that performs all the functions. Vendors have found a way of adhering to this preference via offering focused applications to perform specific functions. However, the need that arises of improving available software by adding their functions has affected other business applications. Users of the software do not put into consideration the limits of the functions of the systems whenever they perform activities with the businesses. These individuals perform the functions of a business regardless of the kinds of systems that the function entails. For example, when some one makes a call to alter his personal information and view if the last amount cashed went through. This will go through the system assessing, providing bills, and the customer care system. The same applies to someone changing his former order and placing a new order. The business will evaluate the individuals identity, verify the new order, refer too the inventories, validate the sales tax in the computers and send the bill to the customer. This process can go through numerous systems depending on the business but to an individual he sees this as a single transaction. Integrating these applications helps in supporting enterprises and sharing of data. Integrating applications creates efficiency, reliability and security of data that is undergoing circulation within different enterprise applications. Enterprise integration however is not as one might depict it to be. It entails numerous applications running on different platforms in more than one location. Software dealers offer Enterprise Application Integration programs that entail provision of cross-platform, integration of cross language and enabling its combination with numerous packaged Enterprise Applications. However, the technicalities within the infrastructure only address a meager portion of the international complexities. The main challenges facing integration surpass business and technical issues. Any person relevant to the EAI distribution will agree with the fact that the solutions to the issues are more of today’s enterprise strategies components. These components however make IT life tougher rather than easier. The distance separating the top vision and the simple activities undergoing implementation in the integrated enterprise is long. The solutions towards integration are rare to find. Only geniuses can claim that integration is a simple process. However, fraudsters whose mains aim is to dupe you off your money can lie to you that integration is easy. However, though integration might prove to be cumbersome, a few individuals have good knowledge and are good at integration compared to others. These people might not possess full knowledge concerning integration but they have the ability to evaluate and contrast new issues with old ones depending on the experience they gained while solving past issues. These individuals know the patterns of problems and their respective solutions. They acquired the knowledge on integration via apprenticeship and through trial-and-error. These patterns are not just codes that can be used whenever the need arises rather they are advices which entails solutions to the problems that occurs on daily basis. If the integration pattern works well, it can help reduce the void existing between the system implementation and the integration’s high vision. Integration mainly consists of six types. They include; Data replication, Shared business function, Information portals, Service-oriented architectures, Distributed business processes and Business-to-business integration. The list entails solutions, which integration architects build. A good number of these integration projects encompass several types of integration. Many users may require access to more than one system in finding solutions and answers to a certain question or in performing the business function. For example, when verification of the status of orders is in process, the customer care attendant may need to refer to the order management system and access the system that deals with the orders made online. Information portals combine a number of different information from different sources into single display to allow easy access of information from multiple systems. Simple information portal is easy to use while accessing information from different sources because it bisects the screen sections each with its own information from a different source. Complex systems offer minimal interaction between different zones; for example, when an individual chooses an item in the first zone, the second zone provides more details on the item. Many enterprise systems need to access similar data. When an individual makes changes in his personal information, his personal information is required for use in the customer service system, the accounts system and the system concerned with the bills and tax. All the systems that contained his original information require changing the current details of the individual. The implementation of a strategy for integration on data replication will make the process easier and successful. Many data replication ways exists. For example, many dealers on data might create the functions of replication in the database. Alternatively, you can transfer data from a specific system and place it into a different system or use a middleware to move data records to different systems. Not only do many enterprise applications store redundant superfluous data, but they also implement superfluous functionality. Shared business functions can perform same tasks as data replication. For example, the implementation of a business function called Attain Customer Address that would make it possible for other systems to request the information of the customer only when need arises rather than storing the superfluous information permanently. Control over specific systems or the speed at which change influence the choice between the two. Services, is a term used in the enterprise to refer to shared business functions. A function, that is available for everyone and responds to service consumers’ requests. When an enterprise collects a bunch of useful services, managing them becomes a vital function. The first application requires the use of service directories that that entails all the services available. Each service needs to give a description of its interface in a way that an application can organize a negotiation with the service for a communications contract. Negotiation and service discovery are the main elements encompassed within a service-oriented architecture (SOA). SOAs combine integration and the applications. The development of a new application is possible via the use of remote services in existence that other applications might provide. Therefore, we can refer to a service as integration between two applications. The development of an application using an SOA resembles the process of building a distribution application. Of key influence in integration, is the distribution a single business transaction across many different systems. For example, a simple order placed by an individual might go through several systems. The existing applications contain the relevant functions. The only missing thing is the coordination between these different applications. In some cases, there might be availability of business functions from other business enterprises. For example, a consumer might ask a retailer to enquire for a specific product. The retailer in response may ask his supplier on the shipment that contains the item that the consumer wants and that is out of stock. In this case, the integration has occurred between two business partners. This is business-to-business integration. Loose coupling is a famous word in integration. Its benefits exist in surplus even though they gained popularity only recently. Its main principle is decreasing the assumptions made by two parties on each other when exchanging information. When the assumptions increase, the communication efficiency also increases. However, the solutions toward reforms and interruptions become minimal because of the concentration built up by the two components. The two parties have coupled tightly. The IP protocol is the easiest method of combining the two systems that portrays the impacts of tightly coupled parties and ways of solving them. All the operation systems created in the past fifteen years encompass an IP stack. The IP protocol is the present communications protocol that facilitates transmission of data across the large number of computers that connect to the internet and localized networks. One of the IP protocols strengths is its vast support that enables us connect to any computer regardless of the language which the program uses. As stated before, coupling is the total number of assumptions made when two parties communicate. The solution to this requires that the parties make many assumptions of each other in their communication process thus rendering the solution as tightly coupled. Removing the dependencies is one of the ways of making the solution loosely coupled. Flexibility and scalability are the benefits that accrue from loose coupling. A good example will illustrate how proper understanding of message-based integration solutions can accrue. Considering Widgets and Gadgets ‘R Us (WGRUS), online vendor purchases widgets trades them with cash to other buyers. In this case, the integration solution has to fulfill some specific requirements. Some of these requirements include; enabling buyers to place order via the internet or by using their mobile phones or fax machines. In addition, it should be able to allow processing of the order made through verification of the order or shipping the order or even sending an invoice to the buyers. It should enable the buyers to check on the status of their orders, incase a need arises and the customer requires to change their shipping address, when the need to update the pricing irises and making it easier for buyers to subscribe to the announcements from WGRUS. These solutions to massage-based integration require handling them separately. In addressing the complex requirements, we begin with the simple as we progress towards the tougher ones. In most cases, WGRUS is the integration of IT infrastructure that contains many different customized applications packaged together. Working with existing applications intensifies the challenges towards integration. WGRUS can interact with its buyers through four different channels. The buyers can access the company website, make calls at the call center and talk to the customer service representative, making orders via their fax machines or through receiving notifications through their mails. The internal system of a WGRUS contains an accounting system, which includes the functions for billing and the shipping system that entails computing shipping charges mostly and the companies’ interactions. The first function that requires implementation is taking orders. Taking customers orders is very essential because it is through the orders that retailers earn their revenue. However, taking customers orders is tiresome and this raises the cost of orders. Therefore, to make the whole ordering process easier and less tedious, the first step entails distributing the orders into three channels. These channels include the web, the telephone and the fax machines. Each channel has its own format of storing data. Though the channels might be different, all the customers’ orders require equal treatment without biasness. A customer who made his order via the telephone should be able to view the status of the order via the net. A message-oriented middleware solution implementation is required in this case to simplify the process with which the orders enter. A message translator converts the formats of the data that are different depending on the channel through which the order came through, into a common new order, which follows Canonical Data Model. This model evaluates the formats and redefines the message in a way that makes it easier for identification by the applications and the applications can easily pass the information contained in the message in the common format. When an application perceives changes in its internal structure, it affects the message translator. The message translator is what changes along with it between the altered application and the common channel with which the message passes through. In this case, other message translators and other application do not perceive changes. The conical data model handles two kinds of messages, conical messages and application-specific messages. Private messages should not reach other application rather than the selected one and the associated message translators. A point-to-point channel connects a channel adapter to specific message channels. This ensures that an order message gets consumed only ones. Processing of the order is now possible with the message being independent from its source. In processing an order, customers bills have to undergo verification to ensure no order is further processed incase the customer has an outstanding debt. The next step is verification of the inventory. After clarification of the following details, the goods can be set for shipment and a bill sent to the customer. Enterprise integration refers to the process of alteration of different application in a way that makes them work together to perform a unified functionality. Through customization, the applications are developed. The process of customizing the application takes place either within the enterprise or via an external third- party dealer. The applications operate on numerous computers, irrelevant of the geographical disparity and the platforms in which they represent. Some applications can perform while being controlled from a different location that is not within the enterprise. In the creation of other applications, the creators did not bare in mind integration hence not all the applications can be developed and changed. This kind of issues is what poses challenges in integration. Due to the varying needs of integration, there exist multiple integration styles. Some consequences need consideration while integrating applications. If one can create an application that does not need external influence from other applications to operate, then the issue of integration is avoidable. In reality even the least complex enterprise consist of numerous applications that need to work together to provide a unified functionality to the staff. Integrated applications should reduce the level of interdependencies between each other in order to enable one application to develop without altering the other applications. From loose coupling we get that, applications make numerous assumptions on each other on how they operate and when the applications perceive changes in any way, it breaks the integration respectively. Hence, the criteria of integration should not only allow implementation of functionality but also allow the application to change when needed. When an application is integrated, the architects of integration have to ensure that they don not make many changes to the applications and minimize the amount of integration made. The approaches with minimal effects on the application might not bring proper integration to an enterprise. This is what we refer to as intrusiveness. The different integration methods all require different amounts of hardware and software. The tools required are very expensive but they increase the architects knowledge and experience. Some times creating an integration solution from the beginning leads to use of a lot of effort. The developers might not have planned this and it might cause the re-invention of the wheel. Applications that have undergone integration must concur on the formats of the date they handle and exchange. When we alter the application, we render it impossible to use unified data format. The changing of the formats with time will influence the applications. Integration serves to minimize the time spent when an application makes a decision on sharing the data while others application already possess the data. This is possible through frequent data transfer in small portions. However, separating the large portions into small chunks creates inefficiencies. Receptor applications require alerting when consumption of shared data is on process. Integration solutions sometimes allow applications to share functionality so at to facilitate provision of better abstraction between these applications. Invocation functions differently with significance to the consequences on the operation of integration. Remote connections are significantly slow and unreliable compared to a local function call. Reliable communication makes it possible for source application to handle other task knowing that the remote communication will respond slowly and might take a lot of time. There are numerous aspects for consideration when choosing and developing an integration approach. The existing integration approaches do not adhere to all the criteria evenly and this has led to the development of several approaches over time. These approaches include; file transfer, shared database, remote procedure invocation and messaging. Each application should produce files for shared data for consumption by different applications. The shared database makes it possible for storing of common database by applications. All the applications must be in a position to access common message systems and transfer data. The four patterns are similar in functionality and the need for integration. What bring the contrast among the patterns are the drivers that cause the patterns to search for more complex and better solutions. Each pattern has its own limitations and benefits. Applications will pick the best method that suits it best in integration. In integration, an application might require to use different methods to integrate with different applications, picking the style that favors the other applications most. Many integration methods are just a combination of several integration styles. A number of integrations provide a combination of styles, encompassed in product implementation. Messaging creates a balance between the multiple criteria of integration. However working with this style is a tough task. Messaging is the only style that has proven to be difficult in understanding from all the integration styles available. Massaging forms the basis for many commercial application products so the knowledge based on messaging can also used to explain on the usage of the products. Bibliography BELL, M. (2008). Service-oriented modeling service analysis, design, and architecture. Hoboken, N.J., John Wiley & Sons. http://www.books24x7.com/marc.asp?bookid=24356. BIAN, M. L. (2005). The making of the state enterprise system in modern China the dynamics of institutional change. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10313849. GANESH, K., MOHAPATRA, S., & NAGARAJAN, S. (2014). Design and development of knowledge management for manufacturing: framework, solution and strategy. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02892-7. GUNASEKARAN, A. (2008). Techniques and tools for the design and implementation of Enterprise Information Systems. Hershey, IGI Pub. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=208124. SPENCE, E., SPENCER, P., & ANDREWS, R. (2005). Rapid mobile enterprise development for Symbian OS: an introduction to OPL application design and programming. Hoboken, NJ, John Wiley. THATCHENKERY, T. J., COOPERRIDER, D. L., & AVITAL, M. (2010). Positive design and appreciative construction from sustainable development to sustainable value. Bingley, U.K., Emerald. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10428782. 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