Gear 6 Integration Patterns Overview

Integration Patterns Overview February 2003

Agenda

 Introduction  The Challenge: Understanding the Platform’s Capabilities  The Solution: Identifying Common Patterns of Integration     

Application Integration Extended Enterprise Integration Collaboration Composite Application Customer Examples

 Closing

The webMethods Integration Platform 

The industry’s most comprehensive integration solution



But, how do you…  Map its functionality to your integration needs?  Communicate its capabilities to non-technical people?  Get business users to identify opportunities for using the platform?  Maximize webMethods’ use across your organization?

The webMethods Integration Taxonomy 

Systems

Application Integration

 Integration between applications and other systems in the enterprise



Application Integration

Extended Enterprise Integration  Integration between different organizations



Workflow Integration  Business process coordination across end-users



Workflow Integration

Integration Requirements

Extended Enterprise Integration

Composite Application  Integrated access across applications, data sources, and business processes

People

Businesses

Application Integration – Data Consistency  The Problem

 Data scattered across different systems – customer, inventory, financial, etc.

 The Result

 Inconsistent views of information  Difficult to get a complete picture  Questionable data quality  Manual data entry (and reentry)

 Data Integration Patterns  Automatically synchronize data across multiple applications and databases  Rapidly propagate information across the organization from a system of record  Quickly aggregate data from different source systems into a consolidated data store

Addressing Data Integration Needs 

Solution Requirements

 Non-invasive detection of data changes  Canonical data representation  Data transformation and mapping  Key and code cross referencing  Joining data  Duplicate suppression  Efficient data routing  Reliable data delivery  Transaction support  Exception handling  Many-to-many, bi-directional communication

• Examples • Single view of the customer • Vendor master sync • Product catalog replication • Financial data consolidation

Application Integration – Multi-step Processes 

The Problem

 Stovepipe applications and business processes that span them



The Result

 People have to “bridge” gaps between systems  Need for users to learn and use multiple applications  Slower processing  Inconsistent status  More opportunity for process errors

 Process Integration Patterns

 Automate process flows across different applications  Incorporate external service invocations into existing systems and business processes

Addressing Process Integration Needs 

Solution Requirements

 Business process modeling  API-level application integration  Data transformation and mapping  Intelligent routing  Distributed transaction support (transaction management and compensating transactions)  Exception handling (done within applications or external user interface)  Process monitoring  Service-oriented architecture

• Examples • Quote to Order • Straight Through Processing • Order Status • Credit Verification

Understanding Client- vs. Server-Side Integration Client-Side Integration

Server-Side Integration

Integration Logic Implementation

Application

Integration Server

Processing Model

Synchronous

Asynchronous

Primary Human Interface

End User

Administrator

Error Communication

Immediate

Deferred

Error Handling

User-Initiated

Programmatic

Application Front-End Application Server or Database

Customizable Client Application

Application Server or Database

Adapter

Extended Enterprise Integration  The Problem

 Inefficient interactions between companies – paper- or faxbased, non-electronic, etc.

 The Result

 Error-prone manual processing  Cycle delays  Lack of cross-organization visibility

 Extended Enterprise Integration Patterns

 Automate document exchanges – using standard EDI, XML, or custom file formats – with trading partners  Deploy an e-standards business process  Implement direct system-tosystem integration across the Internet

Addressing Extended Enterprise Integration Needs 

Solution Requirements

 E-standard document type and protocol support  Conversation management  Long-running transaction support  Reliable delivery  Security  Trading partner profile management  Document “warehousing”  Tracking and management  Cost-effective partner server capability  Seamless back-end integration

• Examples • EDI • E-Procurement • Vendor-Managed Inventory

Workflow Integration 

The Problem

 Critical aspect of a business process that cannot be automated



The Result

 Inefficient processing without proper coordination  Opportunity for cycle delays and processing errors  Lack of responsiveness to business process changes

 Workflow Patterns

 Optimizing repetitive workflow activities  Bridging functional gaps between different systems in a process flow  Handling exceptions in integration processes

Addressing Workflow Integration Needs 

Solution Requirements

 Integrated business process management (automation and workflow)  Production workflow functionality    

Role-based personalization Task distribution rules Push (to user) and pull (from groups) models Business calendar support

 End-user interface design environment

• Examples • Insurance claims processing • Approval processes • Error handling

Composite Application 

The Problem

 Business applications not aligned with users’ job functions



The Result

 User needs to learn and use multiple applications to perform job  User has to be the “glue” to fill gaps in application functionality  Lack of access to required information and functionality  Inefficient, error-prone manual coordination across different systems

 Composite Application Pattern

 Personalized application – front-end to different back-end systems, trading partner interfaces, and/or business processes

Addressing Composite Application Needs  Solution Requirements

 Custom application construction  Personalized user interface design capabilities  Application logic development and execution environment  Real-time application integration  End-user security  Run-time management and administration

• Examples • Customer Service Representative interface • Real-time management reporting

Recap

Systems

 Integration problems occur in recognizable patterns

Application Integration

 Patterns help to identify and classify integration opportunities

Integration Requirements Collaboration

People

Extended Enterprise

Businesses

 webMethods provides a unified solution for solving the broad range of business integration requirements