Architecture

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Architecture Infrastructure CommitteeWeb
Services Initiative
Madhu Siddalingaiah June 11, 2002
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Goal Understand Web Services Potential

• Proposal at March, 2002 AIC meeting to consider
  new initiative on Web Services technology
• Chairs wanted more information before deciding
• AIC authorizes preparation of demo and
  educational presentation
• For XML WG, AIC and then maybe CIO Council
• Todays agenda CIO-level issues
• What problem do Web Services solve?
• What should CIOs do now?
• USITC prototype HTS Web Service

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About the Presenter

• Java XML consultant
• Started with Java in 1995
• Clients include Fairchild Space Defense, Blue
  Cross/Blue Shield, Sun Microsystems
• Published author
• XML and Web Services Unleashed, 2002, Sams
  Publishing
• Numerous articles for JavaWorld, Internet.com,
  Network World
• Presented papers at conferences all over the
  world
• JavaOne, SIGs conferences in Munich, London, New
  York, Evolve conference in Sydney
• B. Sc. Physics, University of MD

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The issue Unleashing B2B (and G2B!)

• Most Web apps are for business-to-consumer (B2C)
  person at browser
• Still too hard to build distributed applications
  that connect businesses
• Risk losing customers if you provide URL links to
  a partners' website
• Business-to-business (B2B) apps have been highly
  touted, but suffered for the following reasons
• Isolation of business processes because of
  incompatible systems
• Microsoft's DCOM, Sun J2EE's
• Bridges available but app server vendor specific
• Solutions were too costly or too complex to
  implement
• EDI, SET etc.
• Business relationships change such as mergers and
  acquisitions
• Accelerated pace of change in technology and
  standards
• ASP 2.0, ASP 3.0, ASP.NET
• EJB 1.0, EJB 1.1, EJB 2.0
• Need a simple, standard framework for B2B
  applications

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How Web Services Helps

• Cross-platform, cross-language support
• Java, .NET, PHP, Perl, Python
• Based on industry standards (W3C)
• Catches the XML wave
• XML, SOAP, WSDL, UDDI
• Supported by many vendors
• Unlike CORBA
• Relatively easy to implement
• Service publication and lookup
• Conduct business without prior relationship
• Loosely coupled
• Low demands on network quality
• Based on request/response model
• Enables public/private cooperation on information
  products

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Challenges to Web Services Implementation

• Complete set of tools and specifications not yet
  available
• Sun's web services specs in beta MS .NET not
  fully delivered
• Few established 3rd-party tools
• Security payment specs still being worked
• Educating business executives and IT staff
• Understand where W-S fits in to the big picture
• Identify good W-S opportunities
• The FUD of war Microsoft and Sun
• Shortage of trained Web programmers

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What Are Web Services?

• A web service is a software component
• Exposes a business function/service/chunk of data
• Can be accessed by another application over
  Internet
• Messages are exchanged using a standard XML
  format

Application Server (J2EE or .NET)
lthtmlgt
Business logic
Web Application
Business
ltxmlgt
Web Service
lthtmlgt
ltxmlgt
Agency
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Where Web Services Fit into IT Strategy

• Federal E-Gov StrategyQuicksilver initiatives
• Three of the four portfolios (G2B, G2G and
  Internal) are candidates for Web Services as a
  delivery method
• Agency E-Gov (GPEA) plans
• Look beyond the browser as the main (only) Web
  model
• Consider Web Services wherever the customer or
  partner is a business or other government
  organization
• Natural role for Government as a provider of
  raw data in standard format (XML schemata) to
  private sector, who add value
• Also consider Web Services as a solution to
  legacy integration problems
• May replace CORBA, MQ, proprietary EAI solutions

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Getting Started with Web Services

• Start out small with an internal project that
  provides value
• Web service for read-only access
• Find a partner that will use your service!
• Validate interopability business value
• Provide XML and Web services training to
  development team
• Identify business functions available as existing
  software components EJB or COM
• Turn a Web application into a Web service
• Candidates for web services
• Free services
• Non-sensitive data
• Real time access to authoritative information
• Wherever machine to machine communication is
  valuable

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Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTSUS)

• Official lists of duty rates (tariffs)
• Applicable to goods imported into the United
  States
• Applies to 20,000 or so line items in HTSUS
  classification
• Okra, steel, transistors, etc.
• Information published in three ways by USITC
• Hardcopy
• PDF format (downloadable from USITC Website)
• Unofficial browser accessible Web form
• Application is a good candidate for Web service
• Data is free, authoritative, non-sensitive
• Builds on existing web/database app
• Data will be consumed by customs brokers business
  apps

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Current vs. Web Service Workflow
Corporate importers
HTSUS hardcopy manually re-keyed
Data tape
Walmart
General Motors
Customs
USITC
Brokers
Customs
USITC
Corporate importers
ltxmlgt
Walmart
Web service
ltxmlgt
General Motors
ltxmlgt
Brokers
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Prototype Architecture

• J2EE server
• Java Web services development pack (JWSDP)
• http//java.sun.com/webservices
• Includes Tomcat server
• Exposes two methods
• getProductList(String description)
• Generic query for products matching description
• getProductDetail(String productCode, String
  beginDate)
• Returns tariff data for specific product

JWSDP/Tomcat
JDBC
Web service
ltxmlgt
IIS/ASP
ODBC
Web form
lthtmlgt
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References

• World Wide Web Consortium
• Source of specifications
• http//www.w3.org
• Case studies
• http//www.microsoft.com/net/use/casestudies.asp
• http//www-3.ibm.com/software/solutions/webservice
  s/casestudies
• http//dcb.sun.com/practices/webservices
• Xmethods
• Great list of interesting Web services
• http//www.xmethods.com
• Soapclient.com
• Dynamic web client for Web services