Defining Enterprise Architecture

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Defining Enterprise Architecture

• Bina Ramamurthy

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Introduction

• We will describe a general framework for an
  enterprise architecture.
• Goals are not specific to a particular
  application but to the enterprise as a whole.
• Automation, streamlining, flexibility, workflow
  driven applications are some of the features we
  will focus on.

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Topics for discussion

• General characteristics
• Business system hierarchy
• Integration infrastructure model
• Network model
• Workflow model
• An enterprise integration scenario
• Summary

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General Characteristics

• Distributed computing
• Component-based applications
• Event-driven systems
• Loose coupling of business functions
• Decision support systems
• Workflow management
• Internet access and personalization of interfaces

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Distributed systems

• Scalability it should be possible to accommodate
  increased number of user, increased number of
  transactions, or expand the scope of
  functionality.
• It should be possible to add servers, and sites
  without any major changes to the basic design of
  the architecture or applications.
• It should accommodate diverse computing platforms
  with proper use of interoperability standards and
  middelware.

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Component-based applications

• Should support component-based applications.
• Components are sharable, replaceable building
  blocks.
• This is essential to be able to adapt quickly to
  the changing business needs and technology
  opportunities.
• Suns Enterprise Java Beans (EJB), CORBA
  component model (CCM) and Microsofts COM.

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Event-driven process

• Businesses are driven by events an order is
  placed, a shipment is received, a machine fails,
  a person is hired.
• Processes must be streamlined.
• When a problem requiring management attention
  occurs in production, appropriate manager should
  be notified immediately. This requires a change
  in the design of systems and the way they
  interoperate. (Project 1 IncidentWeb)

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Loose coupling

• Traditional large, monolithic solutions.
• Desired highly coherent focused solutions linked
  through the transfer of transactions in an
  asynchronous mode of communication.
• Messages queues are used for comm.
• Loose coupling allows for independently developed
  applications to interact without concern about
  time, internal information format, and technology.

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Decision Support Systems(p.48,49)

• Enterprise integration architecture must support
  decision makers with these information
• Current status
• Exceptions (system and business-based)
• Historical records
• Relevant knowledge
• Currently business exceptions (what we call
  incidents in project1) are not recognized by
  systems, but rather by humans.

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Business Exceptions

• Events requiring human intervention, shifts in
  key business indicators, violations of policies,
  or deviations in variables that exceed defined
  limits should be treated as business exceptions.
• Automated business processes and rules should
  determine immediately who should take action and
  with what priority.

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Project1

1. Define at least four business exceptions
   (incidents).
2. Define limits or exceptional conditions that will
   trigger these exceptions.
3. Decide who and which applications should be
   notified about the exceptions. You may use
   email (mail api), messaging (message queues) or
   simple method invocation to implement this.
4. Define what remedial actions should be taken.
5. For the cheapbooks.coms possible exceptions can
   be out of stock, and denial of service.

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Business Process Automation

• Traditionally documents were source of input and
  reports were produced as outputs.
• Current business involve interactions between
  humans as well as humans and computers.
• Business process automation workflow management
  post a work list to a person or application.
• Delays can be monitored, action item can be
  brought to attention based on a priority.
• Controls can be applied to make to sure
  exceptions are given proper attention and actions
  receive proper authorization.

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Integration Infrastructure Model (fig.3.2)
Main Control/ Trans Application
Decision Support System
Enterprise COTS Application
Distributed Component Based systems
Enterprise Infrastructure
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Workflow Process Model

• Business processes drive the operation of a
  business.
• Examples (enterprise level) fill customer order,
  get (trivial) approval on a form.
• Workflow process definition, process system,
  activity, requester, personal work list, resource
  assignment facility, process manager, process
  interoperability.

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Figure 3.4 Workflow Process Model
Process A Definition
Requester
Process A instance
Process manager
Resource Assignment Facilities
Process B instance
Personal Worklist
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Component-based model

• We will look at it in the context of J2EE and EJB
  next week.

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Enterprise Scenerio

• Figure 3.8
• Customer, sales portal, customer representative,
  billing service, order processing, customer
  relationship manager, accounting, archives,
  management information, exceptions, purchasing,
  warehouse, supplier, carrier, shipping, carrier..
  Back to customer.

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Summary

• Enterprise systems processes, applications,
  application components, messaging, exceptions and
  notification.
• We looked workflow model.
• We will look into component model later.

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Topics of Discussion

• State the main ideas youll be talking about

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Topic One

• Details about this topic
• Supporting information and examples
• How it relates to your audience

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Topic Two

• Details about this topic
• Supporting information and examples
• How it relates to your audience

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Topic Three

• Details about this topic
• Supporting information and examples
• How it relates to your audience

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Real Life

• Give an example or real life anecdote
• Sympathize with the audiences situation if
  appropriate

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What This Means

• Add a strong statement that summarizes how you
  feel or think about this topic
• Summarize key points you want your audience to
  remember

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Next Steps

• Summarize any actions required of your audience
• Summarize any follow up action items required of
  you