Enterprise Application Enterprise Application Integration (EAI)Integration (EAI)Share, integrate, and automate Share, integrate, and automate information flow within the educational information flow within the educational environment.environment.

Jeff Nuckolls - Jeff Nuckolls - jeffnuck@microsoft.comTechnology SpecialistTechnology SpecialistMicrosoft – Education GroupMicrosoft – Education Group

Gary Hammond - Gary Hammond - gary.hammond@uc.eduApplication AnalystsApplication AnalystsUniversity of CincinnatiUniversity of Cincinnati

Agenda

• What is EAI?• The Education Environment and Common Integration

Scenarios• The Benefits of EAI• Microsoft .NET as an EAI Platform and Solution• EAI at the University of Cincinnati• Resources

What Is Enterprise Application Integration?

Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) offers Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) offers comprehensive capabilities for integrating comprehensive capabilities for integrating applications and data resources both within and applications and data resources both within and between educational organizations for efficient between educational organizations for efficient productivity and accountability.productivity and accountability.

The “Ideal” Environment

ConnectedConnected IntegratedIntegrated EmpoweredEmpowered

IT that supports the success of teaching, IT that supports the success of teaching,

learning, and learning, and

day-to-day operations within the educational day-to-day operations within the educational

communitycommunity

The Reality (If you’re lucky)

Human ResourcesHuman Resources

Learning Mgmt SystemLearning Mgmt System

Student Information SystemsStudent Information Systems Library SystemLibrary System

Accounting SystemAccounting System

Enterprise Application Integration We hear you saying…

Higher Education - Key Concerns

• Need to make strategic decisions, faster

• Systems and processes not integrated together well enough to provide seamless and secure exchange of information

• Not getting maximum value out of current technology investments

• Find technologies and services that will unify disparate campus environments

• Enable students, staff and faculty to access information and services through Web-based capabilities

• Facilitate information exchange from legacy campus systems to newer campus systems

Enterprise Application Integration We hear you saying…

Higher Education - Key Needs

• Develop an enterprise portal and e-services for faculty, staff and students

• Improve staff, faculty and student productivity

• Lower administrative costs

• Improve decision support processes through better and easier access to relevant data

• Streamline information sharing between disparate school systems• Prevent overspending on infrastructure technology initiatives• Ensure secure data exchange

School Imperatives

• Proven• Flexible• Quick to generate benefits• Empowering to faculty and staff

To build and maintain value, an educational To build and maintain value, an educational institution needs a solution that is:institution needs a solution that is:

EAI@UCEAI@UC

Enterprise Application Integration at the University of Cincinnati

Gary W. Hammond Application Analyst University of Cincinnati

About the University of CincinnatiAbout the University of Cincinnati

State-supported university located in southwest Ohio One of only 88 institutions classified as a Research I

University by the Carnegie Commission Total enrollment, for the 2001-2002 academic year, of 33,085 4 Campuses

– A main academic campus– A medical campus– A branch campus in suburban Blue Ash– A rural branch campus in Clermont County just east of

Cincinnati

Our MissionOur Mission

Establish the technical capability to facilitate the integration of the University’s and its partners’ applications through the use of accepted industry standards

Road Blocks and ChallengesRoad Blocks and Challenges

Multiple platforms– OS/390 (moving to Z/OS), Windows, Linux

Multiple Disparate Data Repositories– VSAM, ADABAS, MS SQL, DB2

Multiple Languages– Cobol, Natural, VB, Java

Limited Staff and No Experience with Application Integration

Our EAI SolutionOur EAI Solution

Our design calls for BizTalk/Host Integration Server hub which acts as a control center accepting “messages”, translating them and directing them to their proper destination.

The solution is being architected so that it is industrial strength and fault tolerant.

The Pilot ProjectThe Pilot Project

Replace the current background process used to interface the student PIN change application with the web farm’s database so that the changed PIN takes effect universally as soon as it is entered.

UniverSIS One Stop Site

ADABAS

SQLDatabaseUsing nightly FTP and

Batch jobs the SQL Database is synchronized

Using EntireX Broker to call a Natural program, the

ADABAS database is synchronized

Entire X Broker

PIN Change Process“The Before”Green-screen One Stop

PIN Update Web One StopPIN Update

UniverSIS One Stop site

ADABAS SQLDatabase

EAI HUB

Real-time updates

PIN Change Process“The Now”

Green-screen One StopPIN Update

Web One StopPIN Update

The Big PlayersThe Big PlayersTechnologies UsedTechnologies Used

Microsoft BizTalk Server– Integration of Enterprise Applications and Data– Automation of Business Processes– Reliable Messaging

Microsoft Host Integration Server– Application, Data, and Network Integration with Host-based

systems IBM WebSphere MQ / Microsoft MSMQ

– Cross-platform middleware product that enables applications to communicate asynchronously and reliably through the use of messages

XML / Web services– Technologies used to allow applications running on any

platform or device to communicate through the use of open standards and protocols

System AvailabilitySystem Availability

BizTalk Server provides high availability by allowing all the servers within a group to access a single database server running on the SAN. If one of the servers in the group fails, the others can inherit its load and continue to process from the database server.

For full-time availability, we are using Microsoft Cluster Services (MSCS), which ensures that a server is always available in the event of a hardware or software failure.

Current projects for the EAI TeamCurrent projects for the EAI Team

– Accounting Code Validation – A Single University Identity Management

System– Mapping Flat Files into XML for SEVIS– CAS (Course Applicability System) &

DARWIN– Exposing UniverSIS (Student System)

using Web Services

Summary & Final ThoughtsSummary & Final Thoughts

Get the best people you can to work on EAI – there is a lot to learn

Start small – EAI will grow quickly once you prove it will work

Expect things to change – this is a rapidly evolving technology

Count on your software vendor – we certainly would have struggled more without Microsoft’s guidance

Summary of Key Microsoft Education EAI Solution Benefits

• Enable Improved Information Access and Sharing • Easily Integrate Applications• Rapidly Automate Departmental and/or Enterprise

Processes• Leverage your existing investments in technology,

skills, and resources

ResourcesResourcesTo Locate a Partner Who Works With To Locate a Partner Who Works With Microsoft Integration Solutions:Microsoft Integration Solutions:

Microsoft Certified Providers DirectoryMicrosoft Certified Providers Directoryhttp://mcspreferral.microsoft.comhttp://mcspreferral.microsoft.com

For additional information on For additional information on Microsoft Solutions for EducationMicrosoft Solutions for EducationMicrosoft Resources for EducationMicrosoft Resources for Educationhttp://www.microsoft.com/educationhttp://www.microsoft.com/education

For Technical Information About For Technical Information About Microsoft Integration Solutions:Microsoft Integration Solutions:

Technical Resources for BizTalk ServerTechnical Resources for BizTalk Serverhttp://www.microsoft.com/biztalk/techinfo/default.asp

Many TechNet Courses Are Available, Including:Many TechNet Courses Are Available, Including:Course 2379: Developing and Deploying Microsoft Biztalk Course 2379: Developing and Deploying Microsoft Biztalk Server 2000 SolutionsServer 2000 Solutions

Course 2420: Designing B2B Trading Partner Integration Course 2420: Designing B2B Trading Partner Integration Solutions Solutions

For Information on Integrated For Information on Integrated Applications:Applications:

BizTalk Server Web SiteBizTalk Server Web Sitehttp://www.microsoft.com/biztalkhttp://www.microsoft.com/biztalk

Host Integration Server Web SiteHost Integration Server Web Sitehttp://www.microsoft.com/hiserverhttp://www.microsoft.com/hiserver

For Training and Certification For Training and Certification Questions:Questions:Microsoft Training & CertificationMicrosoft Training & Certificationhttp://www.microsoft.com/trainingandservices/http://www.microsoft.com/trainingandservices/default.aspdefault.asp

Thank you for attending.Thank you for attending.