Integration Patterns: Matching Requirements

to Solutions

Beth Gold-BernsteinVP Strategic Services, ebizQ

Agenda

• One size does not fit all – Lots of technology, different styles,

different business requirements, need to match them

• Integration Options

• Choosing Your Solution

One Size Integration?

• Integration platforms– Expensive– Long implementation– May not need an entire platform

• Tactical integration– Can increase maintenance costs over

time

• Need to balance tactical business requirements with long term viability

Integration Options

• Point-to-point hard coding

• Screen Scraping

• Data Integration

• Functional Integration

• Process Integration

• B2B Integration

Point-to-Point Hard Coding

• The alternative to integration technology

• PROS: Don’t have to evaluate or purchase additional software

• CONS: Difficult to change

• WHEN TO USE: When integrating 2-3 applications and none of them will ever change.

Screen Scraping

• Accessing an application through the presentation layer

• PROS: Relatively fast, easy, and low cost

• CONS: Not adaptive to change; a business process may involve multiple screens

• WHEN TO USE: When there is no other effective way to integrate with the application.

Data Integration

• Direct integration to data sources

• PROS: Easier and cheaper to implement than an enterprise integration architecture

• CONS: Target application logic is by-passed

• WHEN TO USE: When integrating just a few systems; when data synchronization is the primary business driver

Functional Integration

• EAI, Integration brokers. Non-invasive application adapters connect to target application through application API

• PROS: Adaptive integration infrastructure

• CONS: More difficult and expensive to implement

• WHEN TO USE: When integrating transactions across 3 or more systems; or when applications may change

Process Integration

• Integrate end-to-end business process at the process level

• PROS: Enables better management of end-to-end processes, enables business agility

• CONS: More complex and expensive

• WHEN TO USE: When the business needs real time visibility into business processes that cross multiple application and organizational boundaries.

B2B Integration

• Enables electronic interchange with suppliers, partners and customers.

• PROS: Reduces business cycle times

• CONS: Can be complex to implement

• WHEN TO USE: To reduce cycle time and cost in the supply chain, increase customer satisfaction, decrease B2B transaction costs.

Integration Architecture

Business

Process

Management

ERP System Mainfram eLegacy System

Database

PackagedAdapter/JCA

Custom Adapter/Screen Scraping/Object wrappers

ODBC/JDBC

EnterprisePortal

ApplicationServer

MobileApplication

Server

Firewall

W eb Server B2B ServerMobile

Gateway

Firewall

HTTP HTTP/VAN CDMA, TDMA, GSM

W ebServ ices

MobileClients

Partners/Suppliers

Custom ers

W ebServices

XMLDocument

Storage

SOAP

Directory/SecurityServer

MailMessaging

Server

Systems

Management

W eb Serv icesW eb Serv ices

IntegrationServer(s)

Poll Question

• How would you characterize your integration efforts?

Choosing Your Solution

• Implement tactically, but plan strategically

• Understand the overall plan

• Build to manage

David Inbar, Vice President-Sales and Business Development