Enterprise application integration

The EAI technology becomes the most functional when it is necessary to integrate applications in real time for business process automation. Application of EAI in that case when it is necessary that changes which were entered in one appendix (normally it is a small record set), were reflected in all others is also possible. Such technology perfectly copes with a problem of fixing of changes and their transfer in the corresponding applications or systems.

Appointment

• Application Integration

At this level a problem of integration is consolidation of function or data of one application with another using which the integration close to real time is provided. Application integration is used for the purpose of integration of B2B, introduction of CRM systems which are integrated with corporate server applications, web integration and creation of the websites which support the most part of business systems. Besides, there can be a need of carrying out special integration, especially, if it is required to integrate existing application with the reinstalled ERP application.

• Business process integration (Business Process Integration, BPI)

During business process integration the company is obliged to define, perform and manage processes of exchange of corporate information between any business systems. With respect thereto the organization can facilitate transactions, reduce expenses and improve replies to the requests of clients. Process management, modeling of processes and the technology process including different tasks, procedures, architecture, information input and output information and also means which are necessary for each stage in business process is a part of elements of this process.

• Data Integration

The guarantee of high-quality application integration and business processes is a data integration and database systems. Before starting integration, it is necessary to define location of data and to enter them to the directory, to create a data model. After end of three of these stages data can be extended or used jointly in database systems.

• Standards of integration (Standards of Integration)

For the purpose of ensuring data integration it is necessary to find standard formats for data. The formats supporting use and dissemination of information and business data are standards of integration, i.e. such standards also are a basis for carrying out integration of corporate applications. Carry to such standards CORBA EDI COM+/DCOM, JavaRMI and XML.

Objectives

Main objectives of application integration can be defined as follows:

• Reduce the cost of use of set of applications of the enterprise;
• Increase the speed of accomplishment of typical tasks or provide terms of their execution;
• Improve quality of accomplishment of tasks using formalization of processes and minimization of a human factor as main factor of errors.

Such formulations as: "provide formation of financial statements of the enterprise in time no more than one week after the termination of a financial period"; "reduce sale design time from one to 15 o'clock minutes"; "reduce the number of personnel which take part in maintenance in current status of reference books and qualifiers from 20 to five people" are often used for designation of the purposes of specific integration projects. Nevertheless as a result everything comes down to the general tasks which can be formulated in even more aggregated form — to reduce operating costs of the enterprise or organization. As a result integration intentions often fall into an advantageous position from an explanation position before people who make the decision on financing of projects: measure calculation of return of investments for these projects can look rather tempting. Ensuring the automated control of passing of core business processes at the enterprise, information security when implementing business processes is reached on means safe integration of corporate systems.

Topology of EAI

In the organization of routes of interaction of the integrated systems two approaches are selected. First, this direct approval of the integrated systems by the principle "everyone with everyone", or "point-to-point". Secondly, it is communication through central node; this similar to a star architecture, as a rule, called "a hub + needles". The topology defines logical ways of interaction and data transmission between the integrated systems and does not depend on a physical architecture of an information system.

Point-to-point

This approach assumes interaction of the integrated systems directly. Advantages of approach are the lack of need for the additional software, simplicity and transparency. And nevertheless there are also negative sides. The first - the integrated applications should communicate using identical methods of interaction and the call formats of data. In the course of change of any application (if it caused change of an interaction interface of this application) there is a need to alter or at least to recustomize all systems integrated with it. The second - in an enterprise information system appears many communications, each of which needs to be checked and supported in operating state. The cost of maintenance of the enterprise information system integrated in such a way becomes inadmissibly high if there is too much interacting applications. But at the same time approach "point-to-point" is used rather widely. Usually it occurs when at approval of certain applications it is necessary to transfer numerous amounts of data or to provide rated time of interaction and also if the built-in handshaking has the appendices used at the enterprise (it often happens at introduction of several systems from one supplier and also if in development process of custom program systems or implementation new to them the condition on interaction with already available systems is initially shown). However the danger of so-called "creeping" integration which does possible a situation at which need to change the XYZ system unexpectedly finds out what cannot be made it as the reference book of organizational structure and the staff of your enterprise which is historically kept in XYZ is replicated every night in ten systems is concealed here.

Hub and needles

Coordination by the principle "point-to-point" creates very many communications in infrastructure of the enterprise and interaction of interfaces and formats of data between consistent applications stipulates. The interconnection architecture in which all applications are directly knotted only with central which solves the following problems is designed to permit such bad points:

• the organization of routing of coordination between the integrated applications;

change of file formats and data;

• guarantee of approval of applications using different methods and protocols of interaction.

Short assessment of the market of EAI and its perspective

That the companies offer products in which only a part of the main objectives of integration is implemented and any supplier does not deliver the finished solution yet it is possible to explain present heterogeneity of the market of EAI. As leaders of this market are considered BEA Systems NEON CrossWorlds Software Level 8 Systems Mercator Software SeeBeyond Software AG TIBCO IONA Technologies, Vitria Technology and webMethods. Such companies as PricewaterhouseCoopers, CSC EDS are also engaged in integration of the large systems Proceeding from forecasts of analysts, in the nearest future the market of services in the field of EAI will become the most perspective and quickly growing part of the market of IT. According to consulting company IDC, the stable growth of receipts from implementation of the software which is intended for the solution of integration tasks is expected.

See Also

SOA

EDA

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