2a Types of EAI Approaches As your text explains, there are four different appro

Question

2a Types of EAI Approaches

As your text explains, there are four different approaches to systems integration: data, application interface, method, and user interface. Each approach has its benefits and drawbacks. In this assignment, you will evaluate each of the four approaches to determine its most appropriate application.

In a 2-3 page paper, compare and contrast the benefits and drawbacks of each of the four different EAI approaches defined in the course text. Provide a scenario in which each type would be the most appropriate integration approach. Also note for each scenario what might be the risks or drawback for your choice. Provide the rationale for your choice of the integration approach in each scenario, supported by your readings and any additional research.

Explanation / Answer

An enterprise system is made up of business processes and data. So when an IT expert contemplates to use EAI technology, he has to first understand how these business processes are automated and the importance of all business processes. This understanding will bring out a lot of useful hints for determining the amount of work needed, how much time it will take, which business processes and data are to be integrated etc. Apart from this initial and first task of exploration, the primary knowledge needed is at what level, the integration process has to be performed in an enterprise application as there are mainly four levels, such as data level, application interface level, method level, and user interface level in an application.

1. Data-level EAI is the process and the techniques and technology of transferring data between data stores. This can be described as extracting information from one database, if need, processing that information, and updating the same in another database. The advantage of data-level EAI is the cost of using this approach. Because there may not be any changes in the application code and hence there is no need for testing and deploying the application resulting in a little expenditure. Also the technologies providing mechanisms to move data between databases, as well as reformats that information are relatively inexpensive considering the other EAI levels and their applicable enabling technologies.

2. Application interface level EAI refers to the leveraging of interfaces exposed by custom or packaged applications. Developers make use of these interfaces to access both business processes and simple information. Using these interfaces, developers are able to bring many applications together, allowing them to share business logic and information. The only limitations that developers face are the specific features and functions of the application interfaces.

This particular type of EAI is most applicable for ERP applications, such as SAP, PeopleSoft and Bann, which will expose interfaces into their processes and data, do so in very different ways. The most preferred EAI technology for this type is message brokers as these can extract the information from one application, put it in a format understandable by the target application and transmit the information.

3. Method level EAI is the sharing of the business logic that may exist within the enterprise. Applications can access methods on any other application. The mechanisms to share methods among applications are many including distributed objects, application servers,and TP Monitors. An ORB can take the call of one application to methods stored in other applications. An application server can be a shared physical server for a shared set of application servers. Most of the integration have been happening at this level as there are a number of robust technologies to accomplish this type.

4. User interface level EAI is a more primitive approach. Architects and developers are able to bundle applications by using their user interfaces as a common point of integration. For example, mainframe applications that do not have database or business process-level access may be accessed through the user interface of the application. This type is not a preferred one even though on many occasions, this is the only way of approaching integration task.

There are quite a number of distinct benefits being accrued by business houses from EAI. Here comes a brief of what an middleware-enabled EAI can do to the organizations.

Middleware-enabled EAI - Enterprise Application Integration is the creation of new strategic business solutions by combining the functionality of an enterprise's existing applications, commercial packaged applications, and new code using a common middleware. Middleware refers to technology that provides application-independent services that mediate between applications. Middleware also represents the software products that implement these middleware services. There were mechanisms before the arrival of these middleware technologies, such as CORBA, for integrating applications in enterprises. But these mechanisms were found inflexible, requiring very high effort and highly complex.

But middleware has brought some spectacular benefits for enterprises to integrate their applications without much complexity. Middleware is a software tool. Middleware provides elegant and easy mechanisms by which applications can package functionality so that their capabilities are accessible as services to other applications. Middleware is able to hide the complexities of the source and target systems, thereby freeing developers from focusing on low-level APIs and network protocols and allowing them to concentrate on sharing information. Information in different enterprises have not been been organized and formatted in the same manner. Thus the information to be shared among applications in different places has to go through some translations and conversions as it flows from one application to another. These capabilities are being provided by present-day middleware technologies. Finally the middleware comes with mechanisms that help applications to coordinate business processes.

EAI is attractive for developing new applications because few changes to existing legacy or packaged applications are needed and because there is no necessity for extensive programming or custom interfaces. EAI can make use of existing application programming interfaces (APIs) and databases. Suppose there is no APIs exist, EAI may access an application's functionality by mimicking normal users through the application's user interface, using screen-scraping technology. Screen scrapping is the copying of data from specific locations on character-based screens that are displayed on an end-user computer.

The ultimate goal of EAI is to allow an organization to integrate diverse applications quickly and easily. By employing EAI technologies effectively, an enterprise can leverage its existing investments to provide new and advanced products and easy to use services, to improve its relationships with customers, suppliers and other stake-holders and to streamline its operations. EAI makes it possible for the enterprise to greatly simplify interactions with other enterprise applications by adopting a standard approach to integration in a long term perspective. Further, once an EAI infrastructure has been put in place, new EAI-based applications can usually go online more quickly than traditionally developed applications because an enhanced technical infrastructure exists on which to base future development. Thus EAI plays a very critical role in making an enterprise competitive.

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