Database Reference
In-Depth Information
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Deployed and distributed across servers on heterogeneous networks
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Integrated directly with the logic layer of other component-based applications
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Extended to support customer-specific business processes
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Upgraded individually
Because the business components share and open common programming standards, they can
communicate with other similar components by exchanging messages, whether located on the
same memory space or distributed across a network. Each component is self-identifying and is
self-contained and is wrapped with communications, event handling, relationship management,
and data validation services. Functions, objects, or data located within one component can be
accessed and reused by another. This also enables it to be better positioned to take advantage of
the shift to Web Services.
Component-based solutions rely on application servers to deliver robust scalability and appor-
tion the functionality into several self-contained units of business process. Encapsulating business
logic in components and delivering it through an open interface allows companies to deploy and
integrate functionality very systematically. Such rolling deployments speed time to payback and
minimize upgrade expense by shortening both the planning cycles and extended implementations
that are usually associated with traditional upgrades. Componentization also enhances the com-
pany's ability to extend or modify particular business functionality without disrupting the other
applications' data structures and process flows. By eliminating direct exposure or interaction with
data elements of a component, component-based solutions like SAP CRM make it easier for com-
panies to link with not only their other internal process but also those of their partners. Such flex-
ibility facilitates easy access to market-leading functionality and process and can make the entire
value chain more responsive to the market conditions. Moreover, such flexibility can better position
a company to meet the challenges of rapidly changing business requirements resulting from rapid
growth, process re-engineering, and M&As (Mergers and Acquisitions).
4.5.1.2.2 Applications as Web Services
Web services are new standards for creating and delivering co-operative applications over the
Internet. Web services allow applications to communicate irrespective of the platform or the oper-
ating system. By using Web services, developers can eliminate major porting and quality testing
efforts, potentially saving millions of dollars. They will radically change the way that applications
are built and deployed in future.
As explained in Chapter 10, Section 10.1.3 “Enterprise Architecture,” a developer can create
an application out of reusable components. But what good is it to have a large library of reusable
components if nobody can find out that they exist, where they are located, and, how to link to and
communicate with such programmatic components? Web services are standards for finding and
integrating object components over the Internet. They enable a development environment where
it is no longer necessary to build complete and monolithic applications for every project. Instead,
the core components can be combined from other standard components available on the Web to
build the complete applications that run as services to the core applications.
Major hardware vendors and certain key software vendors are looking at these new Web stan-
dards for providing solutions for program-to-program communication. IBM's WebSphere Server
environment, Sun Microsystems's Open Network Environment (ONE) constituting of various
Sun technologies and third party products, and, Microsoft's .NET initiatives deliver Web Services
based solutions.
