Air Freight Container Firm Tracks 12 Million Moves a Year with AppFabric Solution

Transcription

1 Windows Server AppFabric Customer Solution Case Study Air Freight Container Firm Tracks 12 Million Moves a Year with AppFabric Solution Overview Country or Region: Germany Industry: Transportation and Logistics Customer Profile Jettainer was founded in 2003 as a joint venture between Lufthansa Cargo AG and TrenStar to specialize in the management of freight containers and pallets, known as unit load devices (ULDs). Business Situation The company needed a solution that provided a deeper view into its operations that involve managing its 80,000 ULDs through some 12 million moves a year. Solution Working with Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Daenet, Jettainer created a ULD management solution using Windows Server AppFabric and related technology including Windows Communication Foundation. Benefits Better view into its operations Hosting of services Ease of monitoring Faster application development Without Windows Server App Fabric we would not have been able to use a service-oriented architecture AppFabric was the enabler of the service-oriented solution we needed to create. Dr. Ralf Hoelper, Director IT, Jettainer Whenever a jetliner takes off, its luggage and other cargo is stored in specially constructed containers called unit load devices (ULDs). Jettainer, based in Raunheim, Germany, manages 80,000 ULDs for a customer base that includes some of the largest airlines in the world. The logistics of getting the right ULDs located at optimal levels at more than 500 airports around the globe are challenging. Jettainer, working with Microsoft Gold Certified partner Daenet, created a solution for managing the company s 12 million ULD moves a year. The solution uses Windows Server AppFabric, a set of application services focused on improving the performance and management of Web and composite applications. AppFabric gave Jettainer the services hosting solution it needed, helped the company cut development time significantly, and linked back-end systems to enable a better view into operations.

2 Fast Facts Number of unit load devices (ULDs) managed Number of ULD moves managed per year Number of records in data warehouse 80,000 Number of airports served million 10 billion Situation The employees of Jettainer help keep the world flying. The company, based in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport in Germany, claims the world s largest pool of the specialized containers and pallets called unit load devices (ULDs) that planes require to carry luggage and cargo. Working from 5 operational centers around the world, each day Jettainer coordinates ULD availability for 5,000 flights across a network of 500 airports. ULDs come in dozens of shapes and sizes, as they are customized to fit within the fuselage curves and spaces of each type of aircraft. Whether an airline needs a set of ULDs to hold luggage in an Airbus A321, or a specialized ULD to transport a horse in a Boeing 747 freighter, Jettainer makes sure the ULDs are ready wherever they may be needed around the world. Jettainer, whose 11 airline customers include global carriers such as Air Canada, Air Astana, Alitalia, Condor, Lufthansa Cargo, Swiss World Cargo, United, and US Airways, manages more than 80,000 ULDs, and tracks more than 12 million ULD moves a year. A comprehensive visibility of its ULDs is so mission-critical to the company s success that it created a business intelligence (BI) data warehouse that holds more than 10 billion records. The data warehouse was created and deployed using the Microsoft Application Platform, including Microsoft SQL Server 2005, since upgraded to SQL Server 2008 Enterprise (64-bit), and Microsoft BizTalk Server The result was an integrated information and data management platform that helps Jettainer track and manage the logistics process from data collection and consolidation, to analysis and reporting. The BI data warehouse proved so efficient in providing Jettainer employees referred to as controllers with logistic information, that the company wanted to provide the same type of unification and usability to other applications and data feeds its controllers use in their work. For Jettainer, logistics is everything. Company success requires a complete and accurate tracking of all ULDs within a global transportation network of airlines, forwarders, airports, and other stakeholders. The challenge includes seamlessly interfacing with various organizations in order to receive and process all relevant tracking information. Moreover, managing the ULD supply chain involves integrating seamlessly into the airline processes as well as alerting and escalating in case of deviations from transport plan or station stock. We need to optimize our use of the ULDs, which means identifying airports where we have too many ULDs and finding the most efficient methods of redistributing them to airports with higher demands for ULDs, says Andreas Seitz, Director Operations at Jettainer. Continuously finding the optimum distribution of our ULDs and quickly identifying and solving distribution problems requires a deep view into our operations for our controllers, and we wanted to create similar visibility for our customers.

3 Additionally, it enables tracking and coordinating corrective actions, such as the reduction of an overstock, and improves the collaboration between the controllers, who are located at different sites worldwide. Management Cockpit provides a similar composite application for customers, including key performance indicators to monitor their own Jettainer ULD information. The center screen includes a world map, which overlays relevant business data corresponding to airport locations and ULD needs and supplies. Users click on a site to dive into more detailed information. Dashboard - Windows Server AppFabric enables dashboard displays showing ULD related information at airports around the world. Solution Jettainer worked with Daenet, a Microsoft Gold Certified partner based in Frankfurt that specializes in agile implementation of innovative enterprise applications. Working together, the companies created a set of composite solutions taking advantage of Windows Server AppFabric, a set of application services focused on improving the performance and management of Web and composite applications. The new solutions, called ULD Control Center and Management Cockpit give users immediate access to the integrated set of applications, services, and workflows required to keep ULDs optimally stocked around the world. ULD Control Center is used by Jettainer controllers, providing a composite of the data feeds and applications required to perform their work. It ideally supports the user by serving context-based information and thus ensuring the right decision is made to solve a specific business issue. Our customers used to receive monthly reports, says Dr. Ralf Hoelper, Director IT at Jettainer. Now with our AppFabric solution our customers can access their upto-date information 24 hours a day. The company sees its new solutions as a competitive advantage. Gaining improved transparency into operations is a critical success factor for our business, says Alexander Plümacher, Managing Director at Jettainer. The visualization provided by the ULD Control Center for our controllers, and the Management Cockpit for our customers, enable Jettainer to improve process control, which enhances overall operations and strengthens our long-term relationship with customers. Architectural Notes The solutions built on top of Silverlight and Windows Mobile technology were created using service-oriented architecture (SOA), with Windows Server AppFabric hosting the services. Our architectural focus was on integration of already running highly heterogeneous applications and data sources, in new solutions based on innovative technologies like Windows

4 that the workflow is proceeding in a timely manner so that requested ULDs arrive when and where needed. While BizTalk Server is used on what Dobric refers to as the integration layer, the SOA workflow in the application layer was created using the Windows Communication Foundation (WCF), an application programming interface in the Microsoft.NET Framework for building connected SOA-based enterprise applications, and Windows Workflow Foundation (WF), a Microsoft technology for defining, executing, and managing long running business processes. The developers used the Microsoft.NET Framework 4.0. Services Windows Server AppFabric hosts more than 20 services which automate and orchestrate critical business processes. Server AppFabric, and to achieve this in a very short time. says Damir Dobric, Managing Director and Lead Architect at Daenet. Across different layers, we built up to 50 applications. Using ULD Control Center, an employee might check on the number of ULDs an airline has in Los Angeles, decide there was an overstock of a particular ULD type, and take actions to correct inventory levels by identifying locations that were understocked. One application would alert the employee of the overstock, says Dobric. A second application would help solve the problem by analyzing flight data to determine where it should go, and which flight would cost the least for the movement. A third application manages escalations to ensure The user interface for the solution was mainly created using Microsoft Silverlight 4.0, a development platform for creating engaging, interactive user experiences for Web, desktop, and mobile applications, for use online or offline. Silverlight has been an asset in creating the rich visual displays, including a dashboard map of the world which places a green, yellow, or red dot beside each airport that Jettainer services, so controllers can see at a glance where attention is needed. Clicking on an airport drills down into more detailed information. Moreover, the solution also provides support for Windows Mobile devices, automates stocktaking and integrates critical ULD location data discovered by GPS and GPRS. Jettainer s SOA solution, deployed on HP and Dell multiprocessor servers, includes a number of design elements, including: Services hosting. Jettainer s application set is based on more than 20 services. Windows Server AppFabric Hosting Services enhances the hosting of WCF and WF services in the Windows Process Activation Service (WAS), part of

5 Coordinating moves Jettainer coordinates about 12 million ULD moves a year. Windows Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.5. Windows Server AppFabric Hosting Services provides a number of capabilities, including simplified deployment and management of WCF and WF services hosted in WAS, simplified configuration of persistence for durable workflows, and customizable monitoring of hosted services. Application monitoring. In addition to simplifying the deployment, management, and configuration of hosted services, Windows Server AppFabric Hosting Services makes it easier to monitor applications by capturing tracing information emitted at runtime and storing it in the monitoring database. Once captured, this information is then available in the Dashboard feature in the IIS 7.0 Management Console, or directly from the monitoring database. Dobric notes, Without AppFabric, monitoring would be very difficult. Caching. Windows Server AppFabric Caching Services fuses memory across multiple computers to provide distributed in-memory middle-tier caching that gives a single unified cache view to applications. Scalability can be achieved by simply adding more computers on demand. AppFabric Caching Services also allows for copies of data to be stored across a cluster, protecting data against failures. Jettainer likes the performance boost that caching provides. Persistence. To simplify the configuration of workflow persistence and to support server farm configurations, Windows Server AppFabric Hosting Services provides a SQL Server-based persistence store and a SQL persistence provider that can be leveraged by any durable workflow hosted within WAS. Jettainer plans to use persistence to support long-span workflows, such as tracking special-order ULDs. Data warehouse. Historical data on ULD movements and flight information are gathered in a BI Data warehouse hosted on Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Enterprise database software and running on the Windows Server 2008 Enterprise for 64- Bit Systems operating system. SQL Server 2008 Integration Services is used to create extract, transform, and load packages to import disparate data sources into the data warehouse. SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services is used to create multidimensional data cubes to support analytics. SQL Server 2008 Data Mining algorithms are used to predict optimal logistics. Benefits The suite of SOA solutions created using Windows Server AppFabric has helped Jettainer gain a better view into its operations. The company values Windows Server AppFabric for the hosting of services it enables and the ease of monitoring its

6 "The visibility we ve gained from our AppFabric solution makes it far easier to manage exceptions before they can become problems." Dr. Ralf Hoelper, Director IT, Jettainer applications. Jettainer and partner Daenet enjoyed faster application development than they have found with other development tools they have used. Better View into its Operations Jettainer s ULD Control Center, created as a composition of services that unite information from separate applications, provides a better view into its operations for the controllers and other employees tasked with managing the company s global supply of ULDs. Our controllers always had the information they needed, but they had to pull the pieces together by opening separate applications and data stores, says Bastian Mueller, Manager of IT Development at Jettainer. We bring in real-time data on some 15,000 flight events a day from one source, and we have historical information from our data warehouse, and overstock and understock information from additional applications. Using AppFabric we ve brought all of these data sources together into a unified workspace with Silverlight chart displays so that a controller can immediately spot an overstock or understock situation, see the historic information for the station [airport] to see if the issue is cyclical, and access real-time flight data to determine the most efficient manner of moving ULDs into or out of the station. The better view into the business Jettainer has gained is especially helpful because so much of the value the company provides to its customers is based on spotting potential problems early enough to prevent them from adversely impacting an airline s operations. If the proper ULDs aren t ready, a plane can t take off with luggage or cargo. The solution automates critical business processes and provides within a second valuable information, which previously was virtually lost within a huge amount of data shared across many systems, Dobric says. Much of what we do is exceptions management, Dr. Hoelper says. If everything always ran smoothly and the containers were always being used in an optimal manner so there were never damaged ULDs, nor stock imbalances, there wouldn't be a lot for Jettainer to do. But the real world is different and in the real world you frequently end up with too many containers in one location, and not enough in another, and with 500 stations to balance inventories across, a lot of effort goes into determining the most efficient means for moving a ULD from point A to point B. The visibility we ve gained from our AppFabric solution makes it far easier to manage exceptions before they can become problems. We re giving our controllers the decision-support they need with our unified SOA solution. Hosting of Services SOA application design has enabled a new generation of solutions composed of services that simplify integration of otherwise disparate applications, data stores, and workflows. Windows Server AppFabric Hosting Services, working in conjunction with WAS which enhances and extends IIS hosting technologies provides an efficient and simple-to-deploy services hosting environment, much appreciated by Jettainer because the company didn t need to create its own hosting solution. Without Windows Server App Fabric we would not have been able to use a serviceoriented architecture because there wasn t a cost-effective hosting alternative, Dr. Hoelper says. Without a hosting environment, the services are also difficult to administer and to monitor. Windows

7 Windows Server AppFabric monitoring helps us to see exactly what is happening with our services. Bastian Mueller, Manager of IT Development, Jettainer Server AppFabric was the enabler of the service-oriented solution we needed to create. Dobric, who has created custom hosting solutions, ranks Services Hosting as AppFabric s most important feature. Creating your own custom host for an SOA solution is very time-consuming and complicated, Dobric says. The complications become even more involved when dealing with workflows and the need for persistence to maintain state while waiting for replies that are being generated in a human timeframe of hours or days, rather than the relative instant responses of automated systems. With Windows Server AppFabric we have out-of-the-box hosting, which tremendously simplifies development, deployment, and ongoing systems administration. Ease of Monitoring The ease with which Jettainer can monitor the services of its application has emerged as a major benefit. Windows Server AppFabric makes it easier to monitor applications by capturing tracing information at runtime and storing it in a monitoring database. The information can be accessed either directly from the database or by using the Dashboard feature of the IIS Management console. Windows Server AppFabric monitoring helps us to see exactly what is happening with our services, Mueller says. We can see the state of all services. We can track information based on tracing levels and dig into error messages. We can immediately see if a service stops running, and take whatever actions are required to get it going again. Faster Application Development Jettainer and Daenet have enjoyed faster application development than the organizations had found with any of the other application tools they have used. Dobric credits a combination of Silverlight, WCF, WF, and AppFabric features including Hosting Services with reducing application development by half, compared to Java and other development tools he has used. Daenet is encouraged to find the right technology set which helps us and our customers to achieve earlier time to market, says Dobric. Dr. Hoelper praises the reusability of the code, offering the example of the ease with which services have been deployed on a handheld device for checking ULD inventory in a process the company refers to as stocktaking. We have our solution suite running on desktop and notebook computers, but we also have a mobile stocktaking application deployed on hand-held devices equipped with barcode scanners for tracking ULDs in the field, Dr. Hoelper says. The handheld devices are using the same interface and the same services as we use on our desktop applications, which provides a very big advantage. Working with Windows Server AppFabric and the rest of the Microsoft technology we ve found much higher reusability for code than we ve ever seen before. This also translates into the ability to connect to third-parties, including JAVAbased applications and to collect the data from sources such as Oracle and POP3. This is very important for us because we are processing a lot of information from different airlines and we also have to push that information back to the airlines. We have to do a tremendous amount of communication in our business and AppFabric helps us to do this. Dobric notes that the Windows Server AppFabric Routing Service and the

8 For More Information For more information about Microsoft products and services, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada Information Centre at (877) Customers in the United States and Canada who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) Outside the 50 United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information using the World Wide Web, go to: For more information about Daenet products and services, call +49 (0) or visit the Web site at: For more information about Jettainer products and services, call or visit the Web site at: Application Auto Start feature saved development time in creating the Jettainer solution because of the efficient services it provides. Routing Service represents functionality that would have required considerable time and effort to create, Dobric says. Routing gives us the ability without having to create new code or implement anything special to define and configure filters for routing. It gives us a constantly running service that examines messages and decides this message is responsible for endpoint #1, and another message is responsible for endpoint #2. The AppFabric Routing Service, right out of the box, provides the correct routing to any endpoint you define. Summary In summary, Jettainer and Daenet used Windows Server AppFabric and related Microsoft technology to create an SOA solution suite that helps the company better manage its global ULD operations. Windows Server 2008 The Windows Server AppFabric is a set of application services focused on improving the performance and management of Web and composite applications. To deliver these benefits, Windows Server AppFabric provides distributed caching technology and pre-built management and monitoring infrastructure that utilize familiar Microsoft.NET Framework skills. Windows Server AppFabric enhances the Application Server role in Windows Server and is available as a free download. Moving forward, Windows Server AppFabric will help developers take advantage of the scale and performance of the cloud, how and when they choose. For more information about Windows Server AppFabric, please visit: /us/app-main.aspx Software and Services Technologies Windows Server AppFabric Windows Communication Foundation Windows Workflow Foundation Internet Information Services 7.5 Microsoft.NET Framework 4.0 Microsoft Silverlight 2 Microsoft Server Product Portfolio Windows Server 2008 for 64-Bit Systems Microsoft BizTalk Server 2009 Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Enterprise (64-bit) Hardware HP and DELL multiprocessor computers Partner Daenet This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Document published May 2010