EDS-Unigraphics MIS DataBroker Architecture Jeff Greiner Bob Woodridge October 9,1996
Topics UG/MIS Probem Domain Requirements for New Architecture Seection of Java Deveoping Java Based Intranet Soutions Current Status
UG/MIS Probem Domain EDS-Unigraphics provides Enterprise Engineering soutions to hep its customers achieve a competitive advantage. These soutions are directed at the areas of Product Modeing ( Unigraphics CAD/CAM/CAE ), Product Data Management ( Information Manager ), and Process Modeing and Reengineering ( consutative services ). Pease visit our externa Web Page at : http://www.ug.eds.com for additiona information. EDS-Unigraphics empoys ~1600 peope word-wide. Revenue for 1996 was approximatey $320M.
UG/MIS Probem Domain UG/MIS provides interna support for the business processes of the EDS-Unigraphics Division. This support incudes systems for : Biing and Revenue Reporting Hardware Product Deivery License Transfer Resource Management Saes Order Management Maintenance Reease Order Export Compiance Software Product Deivery Maintenance Biing Saes Inquiry Instaed Base Reporting Product/Customer/Empoyee DB Enterprise Data stored in CA-Ingres RDBMS. Legacy Systems primariy 4GL based, character based UI, run on RDBMS node through VT emuation.
Requirements for New Architecture Graphica User Interface Singe Logon, User-Specific Appication Paette Improved Appication Library Reease Management Distributed Network Soution Standards Based Consistent, extendibe, secure API for RDBMS access Support for Heterogeneous Cient Environment Coexistence with Legacy Systems during transition Improved Performance Easy to use Deveopment Tookits
Seection of Java Use of Java directy supports : Graphica User Interface Singe Logon, User-Specific Appication Paette Improved Appication Library Reease Management Distributed Network Soution Standards Based Consistent, extendibe, secure API for RDBMS access Support for Heterogeneous Cient Environment Coexistence with Legacy Systems during transition Improved Performance Easy to use Deveopment Tookits
Seection of Java Other Benefits from Java : Automatic Documentation Generation ( javadoc ) Object-Oriented Mode APIs ( java.* ) are part of the Standard Good Market Momentum / Industry Acceptance Language / API features : Exceptions Threads Sockets Event Mode Object Seriaization Interfaces
Deveoping Java Based Intranet Soutions Three Tier Architecture Cient ( Appications ) Runs on user desktop ( PC / Unix workstation ) Presents GUI ayout of data, responds to user actions Business Rues reated to usage of data Midde Tier ( DataBroker ) Runs on (one of ) UNIX/NT Intranet Servers Receives data requests from Cient, obtains data from Database Server, appies data-reated Business Rues, format and returns response to Cient Database Server ( Enterprise Database ) Runs on (one of ) UNIX/NT Database Servers Serves information from RDBMS based on SQL requests
Legacy Appication Legacy Appication Enterprise Database 3rd Party Data Source Data Broker Cient Cient Cient Cient Data Broker Data Broker Cient Cient Cient Cient Cient Cient Cient
DataBroker Architecture Components Enterprise Database A Reationa Database that is the centra repository for the vast majority of company data. The Enterprise Database serves as the primary integration point between existing egacy systems and the new, intranet-based appications that have been depoyed using the DataBroker Architecture.
DataBroker Architecture Components Legacy Appication Existing appication that provides a point soution for part of the enterprise. It is important for these appications to become integrated to the point that they share a common Enterprise Database wherever possibe. These appications must continue to operate unti they are repaced by appications using the new architecture. Some egacy appications may never be repaced.
DataBroker Architecture Components Cient Appications Appications written for the new, intranet-based architecture. They typicay are written using HTML, CGI (she scripts), and Java. They are run from within a web browser, such as Netscape. A common feature of a of these cient appications is that they are capabe of communicating with the DataBroker to obtain data from the Enterprise Database ( and possiby other sources ). This communication is based on a we-defined API.
DataBroker Architecture Components DataBroker A Java server appication that receives API requests from cient appications, processes those requests, and returns the resuting objects. Processing the request usuay wi invove accessing data in the Enterprise Database, via the Java JDBC interface. Other data sources may aso be accessed, if required. Using a three-tiered architecture means that changes to the database schema, security poicy, or data source ocation are centraized in the DataBroker. Individua cient appications are unaware of these detais and therefore protected from changes to them. Any number of DataBroker servers may be depoyed, in a variety of configurations, based on network performance, network topoogy, and number of users.
DataBroker Architecture Components 3rd Party Data Source In some cases, data that must be accessed by the DataBroker to process a cient API request may not be owned by the enterprise. In these cases, an interface may be deveoped to the third party data source to enabe acquisition of the data.