Achieving Success With Service Oriented Architecture Derek Ireland 17th March, 2005

Themes – Implementing a Service Oriented Architecture – Using Application Design Patterns, Frameworks and Processes – Achieving demonstrable value for the business from SOA

Some Definitions – Business Service –Reusable Service that provides a recognisable business function –Examples could be Verify Identity, Provide Bank Details, Maintain Address, Produce Statement – Application Design Pattern –Architecture, Design and Implementation Patterns –Architecture Pattern shows concepts –Design Pattern gives technology independent design advice –Implementation Pattern gives technology specific “how to” advice – Framework –Software Framework abstracting applications from lower level implementation issues such as communication across tiers, logging

Right Now – Over 70 service consuming SOA applications running in production – Over 40% of our back-end transactions are initiated through our SOA – Over 250 reusable Business Services in our Business Service Catalogue – Over 50% of Business Services are reused – £2,000,000+ of development saving – SOA implemented across the group – SOA independently reviewed and endorsed as best practice

How did Standard Life achieve a mature SOA implementation?

Evolution to Mature SOA Standardised Data Access Catalogued Reusable Data Services Introduced Application Design Patterns Hub Centric Design Pattern (SOA)

What did we set out to do? – Implement a hub of reusable, channel independent business services – Enable impact free change with reuse (Service Versioning) – Ensure application designs are consistent – Simplify application development in support of multi-channel business – Ensure consistent operational behaviour of applications – Ensure best use is made of current technology – Establish a framework within which new technologies can be introduced when appropriate

Our SOA Design Pattern Patterns which enable the development of applications that provide and consume reusable, channel-independent business services.

Clients Channel Dependent Business Services Channel Independent Application Layers Data Service Layer Business Service Layer Presentation Layer Channel Gateway Application Control Layer Business Service Interface Layer Systems Management

Business Services – Provide Business Function –If it doesn’t mean anything to the business, it’s not a business service – XML Interfaces as standard – Business service standards –Documentation –Fault notification –Request/reply structures

Managing the Business Service Catalogue – Analysis & Design Time Catalogue – Documenting and Publicising Services – Business Service Definitions –Interfaces –Functional & non-functional characteristics – Managing Services –Supported by the Business Service Management team –Virtual team drawn from all development areas – Measuring Service Reuse and Value –Demonstrate the return on SOA

Metrics on Business Service Reuse Catalogue Statistics How many services ? How many services are reused? 253 How many instances of reuse? What is the value of development saving? £2,000,000+

Framework & Infrastructure Applications (Business Services) Hub Centric Design Pattern How do we develop with all these layers

Applications (Business Services) Hub Centric Design Pattern Framework & Infrastructure Infrastructure Websphere & z/os based infrastructure in support of standard applications built to a common design pattern and on common frameworks. Framework Java & COBOL framework abstracting applications from underlying infrastructure (e.g. WMQ) and providing standard APIs for common application behaviours (e.g. logging).

What does framework give us? – Easier application development – Execution time consistency – Applications behave in a standard way on a standard infrastructure – Better systems management –Reliability –Availability – Easier to support in production – Minimised risk when introducing change

Framework example Business Service Invocation – Application requests business service by name / version – Runtime Business Service Directory is used – BSD accessed only by framework – BSD contains –End points (WMQ Queues) –Quality of service attributes – Framework resolves all aspects of service invocation –Operational Platform –Transport Protocol –Target Queue –What to do if it fails to respond and how to do it –How long to wait for it to respond

Service Delivery with SOA

System Management – Common framework gives us standardisation – Applications are built and delivered in a consistent manner – Logging events are correlated end-to-end across different platforms – Data mining tools available to interrogate logging events – Component interaction data is available from framework – Impact analysis tools available to interrogate component interaction information and support system management

Operational Support – Building and delivering applications in a consistent manner means – They all behave the same – We have 70 service consuming applications in production – We have up to 350 service consuming applications across all environments at any one time – Our volumes have increased 900% since we implemented this in 2001 – Our Infrastructure technical support team for SOA applications remains 7 people

What have we delivered for the business?

Reusable Business Services Business 2 Business Mortgage Tele servicing New Business SIPP Folders User 2 Business Healthcare ePS CSOL Tracking eCPS New Business Quotes Internal Apps Direct to Customer Apps Adviser Zone Mortgage Sourcing Systems Real Time Contract Enquiry Contract Enquiry New Business Links Quotes Messaging to Industry Portals Bulk Contract Enquiry Messaging to IFA Software Provide Bank Details Produce Statement Provide Agent Details Verify Identity Maintain LPS Proposal Provide Pension Valuation Maintain Address Maintain Self Invested Asset Search and Validate Address Provide Annuity Details Maintain Drawdown Details Create Outgoing Document Provide Scheme Info Provide Life Cover Info Send

What have we learned?

Our Experience – SOA needs technology, processes and people –For us, Web Services does not equal SOA – Align architecture, development and operational groups – Use framework to deliver consistency and achieve flexibility –Framework uncouples applications from infrastructure –Allows applications and infrastructure to evolve independently – SOA needs management of a portfolio of services –Make this a virtual team and include all development areas – SOA can deliver real savings –Development savings of £2m plus realised in 3 years – Establish metrics as part of SOA –Be ready to communicate the value of SOA

Derek Ireland Application Design Manager Standard Life, IS Division 52 Annandale Street, Edinburgh Thank You