Portal-Oriented B2B Application Integration Chapter 5 Sungchul Hong

Portal-Oriented B2B Application Integration Avoiding the back-end integration problems Extending the user interface of each system to a common user interface (Web browser). It integrates all participating systems through the browser. The applications are not directly integrated within or between the enterprises.

Using Portals Portals are popular. Portals have become the primary mechanism by which B2b application integration is being acc0mplished. The reach of internal enterprise systems ahs been extended to trading partners by utilizing the familiar Web browser interface.

SAP DB2 Custom Sales System Custom Inventory System Middleware Web Browser Web Server Portal-oriented B2B application integration

Portal-Oriented Integration Externalizing information from a multitude of enterprise systems to a single application and interface in support of B2B. –Cf) real-time exchange of information –Adherence of common process model between systems and companies

Example An automobile parts supplier who would like to begin selling parts to retail stores using a portal. This portal would allow the retail stores to access catalog information, place orders, and track orders over the Web. SAP is the inventory control system. COBOL/DB2 serves its sales order system.

Example Design the portal application –User interface, application behavior –Information for back end system (SAP, main frame) Application server –Provide integrated development environment –The portal externalizes the information to the trading partner –Updates back-end systems.

Advantages of the Portal There is no need to integrate back-end systems directly between companies. There is no need to circumventing firewalls. Goof for Web-enabling existing enterprise systems. It is typically much faster to implement than real-time information exchange.

Disadvantages of Portal based Integration Information does not flow in real time and so requires human interaction. Information must be abstracted, most typically through another application logic layer. Security is a significant concern when enterprise and trading community data is being extended to users over the Web.

Web-Enabled World Single-System portals –Single enterprise systems that have their user interfaces extended to the Web. –Application servers, page servers Multiple enterprise system portals –The single-system portal architecture is extended to multiple enterprise systems. –Application server architecture: SAP R3, PeopleSoft, Inventory System Trading community portals –The information found in hundreds of systems spread across a trading community available to anyone who uses the portal.

Custom Sales System Middleware Web Browser Web Server Single-System portal

SAP DB2 Custom Sales System Middleware Web Browser Web Server Multiple enterprise system portal

Middleware Web Browser Web Server Trading community portal Company A Company B Company C Company D

Portal Architecture Web client Web servers –File servers, convert data into HTML –Application processing (rudimentary) Database servers –JDBC for Java, ODBC for ActiveX Back-end-applications –ERP systems Application servers –Middle layer,

Digital Exchange Most digital exchanges are just portal sites set up by a particular industry to support trade within that industry. Passive digital exchange –Publish catalogs for a particular industry. –The information extracted from static database. Active digital exchanges –Publish information extracted in real time from the supplier’s information systems.