1:30 pm
Afternoon Keynote
(See
technical track)
2:00 pm
XML
Lessons for Master eBuilders: Using XML Effectively
in E-Business Architectures
Ronald J. Bodkin, Chief
Technologist, C-bridge Internet
Solutions Inc.
rjbodkin@c-bridge.com
Biography:
As chief technology officer, Mr. Bodkin leads
a team that is responsible for defining how
to use e-business technology to produce business
solutions. Integral to this is assisting clients
in strategic applications of technology and
in demonstrating how technology functions.
Mr. Bodkin is responsible for analyzing new
technologies and works with vendors to create
solutions for customers. Mr. Bodkin is a co-founder
of the Company. Prior to C-bridge, Mr. Bodkin
was a graduate student at the MIT Laboratory
for Computer Science where he specialized
in object-oriented and Internet technologies
and distributed computing. Prior to MIT, he
was a founder at Exsellerated Software--an
easy to use financial planning program for
professional financial planners. Prior to
Exsellerated, Mr. Bodkin worked as a senior
consultant with Andersen Consulting working
with customers such as AT&T Wireless,
McCaw Cellular, and Microsoft. Mr. Bodkin
holds an MS in computer science from MIT and
joint honors--B.Sc. in mathematics and computer
science from McGill University. While at MIT,
he was a finalist in MIT's $50,000 entrepreneurship
contest for his plan based on applying Java
technology to Internet business.
Abstract:
Introduction and Background
The Internet has profoundly
altered the economy by redefining supply chains
and extending information and transactions
beyond the organization to global partners,
suppliers, and customers. The Internet's pervasiveness
and low cost has fueled an explosion of usage
and produced a new corporate model, "the Virtual
Corporation." This new business environment
creates new opportunities and technical challenges
for application developers who need a way
to deliver data in a standard way to increasing
numbers of and greater varieties of users.
Application
developers are increasingly turning to XML
to achieve data integration and facilitate
transactions with a broad range of customers
and business partners. Despite the tremendous
enthusiasm (and admittedly hype) surrounding
XML, we may in fact have only seen the tip
of the iceberg. Most application developers
are just beginning to realize how much is
possible with XML and the tremendous variety
of options for how and where it can be incorporating
into e-business applications.
Effective e-business innovators recognize
the importance of a solid foundation and flexible
architecture. As business and technology continue
to evolve, the solution that meets your needs
today, will not meet your needs tomorrow.
Successful e-businesses deploy solutions rapidly,
learn from customer feedback and usage patterns,
and update solutions through iterations. Such
business agility requires flexible architecture
and efficient design. As XML is incorporated
into the foundation of e-business applications
in increasing numbers and greater variety,
it is critical that developers have an understanding
of how and where it is most effective and
how it contributes to the overall success
of their implementations.
XML Architectural Principles
A fundamental question is,
"How deeply should XML be used in an architecture?"
The options for developers using XML include
XML-intensive architectures in which XML is
used extensively in all places; the intermediate
ground of using XML to also connect loosely-coupled
internal systems; and the restriction of XML
to connect with external systems.
XML can be applied in each tier of an e-business
application architecture:
Presentation,
functionality, and data.
We will look at the following
topics for each tier:
Presentation
tier:
*
Independent representation of information when
presenting information to other computer systems.
We discuss how to design underlying schemas
for use; what are the business considerations,
and what are the types of reusable schemas possible.
*
Underlying transport mechanisms (HTTP, IIOP,
internal)
*
Meta-vocabularies and frameworks (e.g., eCo)
*
Technology vocabularies (e.g., BizTalk)
*
Horizontal vocabularies (e.g., cXML)
*
Domain vocabularies (e.g., DSML)
Functionality
tier:
*
Different development styles: what they are,
when they're appropriate, when they're not,
key benefits and drawbacks.
*
Object-oriented development. Use of parsers.
Design patterns for objects that work with XML
data including concepts and requirements for
mapping between XML and objects, creation design
patterns, and approaches to allow for schema
extensions and for supporting multiple vocabularies.
*
Transformations and data-oriented development.
Use of XSLT. Where this is performant. Where
this is advantageous, and where not. Push and
pull style transformations, and where each is
appropriate.
Data
tier:
*
Logical Data Models using XML. The benefits
of XML schemas. Tool support today and in future.
*
Relational database mapping
*
Alternatives to relational databases
*
Components for data access (XML adapters)
A
key determinant for how deeply to use XML in
an architecture is the underlying technical
qualities of the XML implementation tools. We
will discuss how performance, thread-safety,
and reliability of XML components impact this
decision. We then elaborate on how XML can manifest
itself in each scenario, focusing on the different
logical tiers of an application architecture.
Learning
by Example (Design Patterns and Case Study)
Despite
the plethora of options, developers do not have
to be XML pioneers.
The
tremendous enabling power and potential of XML
has produced an extensive list of early adopters.
There are many examples of companies leveraging
XML and documented evidence of what works and
what does not. Developers can leverage this
knowledge base and apply the wisdom and experience
of companies that have gone before. We will
discuss proven architectural and implementation
patterns that allow developers to accelerate
their XML implementations and reduce the risks
associated with technology innovations.
We
will also provide a case study of how C-bridge
used XML to integrate the supply chain of a
major petroleum company through a business portal.
This will include our experiences in selecting
vocabularies for business-to-business integration,
resulting in a vocabulary that extended cXML.
XML
Education
Perhaps
the greatest obstacle to the success of any
application is a lack of knowledge and training.
We will discuss the importance of XML education,
including the particular challenges when working
with evolving standards. We will discuss the
skill sets required for the different roles
on XML projects and address the challenges
of getting teams up to speed and transferring
knowledge to client's internal IT staff. Specific
examples of how we learned and captured information
about XSL and XSD will be provided.
Conclusion
XML
is an enabling technology. However, developers
need a proper understanding of what it is
and is not, and where it is most effective
in order to use it effectively and reap the
greatest business value.
2:45
pm
Building
B2B E-Commerce Sites with BizTalk
Scott Mauvais, E-Commerce
Manager, Infogenics
scott@infogenics.com
Biography:
Scott
Mauvais is the technical director of Infogenics,
a Partner-level Microsoft Solution Provider
based in Silicon Valley. At Infogenics, he manages
the SQL Server and E-Commerce practices and
specializes in integrating Line of Business
applications and web sites with ERP systems.
Mr. Mauvais has over 15 years experience in
the IT industry and has edited several books
on emerging computer technologies and is a regular
contributor to such publications as Ziff-Davis'
SQL Server Solutions. He rolled out his first
E-Commerce web site in 1995 and has not looked
back since. He is a MCSE and MCSD and bets you
drink of your choice his MCP number is lower
than yours.
Abstract
:
The
BizTalk is an industry-wide framework based
on XML schemas and industry standards for sharing
data. Its main goal is to provide a set of schema's
and management tools that will allow businesses
to exchange information using XML based messages.
These BizTalk messages can include purchase
orders, available to commit, sales orders, product
catalogs and so on--any document that is sent
to a business partner.
Because
it is based on a data-drive, loosely coupled
model, it allows developers to focus on the
data interchange rather than worrying about
infrastructure compatibility. In other words,
BizTalk allows a business to transparently send
financial transactions to online trading partners
without having to worry about the underlying
transport, their partner's operating system,
or even target application--in short, it removes
any concern about the specific implementation
of the technology involved.
The
session will start off with a brief overview
of BizTalk and then dive right into detailed
discussion of each component of the BizTalk
architecture. The main architectural components
covered will include:
Core
services
Selector--enables
transport adapters to submit an incoming message
to a persistent queue. It also retrieves each
message from the queue, and routes it to the
proper application adapter based on information
in the name space.
NameSpace--provides
access to the name space table. It allows
a user to specify the information that assists
the Selector to route each message to the
proper adapter. Selector will need to call
upon the NameSpace component to retrieve information
such as adapter for a message type in order
to perform the proper routing
Envelope--used
by the Selector component to parse information
from the BizTalk message envelope in order
to route a message to the correct adapter
Development
Tools
Timer
Server--provides mechanism to define asynchronous
events so they may be processed at a later
time as specified for each event. The server
monitors events defined in the Timer database,
and process each event when the time is due.
Timer
Helper--provides an interface to register
events to the Timer database table
Persistence--provides
state management through an interface for
saving, retrieving, and updating XML messages
in a persistent store.
Admin
Tools
Property
Manager--provides an administrative interface
to the core services configuration information.
Properties are used by the core services to
define such notions as "who am I and what
do I do?" and "how to I respond to particular
protocol like HTTP?"
Name
Space Manager--allows the administrator
to define the relationship between a particular
message type and a specific application adapter
Transports
Adapters--enable
the Selector to send and receive XML messages
from the network. Currently only HTTP and
SMTP are supported but FTP, DCOM, SharedDisk
are defined
Business
Logic
Application
Adapter--consumes an incoming message.
An Application Adapter must exist for each
incoming message.
Plug-ins--Plug-ins
work with the core Envelope to completely
encapsulate the underlying XML of the BizTalk
message.
Data
Access Components--Manages the query
logic and database management tasks.
Next, we will follow the flow of a BizTalk
document as it flows from the Transport
Adapter to the Selector where the message
is parsed and then routed to the appropriate
Application Adapter. It is here in the Application
Adapter where the "real" work takes place.
It connects to the target LOB application
or database and performs the specific business
function such as validating and processing
an inbound purchase order. Finally we will
follow the flow of the response back out
as it leaves the Application Adapter, flows
to the Selector and finally out to the Transport
Adapter. Finally
the session will conclude with a discussion
of the BizTalk development environment and
will show developers just what it takes
to build the Application Adapters and Plug-ins
to make their Application BizTalk aware.
4:00 pm
Using
XML to Automate Complex Business Processes
Patrick Gannon, Director,
VP, Marketing & Strategic Programs, Netfish
Technologies
pgannon@netfish.com
Abstract:
Where
once companies operated as isolated units, the
new Internet economy and global competition
require companies to collaborate together as
well-integrated business communities. This business
integration requires more than the traditional
exchange of electronic messages and data. It
requires the integration of complex e-business
processes and enterprise applications across
multiple organizations in the value chain.
This
session will describe how large trading communities
can deploy XML to communicate transparently
and securely over the Internet by coordinating
complex workflows across multiple organizations;
will outline how companies can leverage emerging
E-commerce standards, such as RosettaNet,
Microsoft BizTalk and cXML; and will articulate
the advantages of using XML over traditional
EDI methodologies.
Leveraging
Many-to-Many Relationships Between Manufacturer
and Suppliers in Extended Enterprises
Trading
communities typically operate in the framework
of a heterogeneous set of processes working
asynchronously across disparate platforms
and systems. The ability of core business
automation systems to communicate seamlessly
with one another in the exchange of data is
critical to the further evolution and optimization
of many of these business-to-business (B-to-B)
relationships. This requirement for seamless
integration among a variety of systems must
also bring additional value to the supply
chain, and provide the capability to extend
legacy IT infrastructure application investments.
This requires workflow integration solutions
that can extend existing Enterprise Resource
Planning (ERP) and Customer Relationship Management
(CRM) applications.
Such
applications include database marketing, sales
force automation, telesales, lead management
applications, etc.
EDI
Falls Short
Electronic
Data Interchange (EDI) alone is not sufficient
to effectively accomplish such integration.
EDI was never intended to be used for true
process integration, and it has not scaled
well to extended trading communities except
where there is a large, dominating trading
hub at the center of the supply or commerce
chain. Where EDI has allowed for the exchange
of information, it has not been able to "synch
up" the many-to-many inter-relationships and
disparate systems that traditionally characterize
manufacturing companies' supply chains at
the inter-company processes level. This deficiency
has made workflow coordination and collaboration
efforts between companies difficult at best
and has created costly inefficiencies and
longer cycle times.
XML
Proves to be The Key to Business Processing
Integration
Well-designed
XML-based workflow integration solutions will
support extended integration between corporations
in four fundamental ways, each of which enables
a trading community to extend its global reach
to partners and customers, into new kinds
of relationships.
1) Web
site to Web site - via corporate extranets.
2) Legacy
application to Web site - enabling users
throughout trading communities to access
core business applications through one interface
alone: the Web.
3) E-business
application to application - functionality,
access, and integration are three key tasks
for new e-business applications. E-business
applications should enable companies to
more flexibly communicate with one another,
integrate extended enterprise functions,
and aggregate resources both inside and
outside corporate firewalls.
4) Business
process to business process - provides
one more level of decision support to mission-critical
activities, enabling greater teamwork among
partners across the extended enterprise.
Conclusion
The
value of XML is ultimately found in a reduction
of costs associated with establishing cross-system
and cross-platform interoperability for
trading partners within a trading community,
leveraging and extending legacy infrastructures
as well as investments in Internet Application
Architectures.
4:45
pm
XML
Transformations: The Key to Success in eBusiness
Solutions
Mark Colan, XML Technologist,
IBM Corporation
Mark_Colan@Lotus.com
Biography:
Mark
Colan is an XML Technologist for IBM Corporation.
He is also well known as the Lead Architect
for the InfoBus technology (a Java Standard
Extension). With over 20 years experience in
designing and implementing commercial software
products and technologies, Mark is well versed
in component software strategies, operating
systems, and software tools. Mark has spoken
at several leading Java and XML industry conferences
and events, including JavaOne '98 and '99, the
Java Developer's Kitchen series in 1998, the
Colorado Software Summit in 1998, and XML '99.
Abstract:
The
talk follows this outline:
A. A
look at some problems in the beginning of industry
use of XML. The need for a large number
of apparently incompatible industry-specific
vocabularies. How can you integrate with other
companies to begin to do e-commerce? There's
a tension between designing schemas for interoperability
vs to handle all of the internal processes specific
to your company. How can you optimize the use
of XML for your company's internal processes
yet remain compatible with the standard vocabulary
you need to use for ecommerce?
B. XML
Application Architectures. How
transformations with XSL address these problems.
A look at various types of XML applications,
and where XSL fits in.
C. XSL
by Example. An overview of transformations
in XSL, by way of an easy example. This is intended
to give you a sense of what's possible with
XSLT, XPath, and Formatting Objects.
D. A
survey of the tools associated with XSL development:
processors, authoring environments, debugging
facilities, etc.
TECHNICAL
TRACK (Feb
29, March
1, March
2)
