Systems Integration
IT 490
IT Program
NJIT
Data Level EAI

Most enterprises considering EAI look to data level EAI as their
entry point, a decision that would allow moving data between
data stores in order to share relevant business information
among applications and, ultimately, stovepipes.

An advantage of data level as an entry point for EAI is that a
number of tools and techniques exists that allow the integration
of information from database to database, adapting the
information on the fly so it’s represented correctly by the source
and target applications.

Further simplifying data-level EAI is the fact that accessing
databases is a relatively easy task, which can be accomplished
with a few changes to the application logic or database
structure.
Integration Types

Information-Oriented



Inexpensive
Usually does not require application rewrites
Doesn’t take advantages of services provided by
systems (sharing of data only)
Integration Types

Service-Oriented




More fully exploits the capabilities of systems
May require a total application redesign
Tends to be more expensive than information
based integrations
Due to it’s greater capability, it’s the desired goal
Integration Approaches

There are 4 basic strategies to approaching
application integration:




Information Oriented
Business Process Integration Oriented
Service Oriented
Portal Oriented
Integration Approaches

Information oriented interfaces fall into 3
categories

Data replication


Data federation


Movement of data between systems
Common database model
Interface processing

Defined application interfaces (API)
Information Oriented
Integration

Coupling vs. Cohesion


Coupling is binding applications so that they are dependent
upon one another
 Tightly coupled applications share similar
procedures/methods, interfaces and even data
 Changes to one system have a ripple affect throughout all
of the integrated systems
Cohesion is the logical grouping of the systems
themselves.
 Cohesive systems maintain independence from one
another
 Changes are isolated between systems since their
cohesion is based on the interface and not the system
Information Oriented
Integration

Where is integration likely to take place?




Database
Application
User Interface
Embedded Device
Information Oriented
Integration

Steps to the integration process include:

Identify the data





Forms
Data Dictionary
Integrity Constraints
Latency Issues
Data Structures
Information Oriented
Integration

Steps (cont)

Catalog the Data

Gather all metadata that concerns the problem domain


May be a significant task in a medium to large integration
project
Build the logical model

ER diagrams
Information Oriented
Integration

Steps (cont)

Build the enterprise meta-data model


Build the physical model
Normalize the problem domain