White paper Interstage Process Analytics Architecture

Transcription

1 White paper Interstage Analytics Architecture Document version 1.0 Date: July. 17, 2012 Page 1 of 8

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3 Table of Contents Table of Contents Product Overview 4 Overview of Main Components 4 Internal Modules 5 Typical Arrangement 6 Interaction with and Remote Sensors 6 Operating Environments 7 Page 3 of 8

4 Product Overview Interstage Analytics provides the next generation of process intelligence to improve business performance and achieve dramatic business results. Our solution seamlessly integrates Fujitsu leading technologies for process discovery with business activity monitoring and analytics. The product enables business users to automatically discover and then continuously monitor business activities and business processes spanning the extended enterprise. Analytics provides unprecedented real-time visibility into end-to-end business activities to optimize business processes and improve business performance. Automated Discovery (APD), ground-breaking technology from Fujitsu for visualizing business process flows based on data collected from systems, is seamlessly integrated within Analytics. It provides a holistic, end-to-end view of existing operations and business processes to reveal critical process intersections and hidden problems such as bottlenecks, delays, repetitions and failures. Business Activity Monitoring (BAM) capabilities are integrated with APD in Interstage Analytics to provide ongoing real-time monitoring of key process flows. Users can then set thresholds and alerts and proactively monitor processes, correcting potential issues and problems before they become actual process problems. With Analytics, users will have enhanced visibility and intelligence into their business activities and processes across organizations and systems. It will allow them to monitor process flows in real time and receive proactive alerts if processes begin to degrade. By visualizing business process flows and instituting real-time monitoring and alerting, Interstage Analytics enables continuous process optimization for the enterprise. This Architectural White Paper will describe some details of how the product is constructed, what the major components are, what the environmental requirements and restrictions are, some high level descriptions of how the Analytics Server works and how you may integrate process intelligence into your applications and infrastructure. Overview of Main Components The Interstage Analytics (IPA) operates through three main stages. Sensors collect information from a variety of sources. Then, the sensors feed the raw data into the analytics server which does the processing. Finally, results are delivered to the end user in a variety of forms. This is depicted in the figure below: Sensors ing Results Page 4 of 8

5 1. Analytics Server - The Analytics Server is the key component of the Analytics software. It is a complete, stand-alone package including sensors for the analytics engine, Automated Discovery, Presentation Service, Management Console and Analytics Studio. 2. Application Server and Relational Database These components must be installed and are necessary to run the Analytics Server. You may install and use the application server and database that are bundled with the Analytics Server product, or you may provide your own components that satisfy the platform version requirements. In many situations the bundled components will be sufficient, but there are certain considerations that might bring the need to incorporate additional software. 3. Remote Sensor (optional) This element contains the same functionality as the built-in sensors but may be installed separately on a remote server as needed to access event data. The Remote Sensor may be used when the monitored system cannot be accessed using JDBC or when referencing Comma-Separated Value (CSV) files on a remote computer. 4. Graphical User Interface (GUI) All GUIs for Analytics are accessed through a web browser. Internal Modules User Interface Development Presentation Management Discovery Analytics Web Studio Dashboard notification Escalation Management Console Analyzer Data & ing Sensor Event or APD Engine Text file (CSV) sensor IBPM sensor RDB sensor WEF Event Collection (Web Services) Monitoring API Alerts Rule Engine Calculations Discovery DB Generator Event DB There are four main user interface modes: 1. Development This is the Analytics Web Studio, the developers tool for designing reports and alerts and configuring the processing of data. This console is accessible completely through a web browser. Multiple developers can work simultaneously and collaboratively. 2. Presentation This is the main end user access to the results. The Dashboard contains on-line graphs and charts showing the status of the systems that are being monitored. Results can be delivered in other ways as well. Triggers set on thresholds can cause messages to be sent to alert people of important situations. The Escalation mechanism provides additional capabilities to alert people. 3. Management The Management Console is for configuring and managing the server by an administrator. Here an administrator can configure sensors, the database, users, roles and permissions. 4. Discovery The web-based process analyzer allows business process analysts to see and explore the results of a process mining project. Like the entire user interface, the Analyzer is a web-based GUI that can be used without having to install any software locally. Data flows through the back end of the product: 1. Sensor There are three types of built-in sensors: a text file sensor which reads CSV files, an sensor which is a direct connection to a running server and an RDB Sensor which monitors and retrieves data from a relational database. Page 5 of 8

6 2. Event or This is where events are collected in the collection service and stored in the Event Database. The Monitoring API, Alerts Rules Engine and Calculations are made use of the events stored in the database in real time as the events are being processed. 3. Discovery The APD part of the product has its own data path. Event records necessary for process mining can be imported from a CSV file. These are stored in the Mining database for processing by the APD engine. The results are displayed as mentioned above in the Analyzer. Typical Arrangement The diagram below shows the Interstage Analytics server on the right, while on the left you see a typical IT infrastructure. The enterprise system might include any or all of these parts: a BPM engine with process models for activities that users perform, an Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) for translating system calls from the process level to the back end services level and ultimately a collection of services that may each have their own database. On top of this stack there might be business applications that the business users use. This is only provided as an example for discussion; your environment may be very different and still be suitably supported by the Interstage Analytics server. From the business side, events can be collected from various different levels. Often applications generate events which are recorded in their log files. The built-in text based sensor would be able to collect these for processing. The Business Management (BPM) layer might make use of our specialized sensor which generates standardized event streams. The services operating upon databases, if they have no other event Web Browser Business Log file Applications (CSV) Interstage Analytics Develop ment Presentation Manage ment Discovery Enterprise system Analytics Web Studio Dashboard notification Escalation Manage ment Console Analyzer activity1 activity2 activity3 ESB Sensor Event or APD Engine Services Service1 Data (Oracle) Service2 Data (SQL Server) Service3 Data (Oracle) Event Text file (CSV) sensor IBPM sensor RDB sensor WEF Event Collection (Web Services) Monitoring API Alerts Rule Engine Calculations Discovery DB Generator Event DB Log file (CSV) outputs, can always be monitored with the RDB Sensor. The events flow into the sensor module and on to the events database where the events are processed. The results of processing are available for presentation via the Dashboard, notification or other escalation mechanisms. A log file can be fed into the APD module for process mining and viewing with the Analyzer. Interaction with and Remote Sensors If you are using Interstage Analytics to monitor an server, there are some convenient shortcuts that make this monitoring easy. The server and the Console might or might not be installed on the same machine. The console will display Analytics results by retrieving charts and reports using HTTP from the Analytics Server. Page 6 of 8

7 Machine with Server Machine with Interstage Analytics Sensor RDB CSV Interstage BPM Server Interstage Analytics Sensor RMI/CORBA JDBC RMI/CORBA SOAP Model API Console Machine with Console HTTP/HTTPS For BPM integration, BPM-A Sensor must be in the same machine where BPM-A Server is. Model API Analytics Sensor Analytics Server The Analytics server has a built-in sensor for accessing event data through the Model API and through JDBC. The correct version of Model API module that corresponds to the server version must be used, and must be configured to access the server as it would for any other application. This diagram also shows a remote sensor configured to retrieve data from an RDB and from a CSV file source. This remote sensor communicates to the Analytics Server using Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) calls. Operating Environments For the exact operating platforms of the latest version, please contact a sales representative. In some cases there are critical dependencies between operating environments so not all combinations can be supported. Below is a representative list of the approximate operating environments which have been supported in recent releases of the product. The Analytics server can be installed and run on a Windows or Linux operating system. The server requires hosting in a JEE application server. There is a complete application server shipped within the product, and so no third party application server is required. However, if you choose, you can install the product onto recent versions of Interstage Application Server, Oracle WebLogic, IBM WebSphere, or Red Hat JBoss application server products. A relational database must be accessible through JDBC. Interstage Analytics includes a full relational database. If you choose this built-in database option you will need no other database. However, if you prefer, recent versions of Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, and Fujitsu Symfoware database are supported. Page 7 of 8

8 ABOUT FUJITSU AMERICA Fujitsu America, Inc., is a leading ICT solutions provider for organizations in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. Fujitsu enables clients to meet their business objectives through integrated offerings and solutions, including consulting, systems integration, managed services, outsourcing and cloud services for infrastructure, platforms and applications; data center and field services; and server, storage, software and mobile/tablet technologies. For more information, please visit:: and ABOUT FUJITSU Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company offering a full range of technology products, solutions and services. Over 170,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.5 trillion yen (US$54 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, For more information, please see Contact FUJITSU AMERICA, INC East Arques Avenue Sunnyvale, CA , U.S.A. Telephone: or Web: Contact Form: FUJITSU LIMITED Shiodome City Center, Higashi Shimbashi Minato ku, Tokyo , JAPAN Telephone: Page 8 of 8 Fujitsu, the Fujitsu logo, Interstage, Symfoware and shaping tomorrow with you" are trademarks or registered trademarks of Fujitsu Limited in the United States and other countries. Oracle and WebLogic aretrademarks or registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries. IBM, WebSphere are trademarks or registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States and other countries. Red Hat and JBoss are trademarks or registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Microsoft and SQL Server are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. The statements provided herein are for informational purposes only and may be amended or altered by Fujitsu America, Inc. without notice or liability. Product description data represents Fujitsu design objectives and is provided for comparative purposes; actual results may vary based on a variety of factors. Specifications are subject to change without notice Copyright 2012 Fujitsu America, Inc. All rights reserved. FPC /12 FCI_