Study on Enterprise Integration Platform based on Web Services Li Gao 1,a, Xiaojun Meng 2,b and Yongjin Yu 3,c

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1 Applied Mechanics and Materials Vols (2009) pp Online: (2009) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland doi: / Study on Enterprise Integration Platform based on Web Services Li Gao 1,a, Xiaojun Meng 2,b and Yongjin Yu 3,c 1 Department of Mechanical & Electronic Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao Shandong, China, Department of Mechanics, Taishan University, Tai an Shandong, China, Department of Information & Electrical Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao Shandong, China, a ligao19@163.com, b mxj931@163.com, c yaydjto@163.com Keywords: Integration platform, Service-oriented architecture, Dynamic enterprise integration Abstract. Logical framework of enterprise integration platform is constructed, which is based on the model of user-process-applications. The application systems and business processes are encapsulated by the neutral and standard web services with the support of enterprise applications and database. By using services publishing and discovering mechanisms, enterprise resources can be located and shared. Services within the enterprise can by dynamically orchestrated as processes, so that the enterprise business process can by dynamically constructed and monitored according to the changing environment. Core of the platform is orchestration and management of web services, which is driver by a process engine. The platform is exhibited as enterprise portal supporting single sing-on. An enterprise wide Kanban system is also incorporated within the platform, covering the enterprise and workshop information. An example is given at the end. Introduction Most enterprises operate with the support of lots of application systems, which decide the development ability of enterprises. At present, integration becomes popular and it will be the tendency of future enterprises [1]. Enterprise integration experienced a dedicated interface to the integrated platform for the development process. In America, industritual information infrastructure program (NIIIP) has been set up in 1994, sharing design and manufacturing information by virtual enterprises construction [2]. Document [3] constructs the framework for enterprise integration. Document [4] gives framework for information integration model. Paper [5] puts forward a new platform-ceips. All the above pay more attention to cooperation environment between and in enterprises and pay less attention to enterprise resources discovery and services sharing [6]. As the management environment and business processes change, enterprises application integration needs dynamic characteristics. Platform Functional Requirement Analysis Integration platform should provide unified enterprise style for the outsides, and for the inner, it should manage and integrate application systems and business processes. Consider the actual needs of enterprises, integration platform, four functional parts included: system integration, business process management, enterprise portal establishment, and synthetical panel and decision-making. Enterprise integration platform should integrate application systems the business processes revolved above and should provide customization and control to business processes. Integration platform sets up two synthesis panels, for enterprises and workshops level individually, with All rights reserved. No part of contents of this paper may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of Trans Tech Publications, (ID: , Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA-09/10/15,07:17:04)

2 634 e-engineering & Digital Enterprise Technology VII which managerial staff perform decision analysis. The platform entirely embodies the logistics of customers-processes-application systems. Enterprise Integration Logical Frameworks Based on Services According to discovery and sharing of enterprise resources, this paper gives enterprise integration model based on services, with XML to transfer and deliver data. Enterprise is a complex system, and it is made of business processes with the point of process view [9]. According to SOA [10, 11], the model encapsulates business process as service, introduces description language WSDL based on XML to describe interface. Business process service is registered in UDDI (Universal Description, Discovery and Integration) service library to support standard services for other processes. And enterprise resources discovery is solved by mechanism of service publishing and discovering. To take the five business processes as examples, figure 1 shows the enterprise integration model based on services. Business processes are encapsulated to standard services, and processes are combined on the basis of services discovery and sharing. Therefore, calls between processes are realized. In fact, the five major business process services is by a combination of sub-business processes. Fig.1 Service-based enterprise integration implementation model In the current business environment, critical data of enterprise are stored in heterogeneous systems, including the PDM system, customer relationship management systems, ERP systems, Web servers and other systems. The core function of enterprise integration is to reliably deliver information source from applications to other systems that need. Data transmission and conversion depends on smooth operation of business processes. Different business processes may involve different systems, which can not understand each other's grammar or semantics. The foundation of contemporary SOA is to express data with XML [12, 13], This paper adopts the XML-format files to transfer and converse data process services. Neural file based on XML meets the real-time communication between the Service and asynchronous data transfer and conversion, complement between each other can achieve business process information and data interaction. Communication between service and data transfer is shown in Figure 2, interaction between them is achieved by the Service Bus, the figure does not give service bus for simplification. Enterprise integration platform should not only achieve the enterprise business process services

3 Applied Mechanics and Materials Vols encapsulation and combinations, but also complete enterprise service public by the Enterprise Service Bus of integration services layer. Other business service is on the basis of public service. Discovery and call between services, as well as communication between the Service or the data transfer, depends entirely on enterprise service bus to provide interactive access, that is, service providers and users achieve enterprise business integration with the help of the Enterprise Service Bus. The whole logical framework embodies the logic of "User - flow - Application Systems". That is shown in Figure 3. When to login the platform, user can access different permission according to its role, and access to their own work page automatically. Thus, users receive their own tasks. Mission of each user is one active node of the whole business processes, and the user calls corresponding applications for the work. After users complete and submit work, which shows the end of the activity, and business process flow automatically turns to the next node in accordance with the definition of activities. Fig.2 Data transfer based on XML file data transfer between Services Fig.3 Services-based logical framework of integration Enterprise Dynamic Integration Technology Enterprise integration should dynamically response to changes of business activities because of the changes of dynamic nature of business activities, as well as inside and outside the enterprise environment. Flexible and dynamic integration of business process reflects the flexibility of integration platform. Business activity is combination of processes with different levels and granularity. Business processes encapsulated to standard services can find and call other processes services, with the use of SOA and service publication and discovery mechanisms. Standard service has service contract described by WSDL, and the contract is the method of interoperation and integration, by which, the two interactive sides can understand the definition of the same service, including service name, news, data types and related strategies. Accordingly, business processes services can easily be formed to combination service. Combination service is shown in Figure 4. Dynamic combination of normalizes processes by using the method of classifying business processes. By the hierarchical methods, process control layer is designed on top of the service

4 636 e-engineering & Digital Enterprise Technology VII layer. Process control layer calls core business logic, and as the result, integration is of flexibility. The three types services mentioned above can complete certain business activities, with a degree of autonomy. These services can be found and called by the others. These core business services compose processes services layer, responsible for calls corresponding business process logic according to the needs of business. That is shown in Figure 5. Fig.4 Business Processes combination Fig.5 dynamic integration At present, Web Services is becoming the basis of architecture processes and collaboration within and outside enterprise. The platform introduces Web Services WS-BPEL technology for dynamic services combination. Service establishment is used to realize business process Web services, which is equivalent to add a control layer on top of business processes layer. By the engine based on the WS - BPEL definition, service combination can use the manner of run-time bound. That is, the bound is delayed to services combination completion. Accordingly, sub-processes are combined to father processes, and flexible, dynamic combination is realized, ultimately, dynamic integration is accomplished. Take preparation process as an example. ProcessPrepare is the processes services combination of ProcessTask, CreatePBOM, ProcessAssignment and ProcessPlanning etc. Figure 6 describes ProcessPrepare Web services. The total process planner starts ProcessPrepare by platform interface, or by other standard Web service. ProcessPrepare completes various steps by calling each sub-process service, and dynamically combines sub-process according to the conditions. ProcessPrepare can automatically submit different tasks to the corresponding role who assumes it. Integration Platform Example Some enterprise and its affiliated enterprises constructs the PDM system to manage the products and related documentation based on Windchill and Teamcenter for the entire life-cycle. ERP(Enterprise Resource Planning) uses BANN to manage a variety of resources, belonging to plan layer. The execution layer between plan layer and workshop spot control layer is MES(Manufacturing Execution System) based on J2EE. CAPP adopts system of TH-CAPP. Quality management system is independently developed by enterprise based on J2EE. There are an enormous amount of product design and office automation application software and systems within it. It is urgent for enterprise to develop a platform to integrate these heterogeneous applications. Therefore, we introduce J2EE architecture and encapsulate the application system functions and business processes logic as a standard package of services based on Web services technology. Through the service description, publishing and discovery mechanisms, the eventual realization of business processes integration is acquired. Integration platform structure is shown in Figure 7.

5 Applied Mechanics and Materials Vols The architecture realizes the effective integration of application system and business logic, it embodies the logic of user-process-application. Fig.6 ProcessPrepare realization based on web services Fig.7 Integration Platform Example Concluding Remarks Integration platform is an effective tool for enterprise application integration. SOA is a

6 638 e-engineering & Digital Enterprise Technology VII standard-based organization and design methodology, and has more general nature and standards in the fields of integration. In this paper, Web Services technology is introduced to build standard-based integration framework. The release of Service of processes logic encapsulated to standard service solves the problems of enterprise resource discovery and sharing, Through the integration platform, these business processes logic or application logic system are dynamically invocated. As a result, application integration is of flexibility and dynamic. Acknowledgements Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China, ID , and Shandong Natural Science Foundation for Distinguished Young scholars of China, IDJQ References [1] N. Ruin, X.U. Hong, X. Zhang and et al.: Publishing House of Weapon Industry (2000), pp [2] NIIIP. INC: [3] J.Y.C. Pan and J.M. Tenebaum: IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man and Cybernetic, Vol (1991), pp [4] M. Huang and X.Y. Huang: Journal of Chongqing University, Vol (2003), pp [5] J.W. Yan, Z.B. Dong, Y.R. Dai and et al.: Structure of CIMS Enterprise-oriented Integration Platform System, Vol (2002), pp [6] M.B. Zhang and A.B. Xia: Computer Integrated Manufacturing Systems, Vol (2004), pp [7] M. Nikoo: Architecture_Wh ere_do_we_stand.pdf [8] D.W. Cearley, J. Fenn, D.C. Plummer: /gartners_posit -i.pdf. [9] Y.L. Chen, Q. Li and F. Zhang: Business Process Re-engineering and System Integration (Beijing Tsinghua University Press 2000), pp [10] A. Apte, iconexio Technologies Canada Inc: Adapters and EAI Technology, Tools and Trends [EB/OL]. -ft. ppt. [11] A.K. Harikumar, R. Lee, H.S. Yang and et al.: Proceedings of the Fourth Annual ACIS International Conference on Computer and Information Science (ICIS 05) (2005), pp [12] T. Erl: Service-Oriented Architecture Concepts, Technology, and Design. Beijing (China Machine Press 2007). [13] E. Newcomer and G. Lomow: Understanding SOA with Web Services (Beijing Publishing House of Electronics Industry 2006), pp.245.

7 e-engineering & Digital Enterprise Technology VII / Study on Enterprise Integration Platform Based on Web Services / DOI References [3] J.Y.C. Pan and J.M. Tenebaum: IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man and Cybernetic, Vol (1991), pp doi: / [3] J.Y.C. Pan and J.M. Tenebaum: IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man and Cybernetic, Vol. 1-6 (1991), pp doi: /