NonStop Systems Introduction for H-Series RVUs

Introduction
NonStop Systems Introduction for H-Series RVUs—540083-001
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The ZLE Framework
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Message routing. This allows the real-time solution to get information to and from
the business applications that are being integrated. It ensures that information that
originates with a particular application is sent to the applications that need it.
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Workflow. This has to do with managing the flow of a business process as it
progresses over time. For example, consider a bank customer who wants to open
a new account. Steps in this process include:
1. Pre certifying the customer
2. Evaluating the request (setting credit limits and so on)
3. Issuing, distributing, and activating credit cards
This multistep process might take days or weeks to complete. The workflow
service is responsible for monitoring the state of this transaction, pushing it to the
next step as appropriate, reporting on its progress, and eventually flagging its
completion.
As you will see in the next section, the task of integrating the business applications and
enabling them to communicate effectively and efficiently is an enormous one.
Most of the EAI software components are provided by third-party vendors. The EAI
components in a ZLE framework are built within one of the industry-standard
integration frameworks such as Tuxedo, CORBA, or the Java 2 Platform, Enterprise
Edition (J2EE). The integration framework provides the essential services for creating,
managing, and coordinating the activities of the EAI components. This greatly
simplifies the work of developers, who then have to handle only basic EAI functionality.
The integration framework handles housekeeping and management functions. More
detail about the ZLE integration frameworks is given in Section 3, The Application
Server Environment.
The EAI concept is not new. Various other vendors offer their own EAI solutions. But
the HP approach to EAI is unique because HP uses of the data store to centralize
enterprise data and to structure the data for access by new applications.
The real-time enterprise applications (or simply real-time applications) are
specialized applications that reside on the real-time hub. They are distinct from the
existing business applications. The real-time applications run on the Integrity NonStop
server at the center of the ZLE framework. They access the data store directly and
provide services to the business applications that are being integrated into the ZLE
framework.
Many third-party real-time applications are available, providing services such as fraud
detection, customer relations management, and inventory optimization. Tools are
available that enable businesses to develop their own customized real-time
applications.
A real-time application is developed and integrated into the ZLE framework using the
same application server platform as the EAI environment: Tuxedo, CORBA, or J2EE.