NonStop Systems Introduction

Introduction
NonStop Systems Introduction—527825-001
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The ZLE Architecture
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Message routing. This allows the ZLE system 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. There are several steps in this process, including:
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 system 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 worry only about basic EAI
functionality. The integration framework handles housekeeping and management
functions. More will be said about the ZLE integration frameworks in Section 3, The
Application Server Environment.
The EAI concept is not new; various other vendors offer their own EAI solutions. but
what makes the HP approach to EAI unique when contrasted with conventional
approaches, is HP’s use of the data store to centralize enterprise data and to structure
the data for access by new applications.
The ZLE applications are specialized applications that reside on the ZLE hub. They
are distinct from the existing business applications. The ZLE applications run on the
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 ZLE 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 ZLE applications.
A ZLE application is developed and integrated into the ZLE framework using the same
application server platform as the EAI environment: Tuxedo, CORBA, or J2EE.
In the next section, we explore the stringent requirements that a ZLE system imposes
on a computer system.