NonStop Systems Introduction

Requirements of ZLE Systems
NonStop Systems Introduction—527825-001
2-6
Consolidated View of All Data
the transaction data to an application running on an IBM system. The data would be
routed through the hub, where it would be translated to the proper format and pushed
out to the IBM system and any other systems that needed the data. The hub could
provide information about a customer’s previous transactions, which could be used to
formulate a special offer based on that customer’s preferences.
A centralized, consolidated repository of data can provide other benefits. Examples
can be found in the integration of business applications, which we have already
identified as a key requirement of ZLE. In a typical business environment, messages
frequently are passed from one system to another. By centralizing the data and
passing transactions through the data store, additional useful information cached in the
data store can be added to the transactions as they pass through the hub, a process
referred to as “enrichment”.
For example, if two applications manage similar customer data items, but in different
formats and with different customer IDs, a cross-reference table might be created in
the data store so that as application A sends update transactions to application B, the
message can be enriched (with the system B customer ID) as the transaction flows
through the hub. This concept is graphically illustrated in Figure 2-2 on page 2-6, which
shows data from application A being enriched with data from the data store as it
passes through the ZLE hub on its way to application B.
Data in the data store can also more easily be “cleansed”, that is, cleared of erroneous
or redundant data.
The existence of a centralized data store makes possible the creation of applications
that rely on a consolidated view of enterprise data to provide new services that could
not otherwise be provided. Examples can be found in the area of customer relations
management. For example, an application might receive requests from particular
Figure 2-2. Data Enrichment
Local
data
Application B
Local
data
Application A
vst008.vsd
Data store
ZLE Hub
As data from application A
passes through the hub on
its way to application B, it
is enriched by data from
the data store.