Getting different applications to talk to each other is a problem faced by many companies. Application integration is particularly troublesome when legacy systems are involved, and transferring data between old mainframe systems and more modern applications can be cumbersome and time-consuming. A good deal of time is spent on ensuring this happens, and software is often available to help with the process.
There is a lot of middleware around designed to help overcome these problems, and this is often very helpful. Failing this, a procedure to download, from one database, convert the data, then upload to another database might be necessary. Such procedures are often unstable and demand the attention of highly skilled people.
The advent of the concept of object orientation seemed to promise some relief. Unfortunately this did not address the problem. Only if there is only one occurrence of any data, with all applications accessing it directly would the problem be obviated. As long as there are Application specific databases, the problem will persist.
Because proprietary application packages are popular, it is still possible to have a variety of object-oriented databases used by different applications where entities common to several applications are duplicated. With this situation the problem simply continues in an up-to-date guise. Because these packages are common solutions to requirements, the situation really has not changed much.
The best solution would seem to be a central repository database which houses all data common to several applications and provides the functionality to maintain and inquire on the data. New applications or packages would interface to that master database. Data used by only one system could be handled as appropriate.
At the moment this would seem a dream. The Information systems world is sitting with Lamborghini computing power and Model T applications concepts. Perhaps IT should adopt the same approach as manufacturing, where older, less efficient machines are quickly replaced: not to do so makes a company uncompetitive, and saving money by using old equipment is known to be a wasteful chimera, resorted to by unaware managements.
A disproportionate amount of time and money is absorbed by application integration. Many smaller companies cannot deal with the complexities, and simply choose to live with the problem. In time it is possible that a move might be started towards rationalizing the whole approach to applications. Maybe one day everybody will look back and laugh at the current state of the art, after computers have fully emerged from the Dark Ages of systems development.
There is a lot of middleware around designed to help overcome these problems, and this is often very helpful. Failing this, a procedure to download, from one database, convert the data, then upload to another database might be necessary. Such procedures are often unstable and demand the attention of highly skilled people.
The advent of the concept of object orientation seemed to promise some relief. Unfortunately this did not address the problem. Only if there is only one occurrence of any data, with all applications accessing it directly would the problem be obviated. As long as there are Application specific databases, the problem will persist.
Because proprietary application packages are popular, it is still possible to have a variety of object-oriented databases used by different applications where entities common to several applications are duplicated. With this situation the problem simply continues in an up-to-date guise. Because these packages are common solutions to requirements, the situation really has not changed much.
The best solution would seem to be a central repository database which houses all data common to several applications and provides the functionality to maintain and inquire on the data. New applications or packages would interface to that master database. Data used by only one system could be handled as appropriate.
At the moment this would seem a dream. The Information systems world is sitting with Lamborghini computing power and Model T applications concepts. Perhaps IT should adopt the same approach as manufacturing, where older, less efficient machines are quickly replaced: not to do so makes a company uncompetitive, and saving money by using old equipment is known to be a wasteful chimera, resorted to by unaware managements.
A disproportionate amount of time and money is absorbed by application integration. Many smaller companies cannot deal with the complexities, and simply choose to live with the problem. In time it is possible that a move might be started towards rationalizing the whole approach to applications. Maybe one day everybody will look back and laugh at the current state of the art, after computers have fully emerged from the Dark Ages of systems development.
About the Author:
Peggie K. Lambert is an expert in data management and integration. Need to learn more about application integration? If so the author recommends you visit www.liaison.com.
ليست هناك تعليقات:
إرسال تعليق