Next generation SOA solution Elements

In this article i like to highlight the most commonly used software elements i have come across my experience.

1. Application servers:
Application servers are the most essential piece of software that is responsible for providing a scalable, reliable, per formant, deploy able and manageable platform for running application which provide the core business services. The application servers are the key engines behind the services that are made available. It is a better practice to host the services along with the application and hence it becomes wise to have all the application hosted on the application server. The application server in turn has the responsibility to be standards oriented and adopt a open architecture approach with a broader enterprise dimension. I can provide more information on the Application adaptability parameters.

2. Business Process Management (BPM):
As we already understand BPM is evolved into a serious enables of SOA from a business perspective. The SOA platform of choice must have a strong and reliable BPM engine which supports the orchestration abilities between the inter and intranet organization services. The BPM engine must enable certain key features not limiting to Business Rules, Process Optimization, Process monitoring etc. The modern BPM is also required to enable human interactions by providing interfaces including services, API, portals and adapters. The next gen of BPM's are also required to have the ability to integrate with the BI systems and must have the ability to dynamically reach to situations in predictable manner. Interested in Building a BPM with ability to be dynamically adaptable.

3. Enterprise Service Bus (ESB):
The need for contract management and policy enforcement between partners is a key in a successful SOA implementation. This brings in the most needed loose coupling into the architecture. ESB is the component which is highly recommended for this aspect. ESB is generally the first recipient of the message and using an ESB the policies are applied to the received messages and any breach of policies will be checked at the entry. ESB will also enrich the outgoing message to be complaint with the response policies.

4. Run-time Governance Layer:
This is the most important piece of the SOA architecture with the increasing complexity in the SOA implementations. The Run-time governance layer must be the layer above all the other pieces of the SOA infrastructure. The Governance layer will primarily ensure the service vision is being realized. This is achieved with a reactive layer over the aspects that get monitored. The violation in any Service Level agreement must be responded both at a tactical level and a strategic level. The next genration of the Governance layer can bring in the ability to dynamically assign resources on the task and can notify the respective stake holders of the situation. Working on the specifications of the Governance tool on resource allocation.

5. Business Activity Monitoring:
BAM is the one of the key for the SOA governance at a strategic level. BAM will allow the appropriate sensors for the Services or the BP's. The BAM will capture the inetersting dat and will render the captured data in a manner which will indicate the KPI adherence. The Next generation of the BAM's will provide a analysis layer which not just captures and renders but also will help the decision makers by contextualizing and recommending options.

6. Portal / Presentation layer:
The presentation Layer is the key for the SOA architecture. This becomes an important aspect because of the very nature of SOA that is distribution of the information and the processes/logic. The presentation layer in the SOA must have the adaptability to build interfaces on the fly and must provide the humans to intervene into the process under certain situations. the portal and presentation layer must enable the back office to deal with the situations which occur with multiple factors including unforeseen situations. The SOA must respect the ability and freedom that was existing before IT and must provide the similar flexibility to the decision makers to participate in the organization business behavior.

7. SOA Registry:
SOA Registry is the key component in the SOA architecture which provides a window for the Services to be registered and inturn looked up by the consumers to use. SOA service registry provides the service enabler governance, i term it (provision governance) because it neither Design, Nor Development, Nor Deployment and Nor Runtime . The registry will provide the organization established meta-data placeholder for the service to be registered. In the process of registering the Registry can evaluate if the service adheres to the KPI for the service which is being provisioned to be consumed.

8. SOA repository:
SOA repository is an essential element of the SOA solution. It is a best practice to publish all the supporting artifacts like policies, rules, Schema s, Transformation schema s etc., Please follow http://sw-architect.blogspot.com/2009/10/need-for-soa-repository.html.

9. SOA development environment: SOA platform must have a complimentary development environment which enable to develop on all the above said tools.