Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)

Services Oriented Architecture (SOA) is a framework for building a flexible, robust infrastructure to model, assemble, deploy and manage business processes. It's cost-effective, modular and scalable.

An important aspect of SOA is that it enables iSeries customers to retain and reuse their existing assets, while introducing more advanced technologies.

SuperVisor can play a key role in moving to SOA by enabling customers to:

• harvest business rules and data
• convert that logic into ILE service programs
• manage and document ILE program relationships
• create test environments for testing architecture

Business Rules

One example of how SuperVisor aids in implementing SOA is in its ability to assist in extracting business rules.

All computer applications contain business rules. Business rules are those methods that are applied to data to produce a given result, for examples, computing net prices and computing payroll taxes. The Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) paradigm consolidates such business rules into services programs that can be used throughout the system. This approach does two things. Firstly, all programs that exercise a business rule derive an identical result. Secondly, when a business rule changes there is but one program the modify and test.

In most existing applications business rules are repeated in numerous programs. Minor differences among the routines may exist, which can lead to improper results. Furthermore as rules change modifications are difficult and time consuming to implement.

Remediating an application involves ferreting out instances of code that represent business rules, standardizing them and changing every program involved.

SuperVisor's Scan/Replace and Scan/Replace Code block can automate this remediation process. Furthermore, remember all SuperVisor functions are programmable, enabling users to develop sophisticated customized solutions to remediation projects.