JP, Many of the members of this Group are new to SOA or at least find it useful to have the basics summarised. Do you actually disagree with the article?
Gervas --- In [email protected], JP Morgenthal <jpmorgent...@...> wrote: > > Sounds like a compilation of Gartner papers on SOA. Where's the beef? > ----------------------------------------------- > JP Morgenthal > cell : 703-554-5301 > email: jpmorgent...@... > email: j...@... > twitter: www.twitter.com/jpmorgenthal > blog: www.jpmorgenthal.com/morgenthal > > > On Fri, Jan 30, 2009 at 11:46 AM, Gervas Douglas > <gervas.doug...@...>wrote: > > > <<"Adopting a services-oriented architecture should be undertaken as a > > gradual process, working toward your vision of a new IT enterprise which is > > more responsive to business drivers," says Tom Termini, author of The Zen of > > SOA. > > > > Complex concepts have emerged over the past few years regarding the > > potential productivity an organization can achieve with their website, but > > few take the mystery out of it. In his new book, Tom Termini has describes > > how top management can look and move forward with clear goals, appropriate > > resources and confidence with SOA. > > > > Organizations face quite different challenges in laying out a > > Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) blueprint. Internal integration needs > > may be more straightforward, but business models may focus less on internal > > integration than external partners or customers. Traditional approaches like > > EAI, however, are notoriously inflexible and expensive, according to > > Termini. > > > > In The Zen of SOA, Tom Termini shares his experience helping organizations > > leverage agile development practices and Web services to reduce the cost of > > older approaches to address their integration and new development needs. The > > simple addition of Web services interfaces, however, typically remains as > > inflexible as approaches previously available. Termini asserts that only > > through the application of SOA can C-level executives build and leverage > > loosely coupled Web services that are flexible enough to respond to ongoing > > change in the larger environment. > > > > Termini sees the adoption of SOA as a continuum. > > > > > > The following principles are among the many Termini recommends to > > successfully deploy an effective SOA: > > > > 1. Learn from others - study what worked for other organizations that may > > have had parallel processes, or similar objectives to yours. For example, at > > the Federal Trade Commission, we learned that commodity hardware and > > software promote the transition toward a fully-realized SOA. From the > > detritus of a failed EAI effort, the fruits of a SOA success can be found > > with the creative application of an "agile" approach. > > > > 2. Maintain a "baby-steps" approach toward a fully-realized SOA - > > expectations are more realistic, costs are spread over a longer period, risk > > is deferred, and you have the opportunity to foster organizational adoption. > > Cultural resistance is often the primary reason for failure in enterprise IT > > endeavors. If your adoption posture is incremental, you will lessen the > > impact on your organization, customers, and partners so they can assimilate > > change gradually. > > > > 3. SOA is more about the business customer than about IT innovation. > > Service-Oriented Architecture, when rolled out successfully, can empower the > > people driving the business processes in your organization, free up limited > > IT resources, and improve flexibility to meet change. While on task at the > > U.S. Department of Justice, we learned a portal is integral to Web-enabling > > the enterprise. Why? It provides the single, simple point-of-entry to the > > SOA-enabled systems for the less-technical business user. We found the > > portal was excellent at answering the question, where do I go to find what > > we already have? It also simplifies the human interface, since all Web > > applications share the look-and-feel or some derivative of the portal's > > cascading style sheet. Finally, the portal simplifies single-sign-on access > > - and ease of access means greater acceptance by the user community. > > > > 4. ESB does not equal SOA. Providing an enterprise services bus (ESB) to > > your organization does not mean you have a SOA. Gaining a full grasp of this > > concept is key to embracing the Zen of SOA. Think commodity software as well > > as hardware: one of the keys to SOA success. While we've found the messaging > > layer to be critical, often time success can be achieved by simplifying a > > few key business processes and SOA-enabling with a web service. Example: > > customer record lookup, because so many systems touch on that process. > > > > 5. Manage the SOA as part of the whole enterprise. Think of the SOA > > approach as a layer to simplify complexity - as above, consider the customer > > lookup process. What vital information needs to be presented to a consuming > > service? This layer does not stand apart from the organization's larger > > enterprise; rather, it supports the business architecture. The underlying > > services orchestrate and communicate business processes - these components > > are part of the technical architecture. Internal developers, external > > consumers and others will require access to reuse SOA services. > > > > 6. Measure progress and communicate results. The successful implementation > > of any SOA must be driven from the top down. This means gaining early wins > > that engage senior management. Define three or four metrics and regularly > > communicate results. > > > > 7. Promote SOA as the Future. Implementation of a SOA blueprint may never > > fully end, because business processes change or new ones are required. Your > > target architecture inevitably will evolve to accommodate changes in the > > external environment and corresponding adjustments to organizational > > goals.>> > > > > You can read this at: > > > > http://soa.sys-con.com/node/801354 > > > > Gervas > > >
