Essentials (Siebel 7.
7)
Module 33: Exploring Integration
Strategies
Module Objectives
After completing this module you will be able to:
Explain the business need for application integration
Describe Siebel application integration tools
Describe the strategies for approaching application
integration
Why you need to know:
Being familiar with the Siebel integration tools allows you
to select the tool that satisfies your integration
requirements
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Need for Application Integration
Enterprises often have:
Applications in each domain
Applications with different user interfaces
Applications using separate data sources
Partne
Company Customer Relationship Employee Relationship Desktop
r
Web Site Management Management / Email
Portal
Data Data Data Data Data
Enterprise Supply Chain Mainframe
Resource Planning Billing
Management Applications
Data Data Data Data
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User Requirements
Users want to:
Access all business data quickly
Avoid reentering data in multiple systems
Work with a consistent user interface (UI)
Data Source
Data Source
Data Source
Data Source
Data Source
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Siebel eBusiness Application Integration (EAI)
A configurable and scalable set of tools and components,
based on industry standards
Enables the building of a consistent view of all customer data
across all channels, applications, mainframes, ERP systems, and
custom applications
Enables seamless automation of business process between
Siebel applications and others
Enables real-time as well as high-volume, batch-oriented
replication of data between Siebel applications and others
Siebel Channels External
Database Database
Application Application
• eCommerce applications
• Legacy applications (mainframes)
• ERP systems
• Custom applications
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Siebel Universal Application Network (UAN)
An integration solution that provides a library of prepackaged,
industry-specific business processes that:
Span multiple applications
Are primarily focused on customer interactions and reflect industry
best practices
Are built based on open industry standards such as Extensible
Markup Language (XML) and Web Services-enabling enterprises
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Siebel Integration Tools
Integration Workflow Process
EAI Connector
Virtual Business Component (VBC)
Enterprise Integration Manager (EIM)
Object Interface
Siebel Business Integration Applications (BIA)
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Integration Workflow Process
Challenge: To synchronize Siebel account data with customer
data on a mainframe
Solution: Integration Workflow Process
Is a Siebel workflow process that replicates data
From a Siebel application to an external application
From an external application to a Siebel application
Uses standard transports
Siebel Mainframe
Transport
Application Application
Account data Customer data
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EAI Connector
Challenge: To exchange orders between a Siebel application
and an SAP R/3 application
Solution: EAI Connector
Is an integration workflow that uses prebuilt business services for
ready-to-use integration with popular applications
Oracle, SAP R/3, and PeopleSoft
Bidirectional integration
Siebel Transport SAP R/3
Application Application
Order headers Order details
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Virtual Business Component (VBC)
Challenge: To display Siebel product data with product details
from an external source in the same view
Solution: Virtual Business Component (VBC)
Is a business component that displays external data within a
Siebel applet without storing that data in the Siebel database
Business Object
Regular
Siebel Business
Data Component
Virtual
External Business
Data Component
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Enterprise Integration Manager (EIM)
Challenge: To exchange large volumes of data between an
external application and the Siebel application
Solution: Enterprise Integration Manager (EIM)
Is a server component that exchanges large volumes of data in
batch mode between a Siebel database and another database
Using interface tables in the Siebel database
Siebel Database
External SQL Utility Siebel
Database Interface Tables
EIM
Siebel
Base Tables
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Object Interface
Challenge: To control a Siebel application or to access Siebel
data from an external application
Solution: Object Interface
Is an access point that exposes Siebel objects and data to
programmatic access from scripts or external applications
Enables an external application to control the Siebel application
or access the Siebel database using:
COM Servers: Automation Server, Data Server
CORBA Object Manager
Java Data Bean
Is an alternative to EIM for
loading large data volumes
Example: A button in an Excel
spreadsheet calls the Siebel COM
Data Server to update Siebel Siebel COM Data Server
contact data from Excel values
Database Siebel Application
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Siebel Business Integration Applications (BIA)
Challenge: To apply industry-specific business processes
across applications and organizational boundaries
Solution: Siebel Business Integration Applications (BIA)
Packaged software built on the Universal Application Network
(UAN) architecture
Delivers prebuilt, industry-specific integration processes, common
objects, and transformations
Integration Server
CRM ERP
Business Process Controller
Common
Transformation Object Transformation
CRM Model ERP
Data Data
Model Adapter Transport Layer Adapter Model
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Approaches to Application Integration
Display external data in Siebel UI
Display Siebel data in another application
Synchronize Siebel data with external data
Data
UI UI
Siebel External
Application Application
External Siebel
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Application Integration Considerations
The following design considerations must be addressed:
Usage models
Batch processing
Real-time processing
Connection models
Peer-to-peer connections
Integration servers connections
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Batch Processing
Used for periodic uploads or downloads of large amounts of
information into the Siebel database
Examples:
Uploading a batch of product catalog and item information into a
Siebel application from an external system
Downloading a batch of all opportunities from Siebel applications
to another database
Uploading legacy data into the Siebel application
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Real-Time Processing
Is used when data needs to be updated immediately when
changes occur
Examples include:
Updating a service request
Updating an account’s contacts
Updating an order status
Deploying Siebel applications as a client or as a service
Client: Siebel applications access another program or initiate a
transaction on an external system
Service: Siebel applications are accessed by an external
program without any initiation from the Siebel application
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Peer-to-Peer Connections
Each application-to-application connection is custom
Possible total
custom connections PROVISIONING
n
( )
n-1
2 LEGACY
CUSTOM WEB
APPLICATION
n = number of
connections
BILLING ERP
CRM
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Integration Server Connections
Provide an information bus or a hub-and-spoke architecture to
tie disparate applications together
Allow each application to connect only to the integration server
through an adapter
PROVISIONING
CUSTOM WEB
LEGACY
APPLICATION
BILLING ERP
CRM
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Summary
This module showed you how to:
Explain the business need for application integration
Describe Siebel application integration tools
Describe the strategies for approaching application
integration
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