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Content archived on 2024-05-27

Integrated Business

Objective

IB project will create a software platform for the development and execution of business processes that require the integration of a variety of legacy systems and applications on heterogeneous software and hardware environments. IB will provide a development environment that will help the user to define the logic of the business process, the data model to be used and the software modules (called connectors in IB context) with the different tools and legacy systems. These latter modules, the connectors, will be provided as a library, as well as the guidelines to produce new ones. Based on these three pieces, the runtime environment of IB will execute the business process, according to its defined logic, the data model specified and connecting to the required legacy systems. IB runtime will provide an API to handle the dialogue with the human interface. IB will be validated through the development of 3 pilots, solving real case studies at the project users' sites, based on IB provided features. Dissemination and Exploitation activities will complete this project, aiming at having a relevant impact in the IT community.

Objectives:
The main objective of the IB project is to create a software platform for the integration of business processes and legacy systems on heterogeneous software and hardware environments.

This main objective will be achieved by the completion of the following ones:
1. To analyse and formally define the requirements for integration of business processes and legacy systems. Identifying the needs of companies in terms of legacy systems integration. Identifying the features required to new applications and legacy systems in order to integrate them in processes. Identifying the technologies to be used in integration (e.g. CORBA, DCOM, MQ-Series)
2. To specify a modular system that fulfils the above mentioned requirements. Including general solutions to problems identified in the requirements phase. Tracing requirements to IB tools and modules.L%3. To produce a suite of tools the - IB Toolset - that support the integration of business processes and legacy systems.
4. To assess and evaluate IB Toolset as the basis for the integration of business processes and legacy systems.L%5. To disseminate project achievements.L%6. To establish the basis for future commercial exploitation of project results.

Work description:
Within IB, users' case studies will be analysed in order to extract a body of requirements for integration of applications and business processes. Based on these requirements, the IB Toolset will be developed. Assessment and Evaluation of the Toolset will be performed by running pilots for each case study, using the IB facilities. A cycle of feedback-refinement is expected in the project.

The IB Toolset consists of two parts: runtime and development.
.The Development part of IB provides the mechanisms to include in the system the information specific to each process:
Process model: Description of the process using the IB process definition language (from now on, PDL);
Data model: Description of related data structures managed in the process;
Connectors: Pieces of software that establish the communication between the IB Server and the external applications.

The runtime part of IB reads the description of the process model stored in the IB Database. This process consists of a number of activities, manual and automated, that are executed in a defined order. The IB Server determines if the activity is to be done by a human or by an application. In the former case, via the IB API the activity is sent to the user interface of the suitable person. If the activity is carried out by an application, the IB Server activates the application through the connector defined for that application. All the data managed in the process is maintained in the suitable data model in the IB database.

Milestones:
Milestone 1 (month 6): Users' case studies description, Users' requirements, System requirements, IB Specifications.
Milestone 2 (month 13): IB Toolset version 1 delivered, Pilots for case studies delivered, Connector Library delivered, Connectors guidelines delivered.
Milestone 3 (month 15): Assessment and Evaluation of IB in terms of conformance to requirements and functional aspects.
Milestone 4 (month 21): Reports on IB extensive usage and introduction in organisations. Feedback from final users.
Milestone 5 (month 22): Final IB Toolset version
Milestone 6 (month 24): Final Assessment and Evaluation Report, Technology Implementation Plan, Final Project Report.

Call for proposal

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Coordinator

ATOS ORIGIN SA
EU contribution
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Address
CALLE DE ALBARRACIN 25
28037 MADRID
Spain

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Total cost
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Participants (4)