1st Edition

Process-Centric Architecture for Enterprise Software Systems

By Parameswaran Seshan Copyright 2010
    333 Pages 51 B/W Illustrations
    by Auerbach Publications

    336 Pages 51 B/W Illustrations
    by Auerbach Publications

    The increasing adoption of Business Process Management (BPM) has inspired pioneering software architects and developers to effectively leverage BPM-based software and process-centric architecture (PCA) to create software systems that enable essential business processes. Reflecting this emerging trend and evolving field, Process-Centric Architecture for Enterprise Software Systems provides a complete and accessible introduction explaining this architecture.

    The text presents, in detail, the analysis and design principles used in process-centric architecture. Illustrative examples demonstrate how to architect and design enterprise systems based on the business processes central to your organization. It covers the architectural aspects of business process management, the evolution of IT systems in enterprises, the importance of a business process focus, the role of workflows, business rules, enterprise application integration, and business process modeling languages such as WS-BPEL and BPML. It also investigates:

    • Fundamental concepts of process-centric architecture style
    • The PCA approach to architecting enterprise IT systems
    • Business process driven applications and integration
    • Two case studies that illustrate how to architect and design enterprise applications based on PCA
    • SOA in the context of process-centric architecture
    • Standards, technologies, and infrastructure behind PCA

    Explaining how to architect enterprise systems using a BPMS technology platform, J2EE components, and Web services, this forward-looking book will empower you to create systems centered on business processes and make today’s enterprise processes successful and agile.

    Part I: THE PROCESS-CENTRIC ARCHITECTURE  PARADIGM

    Introduction
    Enterprise Software Systems
    Architecture for Systems
    Introduction to Business Processes
    Activities in Business Processes
    Types of Activities
    Importance of Business Processes to Enterprise
    Process-Centric Architecture—A Quick Introduction

    Evolution of IT Architecture
    Objectives
    Historical Perspective on Enterprise Computing Architectures
    Traditional Ways of Supporting Business
    Workflows
    Packages
    Integration
    Business–IT Gap

    Concept of Process-Centric Architecture
    Objectives
    The Case for a New Approach
    What Is Process-Centric Architecture?
    Process Logic Abstraction
    Qualities Addressed
    Structure
    Dynamics
    Principles
    Integration Concept as Handled in PCA
    Workflow in PCA
    Holistic View in Architecture
    Similar Approaches
    PCA in the Context of Other Architectures

    Business Process Management
    What Is BPM?
    PCA and BPM
    Business Process Life Cycle
    Six Sigma
    Lean
    Process Redesign
    Process Automation
    BPMS Products
    BPM Landscape
    Exercise Questions

    Components of PCA
    The Business Process Model
    Process Layer
    Business Logic Elements
    User Interface Application Layer

    Process Execution
    Deployment
    Execution
    Addressing Integration
    Workflow
    Business Rules
    Flows Handled in a Process

    Benefits of Process-Centric Architecture
    Business Benefits
    Benefits to IT Systems
    Scalability of the PCA Style and Approach
    Complexity versus Manageability
    Raised Level of Abstraction for the IT System

    Part II: ARCHITECTING IT SYSTEMS, THE PROCESS-CENTRIC STYLE (DESIGNING PCA)

    The Approach
    Objectives
    A Typical Manifestation of Process-Centric Architecture
    Architectural Design in PCA
    Re-Architecting an Existing IT System for PCA
    Addition of an IT Subsystem to an Existing IT System

    SOA for Services
    Objectives
    Services
    Service-Oriented Architecture
    Bottom-Up Approach
    Need for SOA in PCA
    Complementary Approach to Architectural Design

    Standards and Technologies
    Standards
    Process Modeling Standards
    Process Execution Standards
    Inter-Process Layer Interactions
    Business Logic Interaction Standards
    Technologies and Tools
    Implementation Options

    Case Study—Architectural Design Applying PCA
    Case Study I
    Case Study II

    Implementation Considerations
    Types of Business Processes
    Process Infrastructure
    Best Practices
    Practicalities in Architectural Design

    Each chapter begins with an "Objectives" section and concludes with "Exercise Questions"

    Biography

    Parameswaran Seshan is a Principal (Education and Research) with Infosys Technologies Ltd., Bangalore, India. At Infosys, he is part of the E-comm Research Labs. He has around 14 years of work experience in the Information Technology (IT) industry as a researcher, educator, architect, and programmer. Before joining Infosys in 2001, he worked as an Advisory Systems Analyst with APL (American President Lines Ltd.), Oakland, California, U.S.A. Parameswaran has also worked as a software engineer with Case Consult (I) Pvt. Ltd., Thiruvananthapuram, India. He holds a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) degree in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Calicut (in 1995). His work experience in the IT industry involved research, programming, architecture, and design.

    At Infosys, Parameswaran has been doing research work in the area of Process-centric Architecture, Business Process Management (BPM) , Software architecture, and new computing models/paradigms. He has also been teaching architecture and high-end technology courses at Infosys. He was the lead architect for the home-grown Business Process Management System (BPMS) from Infosys and was also actively involved in its design and development. Parameswaran has architected, designed, programmed and supported a number of IT systems over his career as a computer software professional.

    Parameswaran is an active researcher. He has published papers at international conferences and other forums. He has worked on joint research works with Microsoft Research India and Researchers from Universities such as Copenhagen University and University of Melbourne in the areas of BPM and Agent-oriented software engineering.

    Parameswaran has designed, developed and supported IT systems involving various technologies, at APL. He programmed system tools to automate operations. He also led a team in software development and support projects at APL. Parameswaran programmed system tools based on REXX to automate conversion of programs from one programming environment to another, at Case Consult.

    Parameswaran's areas of research interest include software architecture, process-centric architecture, new computing models, intelligent software agents and intelligent systems.