Master Data Management for SaaS Applications

Master Data Management for SaaS Applications

Released October 2014
Publisher(s): IBM Redbooks
ISBN: None

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Book description

Enterprises today understand the value of employing a master data management (MDM) solution for managing and governing mission critical information assets. chief data officers and chief information officers drive MDM initiatives with IBM® InfoSphere® Master Data Management to improve business results and operational efficiencies, which can help to lower costs and to reduce the risk of using untrusted master information in business process. Cloud computing introduces new considerations where enterprise IT architectures are extended beyond the corporate networks into the cloud.

Many enterprises are now adopting turnkey business applications offered as software as a service (SaaS) solutions, such as customer relationship management (CRM), payroll processing, human resource management, and many more. However, in the context of MDM solutions, many organizations perceive risks in having these solutions deployed on the cloud. In some cases, organization are concerned with the legal restrictions of deploying solutions on the cloud, whereas in other cases organizations have policies and strategies in force that limit solution deployment on the cloud.

Immaterial of what all the cases might be, industry trends point to a prediction that many "extended enterprises" will keep MDM solutions on premises and will want its integrations with SaaS applications, specifically customer and asset domains. This trend puts a key focus on an important component in the solution construct, that is, the cloud integration middleware and how it fits with hybrid cloud architectures that span on premises and cloud services. As this trend pans out, the on-premises MDM solution integration with SaaS applications will be the key pain point for the "extended enterprise."
This IBM Redbooks® publication provides guidance to chief data officers, chief information officers, MDM practitioners, integration architects, and others who are interested in the integration of IBM InfoSphere Master Data Management with SaaS applications. This book lays the background on how mastering and governance needs for SaaS applications is quite similar to what on-premises business applications would need. It draws the perspective for serving the on-premises application and the SaaS application with the same MDM hub. This book describes how IBM WebSphere® Cast Iron® Cloud Integration can serve as the "de-facto" cloud integration middleware to integrate the on-premises InfoSphere Master Data Management systems with any SaaS application by using Saleforce.com integration as an example. This book also covers aspects of handling bulk operations with IBM InfoSphere Information Server.

After reading this book, you will have a good understanding about the considerations for on-premises InfoSphere Master Data Management integration with SaaS applications in general and Salesforce.com in particular.

The MDM practitioners and integration architects will understand the deployable integrations patterns and, in general, will be able to effectively contribute to delivering strategies that involve building solutions in this area. Additionally, SaaS vendors and customers looking to build or implement SaaS solutions that might require trusted master information will be able to use this compilation to ensure that the right architecture is put together and adhered to as a set of standard integrations patterns with all the core building blocks is essential for the longevity of a solution in this space.

Table of contents

  1. Front cover
  2. Notices
    1. Trademarks
  3. Preface
    1. Authors
    2. Now you can become a published author, too!
    3. Comments welcome
    4. Stay connected to IBM Redbooks publications
  4. Chapter 1. Introduction
    1. 1.1 Master data management and SaaS applications
    2. 1.2 The evolution of SaaS applications
      1. 1.2.1 Business and technical impact
      2. 1.2.2 Other considerations for SaaS applications in the context of master data management
    3. 1.3 SaaS applications require data mastering and governance similar to on-premises applications
      1. 1.3.1 Managing duplicate records
      2. 1.3.2 Adherence to data quality standards and governance policies
    4. 1.4 Challenges in overcoming business and operational issues from within the SaaS applications using a native MDM or internal MDM
      1. 1.4.1 Incomplete information
      2. 1.4.2 Consistent de-duplication strategy and results
      3. 1.4.3 Data augmentation through business hierarchies
      4. 1.4.4 Redundant enforcement mechanisms that hinder enterprise-wide governance initiatives
    5. 1.5 Other integration challenges
      1. 1.5.1 Cross border
      2. 1.5.2 Data integration
      3. 1.5.3 Security
      4. 1.5.4 Business process integration
    6. 1.6 Setting the stage for MDM integration with SaaS applications
      1. 1.6.1 High-level solution construct and logical architecture
      2. 1.6.2 IBM InfoSphere MDM
      3. 1.6.3 WebSphere Cast Iron Cloud Integration
      4. 1.6.4 Logical architecture of the InfoSphere MDM and WebSphere Cast Iron Cloud Integration
  5. Chapter 2. MDM solution readiness to participate in integrations with SaaS applications
    1. 2.1 Integration strategies employed regularly by on-premises applications
      1. 2.1.1 Role of open standards
      2. 2.1.2 Integration strategies for consumers and services providers outside the enterprise firewall
    2. 2.2 Integrations with IBM InfoSphere Master Data Management solutions
      1. 2.2.1 Integrations with source systems
      2. 2.2.2 Integrations with business applications
      3. 2.2.3 Integrations with warehouses and other analytical environments
    3. 2.3 General requirements for integrations of on-premises MDM solutions with SaaS applications
      1. 2.3.1 Integrations with SaaS applications acting as a source
      2. 2.3.2 SaaS applications consuming MDM services and MDM callouts to SaaS applications
      3. 2.3.3 Bulk data operations between MDM solutions and SaaS applications
      4. 2.3.4 Preparations required for MDM solutions to integrate with SaaS applications
    4. 2.4 Aspects of solution definition
      1. 2.4.1 High-level requirements
      2. 2.4.2 Security requirements
      3. 2.4.3 Different solution approaches
  6. Chapter 3. Middleware considerations for integration
    1. 3.1 Data integration between on-premises MDM systems and SaaS applications
      1. 3.1.1 Introduction to WebSphere Cast Iron Cloud Integration capabilities
      2. 3.1.2 Deployment options in WebSphere Cast Iron Cloud Integration
      3. 3.1.3 IBM Information Server
    2. 3.2 Access integration between on-premises MDM systems and SaaS application
      1. 3.2.1 Security
      2. 3.2.2 WebSphere Cast Iron Cloud Integration connectors
    3. 3.3 Process integration between on-premises MDM systems and SaaS applications
      1. 3.3.1 Data flow orchestration using TIPs
      2. 3.3.2 BPM based Stewardship
  7. Chapter 4. Solution architecture
    1. 4.1 Integration patterns applicable for integration of MDM systems and SaaS applications
      1. 4.1.1 Data integration patterns
      2. 4.1.2 Access integration patterns
      3. 4.1.3 Process integration patterns
    2. 4.2 Solution architecture for integrating MDM systemsand SaaS applications
    3. 4.3 Considerations for bulk load operations
      1. 4.3.1 IBM InfoSphere Information Server Pack for Salesforce.com
      2. 4.3.2 IBM InfoSphere DataStage
      3. 4.3.3 Initial extract, and bulk and incremental load requirements
      4. 4.3.4 Sample export job
  8. Chapter 5. A sample InfoSphere MDM and SaaS application integration scenario
    1. 5.1 Business issue
      1. 5.1.1 Solution for the business issues
      2. 5.1.2 Relevance of the solution to Container Company A
    2. 5.2 Solution architecture
      1. 5.2.1 Salesforce.com customization
      2. 5.2.2 IBM WebSphere Cast Iron Live as the middle ware
      3. 5.2.3 MDM InfoSphere web services
      4. 5.2.4 Prerequisite for this solution capability
  9. Chapter 6. Putting it all together
    1. 6.1 Pre-requisites
      1. 6.1.1 Downloading WebSphere Cast Iron Studio
      2. 6.1.2 Downloading integration sample
      3. 6.1.3 Creating and deploying a project in Force.com IDE
      4. 6.1.4 Setting the Salesforce.com configuration properties
    2. 6.2 Installing the WebSphere Cast Iron Live Secure Connector
      1. 6.2.1 Creating a secure connector in WebSphere Cast Iron Live
      2. 6.2.2 Installing Secure Connector on Windows system
    3. 6.3 Configuring the project in WebSphere Cast Iron Studio
      1. 6.3.1 Downloading the Template Integration Process
      2. 6.3.2 Configuring the project
    4. 6.4 Loading sample data
    5. 6.5 Testing the scenario
      1. 6.5.1 Starting Secure Connector
      2. 6.5.2 Starting the WebSphere Cast Iron project
      3. 6.5.3 Running the sample
  10. Chapter 7. Handling integrations with other SaaS applications
    1. 7.1 InfoSphere MDM and Netsuite CRM integration
      1. 7.1.1 InfoSphere MDM powered search
      2. 7.1.2 Real-time synchronization of records in Netsuite CRM toInfoSphere MDM
    2. 7.2 InfoSphere MDM and Workday
    3. 7.3 IBM Bluemix and services
  11. Related publications
    1. IBM Redbooks publications
    2. Other publications
    3. Online resources
    4. Help from IBM
  12. Back cover
  13. IBM System x Reference Architecture for Hadoop: IBM InfoSphere BigInsights Reference Architecture
    1. Introduction
    2. Business problem and business value
    3. Reference architecture use
    4. Requirements
    5. InfoSphere BigInsights predefined configuration
    6. InfoSphere BigInsights HBase predefined configuration
    7. Deployment considerations
    8. Customizing the predefined configurations
    9. Predefined configuration bill of materials
    10. References
    11. The team who wrote this paper
    12. Now you can become a published author, too!
    13. Stay connected to IBM Redbooks
  14. Notices
    1. Trademarks

Product information

  • Title: Master Data Management for SaaS Applications
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: October 2014
  • Publisher(s): IBM Redbooks
  • ISBN: None