Patterns: Implementing Self-Service in an SOA Environment

102 Patterns: Implementing Self-Service in an SOA Environment

6.1 The big picture

Our discussion of technology options is organized along the enterprise

application tiers shown in Figure 6-1:

򐂰 Client technologies for interfacing with end users

򐂰 Web application server technologies for providing server-side presentation

and business logic

򐂰 Integration technologies for providing access to the enterprise tier

Figure 6-1 Self-Service application tiers

6.2 Client technologies

Figure 6-2 on page 103 shows the recommended technologies for clients.

Web Client Web Application Server

Enterprise tier

Application

DB

Application

DB

Browser

Web

Server

Application

Server

Connectors

Server tierClient tier

Chapter 6. Technology options 103

Figure 6-2 Web client technology model

The clients are thin clients with little or no application logic. Applications are

managed on the server and downloaded to the requesting clients. The client

portions of the applications should be implemented in HTML, JavaScript,

Dynamic HTML (DHTML), XML, and Java applets.

The selection of client-side technologies used in your design will require

consideration for the server side, such as whether to store, or create

dynamically, elements for the client side.

The following sections outline some of the possible technologies that you should

consider, but remember that your choices may be constrained by the policy of

your customer or sponsor. For example, for security reasons, only HTML is

allowed in the Web client at some government agencies.

We also touch on some of the current wireless technology choices.

Browser/Web Top

Java VM

Applets

and

JavaBeans

Protocols - HTTP, IIOP, ...

Network Infrastructure

Native Apps

Shrink

Wrapped

Custom

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VALID FROM GOOD THRU

XX/XX/XX XX/XX/XX

PAUL FI SCHER

XX/XX/XX XX/XX/XX

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Pervasive

NC

Managed PC

PC

TCP/IP, WAP ...

HTML, DHTML, XML, WML