A common problem for IT departments all over the world is enabling different applications to share common data. With many companies having antique legacy systems which need to be interfaced to modern software, this process can be fraught with extreme difficulty. With so much effort being absorbed by this need, some new approach to application integration which might improve the situation would seem like a good idea.
There is a lot of middleware around designed to help overcome these problems, and this is often very helpful. Failing this, a procedure to download, from one database, convert the data, then upload to another database might be necessary. Such procedures are often unstable and demand the attention of highly skilled people.
The advent of the concept of object orientation seemed to promise some relief. Unfortunately this did not address the problem. Only if there is only one occurrence of any data, with all applications accessing it directly would the problem be obviated. As long as there are Application specific databases, the problem will persist.
Different application packages will still have their own databases, and this could easily lead to duplication of entities and redundancy. The need for middleware to capture or transfer common data is once more created. As it often happens that packages are acquired, this scenario is an ongoing problem for most organizations.
The best solution would seem to be a central repository database which houses all data common to several applications and provides the functionality to maintain and inquire on the data. New applications or packages would interface to that master database. Data used by only one system could be handled as appropriate.
At the moment this would seem a dream. The Information systems world is sitting with Lamborghini computing power and Model T applications concepts. Perhaps IT should adopt the same approach as manufacturing, where older, less efficient machines are quickly replaced: not to do so makes a company uncompetitive, and saving money by using old equipment is known to be a wasteful chimera, resorted to by unaware managements.
As it is, the productivity of many IT departments is abysmal, despite the many dedicated, intelligent, hard-working professionals they employ, many involve in application integration. In fact, smaller companies usually just live with the various versions of the same data, and simply capture it several times. With so much to be done, it is easy to imagine that the present situation will be viewed with incredulity by future generations of IT professionals, once a rationalized approach has been developed.
There is a lot of middleware around designed to help overcome these problems, and this is often very helpful. Failing this, a procedure to download, from one database, convert the data, then upload to another database might be necessary. Such procedures are often unstable and demand the attention of highly skilled people.
The advent of the concept of object orientation seemed to promise some relief. Unfortunately this did not address the problem. Only if there is only one occurrence of any data, with all applications accessing it directly would the problem be obviated. As long as there are Application specific databases, the problem will persist.
Different application packages will still have their own databases, and this could easily lead to duplication of entities and redundancy. The need for middleware to capture or transfer common data is once more created. As it often happens that packages are acquired, this scenario is an ongoing problem for most organizations.
The best solution would seem to be a central repository database which houses all data common to several applications and provides the functionality to maintain and inquire on the data. New applications or packages would interface to that master database. Data used by only one system could be handled as appropriate.
At the moment this would seem a dream. The Information systems world is sitting with Lamborghini computing power and Model T applications concepts. Perhaps IT should adopt the same approach as manufacturing, where older, less efficient machines are quickly replaced: not to do so makes a company uncompetitive, and saving money by using old equipment is known to be a wasteful chimera, resorted to by unaware managements.
As it is, the productivity of many IT departments is abysmal, despite the many dedicated, intelligent, hard-working professionals they employ, many involve in application integration. In fact, smaller companies usually just live with the various versions of the same data, and simply capture it several times. With so much to be done, it is easy to imagine that the present situation will be viewed with incredulity by future generations of IT professionals, once a rationalized approach has been developed.
About the Author:
Peggie K. Lambert is an expert in data management and integration. Need to learn more about application integration services? If so the author recommends you visit www.liaison.com.
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