9.1. IBM and the Evolution of e-Business
Computers and the Internet have transformed our lives by changing the way we get information, the way we shop, and the way we do business. Computers have been making our lives easier since the 1950s, and the Internet has opened up an unimaginable wealth of information that did not exist just a few years ago.
A pioneer in the computing industry, IBM realized early on that this mix of computing power and wide-reaching access of the Internet could propel businesses into another level—and e-business was born.
In theory, e-business is a simple concept—connect an organization's critical business systems directly to its customers, employees, suppliers, and distributors across the Web. By linking these key aspects, organizations realize a synergy that would not exist without the connection.
In order to make e-business a reality, there has to be a common element, such as the Java language, that can communicate with any client device and run on any platform. What makes the Java platform such a key ingredient of e-business is that it enables rapid application development and just-in-time deployment due to its simplified constructs and write-once, run-anywhere properties.
9.1.1. IBM Application Framework for e-Business
IBM's blueprint for e-business technology, the Application Framework for e-Business, defines the tools for designing, building, and maintaining e-business applications.
The IBM Application Framework for e-Business is designed to enable businesses of all sizes to build and deploy Web-based applications quickly and easily. To accomplish this, the Framework is based on open standards, such as Java technology, that are widely adopted by the computer industry.
The Application Framework for e-Business architecture incorporates clients, Web application servers, and connectors to external services. It is fundamentally based on Java technology, J2EE standards, and the Enterprise JavaBeans (EJB) component technologies. Together, those technologies deliver the benefits of “write once, run anywhere,” which serve to lower development expenses while delivering higher-quality business applications.
Several key technologies enable the Framework.
The Java platform
An application-programming model based on servlets, Java ServerPages (JSP), JavaBeans, and Enterprise JavaBeans
A network infrastructure based on industry standards
9.1.2. The Java Platform
More than just a programming language, the Java platform provides the base upon which the next generation of business applications can be built and deployed. The Java platform provides the JavaBean component model to enable construction of class libraries that are easily manipulated by programming tools from multiple vendors.
The Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition extends the JavaBean component model to encompass Enterprise JavaBeans, which are server-side extensions that enable components to adapt to the database and transactional services needed in many business applications. With EJBs, component developers do not need to know ahead of time which database, for example, will be used when the application is finally deployed.
Enterprise JavaBean components execute on a server within the context provided by a container. This container provides management and control functions to the component, such as access to the operating system processes and threads. Containers can be provided by Web application servers, database management systems, or transaction monitors. The container provides isolation of the components from the unique characteristics of the underlying services.
9.1.3. IBM and the J2EE Standard
IBM is deeply committed to industry standards that best support the multiplatform, multivendor, and dynamic environment that the Internet has enabled. The J2EE standards are designed to allow businesses to easily connect data and applications residing on disparate platforms. IBM believes that e-business is all about cooperating on standards and competing on implementation.
With the largest Java technology team in the industry, IBM contributed to the definition of more than 80 percent of the Application Programming Interface (API) specifications in Sun's J2EE platform, including Enterprise JavaBeans, Java ServerPages, Java Servlet, Java Interface Definition Language (IDL), JDBC database connectivity API, Java Message Service (JMS), Java Naming and Directory Interface (JNDI) Java Transaction API (JTA), Java Transaction Services (JTS), and RMI-IIOP. IBM is fully behind the Java technology and will continue its involvement in the evolution of this great technology.
9.1.4. Key Java Technologies
Tools for building and running robust applications based on Java technology are an essential part of the framework. VisualAge for Java is a Java application-development environment for building Java applications, applets, servlets, JavaBean, and Enterprise JavaBean components.
WebSphere Application Server, the platform that powers the runtime environment for the application's business logic, is IBM's application server of choice. It is implemented using various Internet and Java technologies, including the HTTP server and the Enterprise Java services that enable rapid development and deployment of applications in a distributed network environment.
Applications run as a combination of Java servlets, Java ServerPages, and Enterprise JavaBeans in the Web application server and its Java virtual machine. These server-side components communicate with their clients and other application components via HTTP or IIOP, and make use of the directory and security services provided by the network infrastructure. They can also leverage database, transaction, and groupware facilities.
9.1.5. Application Programming Model
The application programming model supported by the Framework provides a rich set of component interaction capabilities based on industry standards. For example, components can communicate with each other using the Web-based HTTP protocol or the CORBA-based RMI-IIOP. The content can be HTML, Dynamic HTML, or XML. Other protocols and interfaces specific to particular applications, such as database access, are also accommodated.
Based on Enterprise JavaBeans components, the application programming model provides dynamic binding of new business logic to the underlying data storage and transaction services, as well as to clients, existing data and applications, the network infrastructure, and the server platform. The benefits of this dynamic adaptability are realized in greater flexibility for deploying, managing, and reusing business logic.
Java ServerPages enable applications, as seen by the user, to be assembled and delivered on the fly to the user, meaning that both the content and the form of the content can be tailored to the user and the device.
For clients, this means the application's business logic can be independent of the characteristics of the client device. The Framework supports clients that range from pervasive devices, such as PDAs, smartcards, and digital wireless telephones, to network computers and PCs. Server-side proxies and transcoding are examples of how servers can be leveraged to provide universal client access and extend client functions for devices with limited functionality. When the client is disconnected from the network, data synchronization services can be supported to provide asynchronous access to data and applications.
9.1.6. Network Infrastructure
The Framework's architecture includes a set of secure network infrastructure services that provide consistent, coherent, scaleable facilities for e-business applications. These services are based on established and emerging industry standards, including TCP/IP. Industry standard APIs and protocols are used for networking, security, access to directory services, and network file and print services.
With its support for distributed applications and the J2EE standard, IBM is able to help customers like Honeywell and Bekins find best-fit solutions for the challenges they face in the networked economy.