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Unit Outline: ITEC832 - Enterprise Application Integration

Faculty of Science, Department of Computing

Semester 1, 2012

Convenor: Dr. Ian Krycer

Prerequisites: ISYS301 - Enterprise Systems Integration 

About This Unit

Credit Points: 4

This unit focuses on integration technologies from internal application integration to external business-to-business integration. Integration activities start with a process model and process redesign targets. We use the market leading IBM WebSphere business process modelling software to define our processes. Application integration techniques such as data orientated, application interfaces, message orientated middleware and application servers are covered. We then consider B2B integration with EDI and Web Services, and the roles of portals. We explore the objectives of business process management and supply chain planning and consider a real e-marketplace case study. Throughout the course we also work through Medicare's PBS Online system as a leading example of an integrated distributed system.

Teaching Staff

Role	Name	Email	Mobile
Convenor, Lecturer	Dr. Ian Krycer	ian.krycer@mq.edu.au	0425 314455

All emails related to ITEC832 should be sent to ian.krycer@mq.edu.au and must include your full name and your student id number.

Classes

Each week you should attend up to 4 hours of lectures and tutorials. For details of days, times and rooms consult the timetables webpage.

If you do not have a class, or if you wish to change one, you should see the enrolment operators in the E7B courtyard during the first two weeks of the semester. Thereafter you should go to the Student Centre.

Please note that you will be required to attend 80% of the lectures and hand in prepared work as required. Failure to do so may result in you failing the unit or being excluded from the exam.

Required and Recommended Texts

The references for this unit are constantly being updated and textbooks do not keep up with the changes in technology. Hence, there is no mandatory textbook for this unit. The following text is recommended reading:

• David S. Linthicum (2009) Cloud Computing and SOA Convergence in Your Enterprise:  A Step-by-Step Guide, Addison Wesley, Sydney

David Linthicum has written a number of excellent books on the topic of application integration and you are encouraged to borrow his earlier books from the general section of the library.

Lecture handouts will list appropriate Web based references and further reading for some of the rapidly evolving technologies discussed in this course.  All the lecture handouts and soft copy references will be available for download from the class Web site from Week 1 at: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/ 

You will need to use the user name and password issued to you by the Faculty of Science when you enrolled for the unit. 

Unit Web Page

The web page for this unit can be found at https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/

The unit will make use of the discussion forum hosted within iLearn.   Please post questions there, they will be monitored by the staff on the unit.

Learning Outcomes

A student successfully completing the unit will have developed the following skills:

1. Be able to use process modelling software to describe, and derive appropriate metrics, for an 'As Is' process and proposed improved 'To Be' processes
2. Be able to compare and contrast application integration technologies such as APIs, MOM, message brokers, database integration and application servers
3. Understand the concepts of SOA and Cloud Computing and the improved business agility when combined
4. Understand the objectives of business to business integration and be able to identify an appropriate range of enabling technologies including EDI and Web Services
5. Be able to describe the application of contemporary technologies in a recent successful B2Bi case study involving a one to many relationship
6. Understand the role of an e-marketplace in enabling B2Bi in many to many relationships
7. Understand the evolution of application integration to Business Process Management and how it applies in real life examples such as supply chain planning and CPFR (collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment.

In addition to the discipline-based learning objectives, all academic programs at Macquarie seek to develop students' generic skills in a range of areas. One of the aims of this unit is that students develop their skills in the following:

• Critical analysis skills;

• Problem-solving skills; and

• Creative thinking skills.

Teaching and Learning Strategy

ITEC832 is taught via combined lectures and tutorials. Lectures are used to introduce new material, give examples of integration technologies and case studies and cover the relevant material in the course references. While lectures are largely one to many presentations, you are encouraged to ask questions of the lecturer to clarify anything you might not be sure of. Tutorials give you the opportunity to interact with your peers and with the lecturer.

Each week you should:

• Attend lectures/tutorials, take notes, ask questions.

• Read appropriate sections of the text, add to your notes and prepare questions for your lecturer.

• Work on any assignments that have been released.

Lecture notes will be made available for download each week but these notes are intended as an outline of the lecture only and are not a substitute for your own notes or the reading material supplied on iLearn.

Topic List

Relationship Between Assessment and Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcome	Assessments
1. Be able to use process modelling software to describe, and derive appropriate metrics, for an 'As Is' process and proposed improved 'To Be' processes	This will be assessed by Assignments 1 and 2, the Group Assignment and the Examination.
2. Be able to compare and contrast application integration technologies such as APIs, MOM, message brokers, database integration and application servers	This will be assessed in the Group Assignment and the Examination.
3. Understand the two major application integration paradigms of .NET and JEE	This will be assessed in the Examination.
4. Understand the objectives of business to business integration and be able to identify an appropriate range of enabling technologies including EDI and Web Services	This will be assessed in the Group Assignment and the Examination.
5. Be able to describe the application of contemporary technologies in a recent successful B2Bi case study involving a one to many relationship	This will be assessed in the Minor Project component of the Group Assignment.
6. Understand the role of an e-marketplace in enabling B2Bi in many to many relationships	This will be assessed in the Group Assignment and the Examination.
7. Understand the evolution of application integration to Business Process Management and how it applies in real life examples such as supply chain planning and CPFR (collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment) and Services Orientated Architecture (SOA).	This will be assessed in Assignment 2 and the Examination.

Assessment Items

Task	Planned Date	Total Marks
Assignment 1:	Due Week  4	15%
Assignment 2	Due Week 6	10%
Group Assignment	Due Week 12	25%
Final Examination	TBA	50%

 

Assignment 1: Individual Assignment. Hospital Procurement Process Model

You are given an actual hospital procurement process. This is to be modelled as the ‘As Is’ Process using IBM Websphere process modeller. Metrics such as process cost and time are to be derived. Based on the objectives of business process reengineering, an automated, improved ‘To Be’ process is to be proposed. The new process is to be assessment according to the modelling metrics as well as a SWOT analysis and ROI justification.

Assignment 2: Individual Assignment.  Corrective Services NSW SOA

You are given an actual case study from Corrective Services NSW involving the deployment of an SOA to improve operational efficiency using Oracle business process analysis, SOA and WebLogic products.  Your are to provide the summary requirements analysis including the As Is process, justification for investment in this solution and description of the technical solution provided.

Assignment 3: Group Assignment - Hospital Supply Chain Management

Groups of 4 students will work as a team to complete a significant study of an industry supply chain opportunity.

The hospital supply chain has been chosen as a case study in business to business integration based on the high level of current government sponsored and private initiatives and potential for efficiency gains.

A Process Reengineering Report is required. The team is to act as ‘Consultants’, hired by the Area Health Service Chief Executive to investigate a documented ‘As Is’ Process and assess a recommended ‘To Be’ Process. The team is to submit both a detailed report and give a 20 minute presentation, outlining their findings and rationale. This will involve process reengineering and costing. Then, resolving the business to business integration technologies and feasibility (reliability, security, ROI etc.) with a recommended system architecture and justification.

Furthermore, from Weeks 5 to 10 each group will be required to present to the class a component of a real case study in B2Bi involving a one to many relationship, PBS Online. All the necessary reference material will be provided for analysis by the group and presentation to the class.

Final Grade

Your final grade will depend on your performance in each part separately. In particular:

• You must perform satisfactorily in the examination in order to pass this unit.
• You must submit a reasonable attempt to both assignments.

All assignments should be handed in via the online iLearn system at https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/ by the time specified in the assignment description.

All work submitted should be readable and well presented.

Late work will be accepted with a penalty of 10% of the marks for the assignment per day submitted late. Hence, an assignment submitted five days late will get at most half the marks. If you cannot submit on time because of illness or other circumstances, please contact the lecturer before the due date.

Examinations

You are expected to present yourself for examination at the time and place designated in the University Examination Timetable. The timetable will be available in Draft form approximately eight weeks before the commencement of the examinations and in Final form approximately four weeks before the commencement of examinations.

You are advised that it is Macquarie University policy not to set early examinations for individuals or groups of students. All students are expected to ensure that they are available until the end of the teaching semester, that is the final day of the official examination period.

The only exception to not sitting an examination at the designated time is because of documented illness or unavoidable disruption. In these circumstances you may wish to consider applying for Special Consideration. Information about unavoidable disruption and the special consideration process is available on the web (PDF).

If a Supplementary Examination is granted as a result of the Special Consideration process the examination will be scheduled after the conclusion of the official examination period. For details of the Special Consideration policy specific to the Department of Computing, see the Department's policy page.

Plagiarism

Please refer to the Department of Computing Plagiarism Policy for the definition of plagiarism, advice on avoiding it and the penalties in place if you are found to have submitted plagiarised work.

University Policy on Grading

Academic Senate has a set of guidelines on the distribution of grades across the range from fail to high distinction.

Currently, the Faculty of Science is implementing a new Standards Based Assessment. This will result in enhanced transparency in the marking of assignments. As well, the previously practice of 'scaling' final results will cease such that your final mark will be the aggregate of your individual assessments.

Student Support Services

Macquarie University provides a range of Academic Student Support Services. Details of these services can accessed at http://www.student.mq.edu.au.

Staff-Student Liaison Committee

The Department has established a Staff-Student Liaison Committee at each level to provide all students studying a Computing unit the opportunity to discuss related issues or problems with both students and staff.

For each meeting, an agenda is issued and minutes are taken. These are posted on the web at:

• http://www.comp.mq.edu.au/units/800-liaison

Details of the regular meeting dates will be posted on the unit home page. Anyone with an interest in Computing units may attend. This includes staff involved in the teaching and administration of the units, and all students currently taking a Computing unit at that level. There are formal Liaison Committee representatives for each unit who attend to present the views of the student body; all students are welcome and are encouraged to attend.

The meetings are usually held in the Department of Computing Meeting Room, E6A357.

To forward agenda items or get in touch with your representative, send an email to ian.krycer@mq.edu.au

If you have exhausted all other avenues, then you should consult the Director of Teaching (Dr Steve Cassidy) or the Head of Department (Assoc. Prof. Bernard Mans). You are entitled to have your concerns raised, discussed and resolved.