Interesting Part II Questions

[Required Field]

Hi,

I am working on my part II assignment and I have couple of questions. I will be really grateful for any answers.

1) Does the new travel agent java application have to be Java Swing? If it is Swing then what protocol would it use to communicate with the business tier (EJBs). IIOP right?

2) Requirements say that I should provide access to the mileage system content via the web to the customers. But there already is a web-based mileage system written in perl/cgi + html + oracle.
a) Should I use that existing system and expose it to the customers?
OR
b) Do they need a unified view that combines booking system and mileage system into one web based UI for customers.

The latter option means that I have to re-write the mileage system front end also.

3) Mileage system already has data sitting on an oracle database. The new booking system re-write replaces the old IMS database with a new oracle database. Can I use the mileage system's oracle database instance for the new booking system by creating a new schema possibly? Or by creating additional tables in the same schema! I will definitely avoid the cost of talking to two databases!

I appreciate any thoughts. Thanks.
[ February 21, 2006: Message edited by: Akshay Shrivastava ]

[Lekha Sharma]

1) Java Swing can be an option. Protocol depends on your architecture. More specifically depends on what your answers are for these questions?
-Are application clients behind/outside the firewall?
-Does Application clients requests go through webtier?

2)Travel system that to developed is different from the existing legacy mileage system. Therefore, option b is correct.

3)You need to present a design not how you create a database schema etc. The point is, you are overworking on the problem.

[Ricardo Ferreira]

Originally posted by Akshay Shrivastava:
Hi,

I am working on my part II assignment and I have couple of questions. I will be really grateful for any answers.

1) Does the new travel agent java application have to be Java Swing? If it is Swing then what protocol would it use to communicate with the business tier (EJBs). IIOP right?

2) Requirements say that I should provide access to the mileage system content via the web to the customers. But there already is a web-based mileage system written in perl/cgi + html + oracle.
a) Should I use that existing system and expose it to the customers?
OR
b) Do they need a unified view that combines booking system and mileage system into one web based UI for customers.

The latter option means that I have to re-write the mileage system front end also.

3) Mileage system already has data sitting on an oracle database. The new booking system re-write replaces the old IMS database with a new oracle database. Can I use the mileage system's oracle database instance for the new booking system by creating a new schema possibly? Or by creating additional tables in the same schema! I will definitely avoid the cost of talking to two databases!

I appreciate any thoughts. Thanks.

[ February 21, 2006: Message edited by: Akshay Shrivastava ]

Hi,

First, i�ve to tell you that, any this questions you have posted here, must be evaluated for you, as your point of view. I think that, the nature of the certification, is test you in, how can you create an solution for a given problem. Try to create your own solutions ok ? Well, here we go.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1) Does the new travel agent java application have to be Java Swing? If it is Swing then what protocol would it use to communicate with the business tier (EJBs). IIOP right?

R = There are many ways to connect to the business tier. If you expose your business tier, using ejb�s, the only protocol to use is, RMI-IIOP. But, it�s not the only way. Supose that you create an fa�ade for a group of use cases (an boundaire), and expose this fa�ade (SLSB) as an web service. So, you could access it using HTTP or HTTPS over SOAP. As an architect, choose one that relies with the Customer needs.

2) Requirements say that I should provide access to the mileage system content via the web to the customers. But there already is a web-based mileage system written in perl/cgi + html + oracle.
a) Should I use that existing system and expose it to the customers?
OR
b) Do they need a unified view that combines booking system and mileage system into one web based UI for customers.

The latter option means that I have to re-write the mileage system front end also.

R = Again ... There are too many ways for doing that. One of this solutions is, access the mileage directly using JDBC, since the database is Oracle (and you realize that oracle provides an JCA connector). Another approach could be, create an interface with the Perl/CGI system, using HTTP processing, as URL rewrite or HTTP headers parsers. I preffer the first method and one more thing: Don�t forget that, FBN CEO said that: "I don�t intend to rewrite the mileage system now, since i�ve invested a half million dollars". If you even think in rewrite the system, this is an explicity case that an architect don�t fixing the customer expectations. Keep the "A" alternative in mind, that�s what the assignment wants.

3) Mileage system already has data sitting on an oracle database. The new booking system re-write replaces the old IMS database with a new oracle database. Can I use the mileage system's oracle database instance for the new booking system by creating a new schema possibly? Or by creating additional tables in the same schema! I will definitely avoid the cost of talking to two databases!

R = The database company�s topology don�t need to be measured in the project. You just have to create an way to access the legacy system.

Never forgets: Meet the customers neeeds! Is the key for the SCEA !

Best Regards,

[Required Field]

Thanks Lekha. Can you respond to these:

1) Java Swing can be an option. Protocol depends on your architecture. More specifically depends on what your answers are for these questions?
-Are application clients behind/outside the firewall?
-Does Application clients requests go through webtier?

Application clients are accessed by travel agents who can be geographically dispersed and so cannot be within the firewall area. They are indeed outside the firewall and so the requests must be IIOP tunnelled thru HTTP. Thanks for your tips. I don't think I would take application client requests thru the web-tier (servlet/jsp) etc.

2)Travel system that to developed is different from the existing legacy mileage system. Therefore, option b is correct.

You got my question wrong. I know the travel system is different and has to be re-written. My question was whether the mileage system has to be re-written or can it be re-used as is - for the customer facing part. Can you please respond to the same.

3)You need to present a design not how you create a database schema etc. The point is, you are overworking on the problem.

Its not abt the design of the database schema. Its about the deployment diagram. Do I have two database servers (one oracle server instance for the mileage system and another for the travel booking system) OR just one?

Now please don't tell me that a deployment diagram is also overwork. I just think it adds value (not score).

[Required Field]

The answer you gave me for the second question (option A) kinda resolved the third question also. There have to be two databases if the older system cannot be touched and should work as is (perl/cgi + html + oracle).

Last but not the least, thanks again for all the responses.

Originally posted by Ricardo Ferreira:


Hi,

First, i�ve to tell you that, any this questions you have posted here, must be evaluated for you, as your point of view. I think that, the nature of the certification, is test you in, how can you create an solution for a given problem. Try to create your own solutions ok ? Well, here we go.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1) Does the new travel agent java application have to be Java Swing? If it is Swing then what protocol would it use to communicate with the business tier (EJBs). IIOP right?

R = There are many ways to connect to the business tier. If you expose your business tier, using ejb�s, the only protocol to use is, RMI-IIOP. But, it�s not the only way. Supose that you create an fa�ade for a group of use cases (an boundaire), and expose this fa�ade (SLSB) as an web service. So, you could access it using HTTP or HTTPS over SOAP. As an architect, choose one that relies with the Customer needs.

2) Requirements say that I should provide access to the mileage system content via the web to the customers. But there already is a web-based mileage system written in perl/cgi + html + oracle.
a) Should I use that existing system and expose it to the customers?
OR
b) Do they need a unified view that combines booking system and mileage system into one web based UI for customers.

The latter option means that I have to re-write the mileage system front end also.

R = Again ... There are too many ways for doing that. One of this solutions is, access the mileage directly using JDBC, since the database is Oracle (and you realize that oracle provides an JCA connector). Another approach could be, create an interface with the Perl/CGI system, using HTTP processing, as URL rewrite or HTTP headers parsers. I preffer the first method and one more thing: Don�t forget that, FBN CEO said that: "I don�t intend to rewrite the mileage system now, since i�ve invested a half million dollars". If you even think in rewrite the system, this is an explicity case that an architect don�t fixing the customer expectations. Keep the "A" alternative in mind, that�s what the assignment wants.

3) Mileage system already has data sitting on an oracle database. The new booking system re-write replaces the old IMS database with a new oracle database. Can I use the mileage system's oracle database instance for the new booking system by creating a new schema possibly? Or by creating additional tables in the same schema! I will definitely avoid the cost of talking to two databases!

R = The database company�s topology don�t need to be measured in the project. You just have to create an way to access the legacy system.

Never forgets: Meet the customers neeeds! Is the key for the SCEA !

Best Regards,