Common Information Model Patterns Service Oriented Integration & Business Process Models

Foreword by Tim Vincent, IBM Fellow and Vice President, CTO for IBM Analytics Group

To drive maximum value from complex IT projects, IT professionals need a deep understanding of the information their projects will use. Too often, however, IT treats information as an afterthought: the “poor stepchild” behind applications and infrastructure. That needs to change. This book will help you change it.

Five senior IBM architects show you how to use information-centric views to give data a central role in project design and delivery. Using Common Information Models (CIM), you learn how to standardize the way you represent information, making it easier to design, deploy, and evolve even the most complex systems.

Using a complete case study, the authors explain what CIMs are, how to build them, and how to maintain them. You learn how to clarify the structure, meaning, and intent of any information you may exchange, and then use your CIM to improve integration, collaboration, and agility.

In today’s mobile, cloud, and analytics environments, your information is more valuable than ever. To build systems that make the most of it, start right here.

Coverage Includes

• Mastering best practices for building and maintaining a CIM

• Understanding CIM components and artifacts: scope, perspectives, and depth of detail

• Choosing the right patterns for structuring your CIM

• Integrating a CIM into broader governance

• Using tools to manage your CIM more effectively

• Recognizing the importance of non-functional characteristics, such as availability, performance, and security, in system design

• Growing CIM value by expanding their scope and usage

• Previewing the future of CIMs

To successfully deliver complex IT projects and derive the full business value they promise, IT professionals need a deep understanding of the information those projects will use and manage. Too often, however IT treats information as the 'poor stepchild' behind applications and infrastructure: a mere afterthought in project design and delivery.

In this real-world practitioner's guide, a team of senior IBM architects show how to use information-centric views to dramatically improve project performance. You'll find proven patterns for simplifying and accelerating IT projects, deepening integration, and using information to drive more value from SOA and Business Process Management (BPM).

Throughout, the authors explore real-world patterns of Common Information Management (CIM), characteristics and complexities of service oriented integration (SOI), and crucial linkages with BPM. Previously, each of these paradigms has been understood and applied individually. Now, using actual customer examples and case studies, IBM's experts show how to achieve far better results by integrating them.

In earlier roles, Mandy led the development of new features for the CICS, Encina, TxSeries, WebSphere, and InfoSphere products. She has more than 50 issued patents worldwide in the fields of transaction processing, event management, business process management, and model-driven development.

Outside of IBM, Mandy is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and a visiting professor at the University of Sheffield, UK. In 2001, she was the first woman to be awarded a Silver Medal by the Royal Academy of Engineering, and in 2000, she was one of the “TR100” young innovators identified by MIT’s Technology Review magazine. Mandy also has been granted an honorary fellowship of the Institution for Engineering Designers (IED) and an honorary doctorate of science by the University of Plymouth.

Mandy’s recent publications include Patterns of Information Management (IBM Press); Governing and Managing Big Data for Analytics and Decision Makers (IBM Redbooks); and Smarter Analytics series (IBM Redbooks).

For more information, see Mandy’s LinkedIn and Wikipedia pages.

Gandhi Sivakumar is an IBM Senior Certified Architect and service-oriented architecture (SOA) solution designer. Gandhi possesses 23 years of experience in the industry and has demonstrated technical leadership in large and complex programs of IBM including Telecom, Transport, Banking, and Human Services industries. Gandhi has been a technical champion in leading solution, integration, information, and infrastructure architectures across complex programs.

IBM honored Gandhi as Master Inventor for her innovations in addition to multiple Outstanding Technical Achievement Client Awards for the impact she created in client engagements. Gandhi has filed more than 70 patent applications spanning networks, infrastructure, data, integration, and others with IBM, and she holds a number of honorary roles within and outside IBM. Gandhi has published a number of papers and articles in IEEE and developerWorks. Gandhi served as a board member of the Australian Computer Society and has been portrayed as one of the leading technical women in IBM.

Dan Wolfson is an IBM Distinguished Engineer and the chief architect/CTO for the InfoSphere segment of the IBM Analytics Group. He is responsible for architecture and technical leadership across the rapidly growing areas of information integration and quality for big data including information quality tools, information integration, master data management (MDM), and metadata management. Dan is also Chief Architect for Hybrid Cloud Integration, working closely with peers throughout IBM.

Dan has more than 30 years of experience in research and commercially distributed computing, covering a broad range of topics including transaction and object-oriented systems, software fault tolerance, messaging, information integration, business integration, metadata management, and database systems. He has written numerous papers and blogs, and is the co-author of Enterprise Master Data Management: An SOA Approach to Managing Core Business Information and Beyond Big Data: Using Social MDM to Drive Deep Customer Insight. Dan is a member of the IBM Academy of Technology and an IBM Master Inventor. In 2010, the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) recognized Dan as an ACM Distinguished Engineer.

Kerard Hogg is an Executive IT Architect at IBM. He has more than 30 years of experience in information technology, primarily as an IT architect. Kerard has provided technical leadership and governance on many large and complex IT projects, primarily in the telecommunication industry. Many of these engagements have used a common information model as a basis for complex systems integration solutions.

IBM has awarded Kerard a Global Excellence Award for outstanding achievement as an IT architect. Kerard has presented on service-oriented architecture outside IBM including the Australian Computer Society and ACM Research Conference.

Ray Harishankar is an IBM Fellow and Vice President of Technology & Innovation within IBM Global Business Services. Ray defines and operationalizes strategies for IBM to have a strong portfolio of solutions and assets, and assists clients in adopting and benefiting from these assets. Ray collaborates with IBM Research to identify opportunities for development of innovative capabilities that drive value to our clients.

Ray is an industry expert on systems of engagement that include mobile, analytics, social, and cloud computing technologies. Ray is actively engaged with customers across multiple industries and with a focus on banking, insurance, retail, and Smarter Cities. Ray is on the technology advisory council for selected customers and universities and provides guidance to them on business-related technology decisions. Ray is currently a member of the Strategy Council for the College of Engineering at The Ohio State University.

Ray has been with IBM since 1999. He was nominated as a Distinguished Engineer in 2003 and as an IBM Fellow in May 2006. Appointment to IBM Fellow is the highest honor that an employee can receive for technical innovation. In 2009 Ray was named an Asian American Engineer of the Year. In October 2013, Ray was honored with a Distinguished Alumnus award by The Ohio State University College of Engineering. Ray holds seven patents and has filed several more. Ray holds a master’s degree in computer science from The Ohio State University. Ray can be reached at [email protected]

Preface     xx

Chapter 1  Introduction     1

The Agile and Open World     1

GKDMR Travel     3

Adding Mobile Applications to the Enterprise     4

Social Computing     8

Insight Applications     9

Using Cloud Platforms     10

Security of Data     12

Summary     13

Chapter 2  Inside the Common Information Model     15

Introduction     15

Scope     16

Perspectives     17

Information Supply Chains     19

Model Types     20

Depth of Detail     22

A Comprehensive Common Information Model     23

Developing a Strategy     26

Summary     29

Chapter 3  Structural Patterns for the Common Information Model     31

Introduction     31

Common Information Model     33

    Context     33

    Problem     33

    Example     34

    Forces     34

    Solution     35

    Consequences     36

    Example Resolved     37

    Known Uses     38

    Related Patterns     38

Concept Beads     39

    Context     39

    Problem     39

    Example     39

    Forces     40

    Solution     40

    Consequences     42

    Example Resolved     43

    Known Uses     45

    Related Patterns     45

Continuous Fabric     45

    Context     45

    Problem     45

    Example     46

    Forces     46

    Solution     46

    Consequences     47

    Example Resolved     48

    Known Uses     48

    Related Patterns     50

Encapsulated Views     50

    Context     50

    Problem     50

    Example     51

    Forces     51

    Solution     51

    Consequences     52

    Example Resolved     54

    Known Uses     54

    Related Patterns     54

Unifying Context     54

    Context     54

    Problem     55

    Example     55

    Forces     55

    Solution     55

    Consequences     56

    Example Resolved     57

    Known Uses     58

    Related Patterns     58

Combining the Patterns     58

Summary     59

Chapter 4  Modeling Best Practices     61

What Should Be in a Model?    61

Deciding on the Scope of a Model     62

Adopting Existing Models     63

Basic Modeling Skills     64

    Leveling the Content     64

    Standardizing Basic Types     65

    Dealing with Variation     66

    Dependent and Independent Behaviors     68

    When to Use Inheritance     68

    The Role Pattern     69

    Designing for Consistency     70

    Designing for Reuse     71

    Designing for Extensibility     71

    Linking Subject Areas     73

Tips for Modeling Interfaces     73

    Specialized Definitions of the Same Concept     73

    Context of a Request     75

    Versioning of Interfaces     75

Tips on Modeling for a Repository     75

    Removing Duplication—How Far Do You Go?    76

    Storing Historical Information     77

    Effectivity Dating     77

    Modeling Unstructured Data     78

    Physical Implementation Details     78

Summary     78

Chapter 5  Governance     81

Introduction     81

Governance Definitions     83

    Governance Principles     84

    Governance Policies     84

    Governance Classification Schemes     85

    Governance Standards     86

    Governance Rules, Guidelines, and Patterns     87

    Governance Process Definitions     87

    Governance Metrics     87

Managing Change     87

Lifecycles of Governance     88

Governance Leadership     90

Governance Processes     92

Governance Roles     93

Everyday Decision Making     94

Measurement and Audit     96

Summary     96

Chapter 6  Moving Beyond the Hammer     99

Structuring and Maintaining Models     99

Configuration Management     100

    Top-Down Configuration Management     102

    Bottom-Up Configuration Management     102

    Combining Approaches     103

Consuming Models and Related Artifacts     104

Managing Information Values     110

    Quality Management     111

    Reference Data Management     112

Summary     112

Chapter 7  System Characteristics     113

Introduction     113

Non-Functional Characteristics     114

Reviewing GKDMR Travel     116

Systems of Record     118

    SoR Non-Functional Characteristics     119

    CIM Implications for Systems of Record     120

Systems of Engagement     122

    SoE Non-Functional Characteristics     123

    CIM Implications for Systems of Engagement     124

Systems of Insight     126

    SoI Non-Functional Characteristics     129

    CIM Implications for Systems of Insight     131

Integration     132

    Integration Requirements     134

    CIM Implications for Integration     135

Summary     136

Chapter 8  Building Business Value     137

Complex Organizations     137

Points of View at GKDMR Travel     138

Adoption Maturity Model     140

    Repeatable Adoption Level     141

    Defined Adoption Level     141

    Managed Adoption Level     143

    Investing in the Common Information Model     145

    Optimizing Adoption Level     146

APIs from Business Partners     149

Unstructured Data Feeds     150

Summary     151

Chapter 9  Real-World Deployment Study     153

The Background and the Industry     153

Project Hydra     154

The Common Information Model     157

Refining the TMF-SID into Services     158

    Carving Up the TMF-SID     160

    Validating Consistency     162

    Extending the TMF-SID objects     162

    Pruning the Service Structures     163

Implementing the Integration Layer     163

Tools and Governance     164

Results     165

Chapter 10  Looking Forward     167

Where We Have Come From     167

Common Information Models Today     168

Thoughts for the Future     169

Concluding Remarks from the Authors     170

Appendix A  Industry Standards     171

Telecommunications Models     171

Finance Models     172

Utilities Industry     172

Appendix B  Non-Functional Behavior     173

Reliability and Availability     173

Performance Efficiency: Time Behavior Requirement     175

Performance Efficiency: Resource Utilization, Capacity Requirement     176

Compatibility Requirement     177

Maintainability Requirement     177

Security Requirement     178

Summary     179

Further Reading     181

Glossary     183

Index     195