Pros and Cons of adopting SOA in data integration among multiple applications

SOA (Service Oriented Architechture)

Oracle Service Oriented Architecture can support the integration with multiple systems and helps Orchestration in the middle without touching the individual applications.. This alternative is also considered for evaluation on fitment to the requirements.

Pros:

• Supports both synchronous and asynchronous integrations
• Data orchestration, content based routing  is supported
• Exception Handling framework
• Supports the integrations to different technologies and packaged applications(EBS,Siebel,PPSFT,SAP,JDE etc) through adapters
• No cost for Technology adapters
• Common monitoring tool i.e. Enterprise Manager is available
• Accommodates growth and addition of touch points if designed well
• Maintainability
• Must when intelligence is required in the Middleware without changing the end applications

Cons:

• Infra and licenses cost for Weglogic and SOA  adds to expenditure
• Packaged applications adapters are licensed separately
• Recurring cost of Administrator required post production
• Infra and licenses cost for Weglogic and SOA  adds to expenditure

Best to Use:

• When considerable logic is required in the Middle without touching the end applications
• When lot of exceptions are to be handled and monitored
• When it is required to accomodate integrations with other applications and that too with intermediate logics
• Integration of low volume but with content base routing and logic required

Pros and Cons of adopting Flat file Integration for Data Integration among multiple Applications

Flat file Integration

Standard Format for each of the document will be defined.

Standard Mapping between the document and the receiving sending application must be in place.

Whichever applications takes in or sends out this document must have developed a interface like API or a function to interact.

All such documents are placed in a defined repository  where the APIs or equivalent will access and process.

Pros:

• Flat Files integrations are cheaper solution in terms of cost if the source and target systems are fixed.
• Low Cost Solution
• Quick to develop

Cons:

• Needs FTP Infrastructure and SQL Loader licenses and Programming skills
• When the new systems are introduced into integration, Integration of new systems skilled resources required.
• Data orchestration between the systems is not possible. All are point -to- point integrations
• No single point of monitoring for all integrations.
• Dependency on the experts of interacting application
• Poor Error Handling
• Scalability issues
• Less ease of use
• Difficult to maintain
• NetChange data becomes quite critical

Best to adopt when:

• budget is limited
• Standard formats of data exchange are in place
• Field Mapping and Logic is not going to change much
• No extension plans
• Data volumes are not high
• timelines are tight
• Expertize for developing and maintaining is abundantly available in the Customer organization

Pros and Cons of using ODI in data integration requirements

Batch data integrations can be designed with mapping and Business rules and the solution works seamless with the defined mapping and conversion schedules.

Pros:

• ODI is  for batch data integrations (ETL transactions)
• Appropriate for bulk data integrations and Batch integrations can be scheduled
• Out-of-box integration with databases, ERPs, CRMs, Flat Files
• Lesser cost compared to SOA products as App server is not needed for this only ODI licenses required.
• Good error monitoring systems
• License costs are relatively low (Compared to OSB or SOA)

Cons:

• This is not meant for real-time data integrations

Best to Use When:

• The Applications involved such as Oracle JDE, EBS, Hyperion which have Out of Box Integration features
• Budget is restricted but Flat File Integration is not going to help
• Bulk data integrations are required but need not be real time integrated
• Error monitoring required unlike Flat File Integrations which wont have good error Monitoring
• Inhouse expertize of ODI available
• Complementary Products like Hyperion are already in place with ODI licenses included
• Real-Time data integration is not critical