ACM Technical Solution Architecture - Development and Deployment of ACM Solutions- ECM Fast Start Workshop 1Q2011 IBM ECM Worldwide Business Partner Technical Enablement Dr. Sebastian Goeser gsr@de.ibm.com 1
Agenda 1)The ACM Solution Domain 2) Case Manager 5.0 Product Architecture 3) Development and Deployment of ACM Solutions 4)Case Management Solution Patterns a)core Function Solution b)integration Solution c) Extension Solution d)added Value Solution e)solution Replication 5)Summary 2
What is Case Management? The Forrester definition of Case Management: A semi-structured but also collaborative, dynamic, human, and informationintensive process that is driven by outside events and requires incremental and progressive responses from the business domain handling the case. Examples of case folders include a patient record, a lawsuit, an insurance claim, or a contract. The case folder would include all the documents, data, collaboration artifacts, policies, rules, analytics, and other information needed to process and manage the case (emphasis SG) 3
Case types by industry 4
IBM Case Manager: High-Level Component Architecture WebSphere IBM Case Manager 5 Filenet P8 5.0
IBM Case Manager at the core of a Solution Framework A software solution framework is understood as a domain-specifc software system with variable and fixed components which embodies mechanisms to define, partially derive and instantiate software solutions of that domain. A domain is an area of business expertise where IT support is considered helpful, e.g. case management. We use Model-Driven Architecture (MDA) as a means for technical description of this solution framework where MDA supplies well-defined terms. IBM Case Manager embodies deployment / transformation mechanisms for the following types of MDA models: Computation Independent Model (CIM) Use cases, solution definition artifacts Platform-Independent Model (PIM) ACM/P8 component models, class systems, and code for the respective CIM Platform-Specific Model (PSM) Target infrastructure with ACM components installed/configured and ACM solution deployed to it 6
IBM Case Manager from an MDA perspective CIM Use cases, case types, document models, task definitions, activity diagrams, roles, product components, interface specifications... Development PIM CMDOS content, solution components, workflow definitions, class/interface models,... Deployment PSM 7 Case Builder, Rational Software Architect, Eclipse Modelling Framework, Lotus Mashups, Business Process Definition tool Case Builder, Lotus Mashups, WebSphere Integration Developer, Process Designer, Filenet Enterprise Manager, Filenet Deployment Manager CMTOS's, target infrastructure, deployment model, transferred workflows, solution component install& config,...
Re-usable Artifacts in ACM Solution Building Artifact Type Solution definition file (SDF) Document types, roles, properties, case types, and tasks Process Engine configuration Format Tool(s) Development Context Deployment Context Specification XML (re uses Document CMIS) Case Builder, CMAC Editing on CMDOS with Case Builder Part of SDF as for SDF as for SDF Unidirectional mapping onto CMTOS with Case Builder, or CMAC as for SDF Case Builder, Process Designer Editing on CMDOS with Case Builder XML (re uses CMIS) Specification XML Document Development of tasks through Case Builder, process refinement with Process Designer, round tripping supported Editing on CMTOS with Document model with folder, CMTOS Object Store Filenet Enterprise properties, security, physical configuration Manager, Workplace FEM, Workplace XT, inheritance, etc. design XT round tripping not supported Visual Java Code /re Case Builder, Lotus Build new pages using Pages and widgets programming uses Iwidgets Mashup Server Case Builder, and LMS objects standard) (LMS) UML 2.0 artifacts (use cases, Design XML/ UML 2.0 Rational Software Editing of XML component/ deployment/class document Architect, Eclipse documents, creation of models, activity and sequence Modeling diagrams diagrams etc.) Framework Visual XML object WebSphere Service Component Provide implementations programming (e.g., SCA or Integration Architecture (SCA) objects for empty task definitions objects XPDL) Developer Coding against REST APIs Java code Payload in Development tool Get information about JSON / CMIS case status, modify XML document and process metadata Workflow definitions 8 Specification XPDL Document Case Builder, Process Designer Deployed as queues, rosters, etc. on process database Deployed into Process Engine work classes. Deployment into production environment using FDM Deployment to WebSphere Application Server Transform Class models into Java code, component models into WSDL descriptions etc. Deploy jointly into WebSphere Process Server and Process Engine Deploy as service or widget implementation, or other J2EE object
Representation and Transformation Tools Tool Artifacts Represented Case Builder Solution Definition: Case Type, Roles, Document Model, Tasks, Properties SCA objects, BPEL processes, Web Services, Java classes, adapters ACM Solution Deployment UML to SCA objects, UML to web services, UML to Java, Lotus Mashups Use cases, component models, activities, UML 2.0 diagrams, deployment models, system infrastructure Workflow definitions, Business Process Components, Step Processors, etc. Pages, Widgets, Wiring between widgets Filenet Enterprise Manager Document and Case Models, Security elements, Inheritance WebSphere Integration Developer Rational Software Architect Process Designer 9 Transformation supplied Deployment to WebSphere Process Server, WebSphere ESB etc. Transfer of XML workflow definitions into database work classes Deployment of pagees to WebSphere Application Server Configuration export/import, CE class deployment
Standards-based Interfaces for ACM RESTful web services: The three major APIs, namely the CE-based CMIS API, the PE REST API, and the Case REST API, are all easy to use, HTTP-based REST APIs. Together, they can be referred to as the Generic ACM REST API. CMIS interface: The web services interface of Content Engine follows the Content Management Interoperability Services (CMIS) standard and can be transparently used in Case Management applications. The CMIS services return well-defined XML objects. JSON list format: The CASE and PE REST APIs return data in the easily readable/writable and platform-independent JavaScript Object Notation XML: XPDL: 10 All case management solution definition artifacts are persisted as XML objects residing in the design object store (ADOS) Workflow and task definitions follow the XPDL standard which enables easy interchange with various process design tools
What is a Solution Template Starting point for creating new solutions or extending an existing solution Every solution definition file is also a solution template A solution template must contain a solution definition file but optionally can contain Process engine configuration and Workflow definition files A Pages subfolder containing the LM pages for deployment Templates are used to provide industry-specific solution settings See the following article on how to work with industry-specific solution templates: http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/data/tutorials/dm1101casemanagertemplates2/index.html?ca=drs- 11
ACM Solution Types and their Transitions Core Function Solution: Basic ACM Services centered around CRUDFunctionality for Cases and their constituents Extension Solution: Combines ACM with business solutions from other functional areas, e.g. industry-specific applications. Extension Solution Integration Solution: Within an ACM solution approach, use alternative components which are more or less co-extensive with IBM Case Manager functionality Added Value Solution: Use IBM or 3rd party components to provide functionally enhanced ACM services Replication Solution: Take any kind of ACM Solution and provide it it in multiple instances, e.g. for a number of customers. 12 Replication Solution Integration Solution Core ACM Solution Added Value Solution
Core Functions ACM Solution Leverages two main product component stacks: Filenet P8 infrastructure (red) and Basic ACM (green). 13
The ACM Core Functions Solution Template Description: The ACM Core Functions Template covers the editing functionality for instances of the ICM Case Object Model, i.e. create, read, update and delete (CRUD) for the case artifacts which are part of a Solution, plus the Solution artifact itself. Solution Context: Introduction of a case management solution at a customer with limited or no dependency of the production system on existing legacy solutions. This may be greenfield situations or migrations of an existing document management repository into ACM. Tools to be used: Case Builder for basic definitions of all case artifacts Filenet Enterprise Manager (FEM) for the manipulation of document types (and case types?) Process Designer for manipulating workflow definitions, personal inbaskets, roles, and role inbaskets, and for adding system functions to workflows Lotus Mashups to create Pages Process designer to connect Pages with Roles 14
The ICM Case Object Model With Generalization relationships to an abstract class Case Artifacts With Composite Association relationships for the Solution class, which show cardinalities With Typed Properties 15
Extension Solution with 2 Legacy System Interfaces We don't consider connector extensions such as e.g. through IBM Content Connector, in this workshop API level extension solutions through programming against legacy and ACM interfaces. 16
The ACM Extensions Solution Template Description: The ACM Extensions Template comes to bear when ICM is deployed in conjunction with an existing or co-deployed business solution not related to the IBM Case Manager product stack. The business solution may be a specific document management solution, such as, e.g., a proprietary procurement system, or an industry application with database or workflow system association. Solution Context: When introducing a case management solution at a customer in conjunction with a technically non-related business application, either connectors if existent, or solution-level integration programming may be used. In this workshop, we will consider only the latter approach. Focus: The key aspect of the extension solution template is on specific business processes which require significant industry, domain, or company expertise. This expertise is typically embodied in specialized applications. Generic ACM functionality as provided through a core function solution is considered insufficient here. 17
ACM APIs to be used for Extension Solutions Generic ACM REST API A RESTful, web services API covering ACM Core Functions and providing case solution CRUD functionality both on the PIM and PSM level. This API (the workshop's core) has the following constituents: Case REST API Access and manipulate case-specific objects including solutions, case types, tasks, case comments, and case histories CMIS API - Work with case management content objects such as (case) folders, documents, and their respective metadata PE REST API - Manipulate the workflow-related aspects of tasks, specifically, to access and manage workflows, application spaces, processes, roles, and in-baskets. 18 CE Java API Very comprehensive API which serves as an interface realization for Content Engine and offers all of its features in an in-depth programming model. PE Java API - Very comprehensive API which serves as an interface realization for Process Engine and offers all of its features in an in-depth programming model.
Integration Solution with WebSphere Components Considering WebSphere-based integration only Please note that integration covers both modeling/pim (Case Builder-WID) and runtime/psm elements (e.g., WPS) The diagram shows ICM components in green boxes. h 19
Integration Solution Template Description: This template is for technical integration of an ACM solution with elements not contained in the ICM product portfolio. These may be DBMS, portal systems, of application servers, other such components, or any combination of them. Strictly speaking, this template can be applied not just to core function solutions, but to extension or added value solutions as well. Context: A frequent context is provisioning of an ACM solution to a customer with a product component strategy deviating from ICM in some respect. Focus: The focus of this solution template is not on functional but on operational enhancements under an otherwise conservative solution definition. 20
Added Value through further ICM and P8 Components Additional P8/ICM components for functionality exceeding basic ACM Note that most of these components originate from the P8 stack. Note also that Case Analyzer is based on the former Process Analyzer and has been enhanced to analyze case task data. 21
Added Value Solution Template Description: This template extends the core functionality towards a more knowledgeoriented, analytical processing of cases and their content. Also, it may be used for complementing the case management base elements through specialized forms of task processing or ad-hoc workflow. The common denominator for these extensions is that they increase the means of users to engage with a case. Context: Enhance generic document or case management solutions towards user empowerment or knowledge management, e.g. through supplying functionality for processing textual content under template-oriented or stochastic algorithms. Focus: How can the work situation of end users be improved? What kind of generic tools would be helpful for them to better understand and work with case content? 22
ACM Solution Replication ICM provides a number of mechanisms to replicate a given case management solution built with it across different sites, customers, organization units, or servers. From an MDA perspective, this is done through multiple deployments of a given platform-independent model. The various deployment tools of the ACM framework are marked green in the following diagram. 23
Solution Replication Template Description: Replication of each of the four solution types described so far creates a solution of its own, and may be very beneficial in business terms. While ACM replication happens mostly through multiple deployments of the same PIM, it allows for customization on the PIM and even CIM level. Context: The context of this solution type is typically multiple provisioning of a solution to more than one group of end users/customers. This may be a partner serving a number of similar SMB customers, or a government agency supplying a case management service to many authorities within that government. Focus: The focus for the replication template is on the administrative and deploymentrelated tools to perform replication, if possible with no or only minimal information loss. 24
Deploying a Solution from Development to Production Environment Development Domain Case Builder Initiates Deployment Production Domain CMDOS CMAC Initiates Deployment FDM CMDOS Target OS PE Sandbox 25 Target OS Target OS PE PE Production Target 1 Production Target n
Summary We have given introductions to the very domain of case management, to the product architecture of ICM, and to the kinds of solutions that can be built with it. The framework character of the IBM Case Manager product line offers many important opportunities for partners to make business on this new kind of platform. Building solutions with IBM Case Manager follows the well-known Agile approach and can (but does not have to be) embedded into an MDA style of design, development, and deployment. 26
Supplementary Charts 27