Companies and Government Agencies make a significant investment in applications to run their business. They often choose applications that may be "best of breed" solutions but that may not integrate well with their other applications. These organizations later realize the costs and delays caused by the unintegrated systems.
Gensa assists clients in integrating internal applications with each other and with Business Partner applications.
Gensa can integrate these systems using a range of technologies and approaches including:
- Web Services in a Service Oriented Architecture
- Messaging Systems using Microsoft BizTalk Server
- Enterprise Integration Solutions using Microsoft BizTalk Server Messaging and Orchestrations
Gensa can provide support in all project areas:
- Needs Assessment and Requirements
- Integration Design
- Solution development and implementation
- Testing
The Gensa Integration Approach is a disciplined, standardized approach that provides repeatable and traceable results, but incorporates innovation and flexibility. The Gensa Integration Approach uses industry Best Practices and Standards tailorable to meet the needs of specific projects.
Gensa practices the principles of the Project Management Institute PMBOK® Guide, the de facto global standard for industry.
The objective of the Needs Assessment and Requirements identification is to document the interfaces among the applications to be integrated. The following aspects of the interfaces must be defined.
- Information that will be transferred
- Protocols
- Response Time
- Message loading
The Needs Assessment and Requirements identification is often complicated because multiple organizations have responsibility for the applications to be integrated. In addition, the interfaces can vary over time.
The Needs Assessment and identification of requirements must recognize that the applications to be integrated have varying interfaces and may not be under the control of an organization. Consequently, an important aspect of this task is to baseline the interfaces and to incorporate the interfaces in a configuration management process. The Needs Assessment must also obtain information on the number and type of expected interface changes so that the Integration Design can address them.
The design effort is based on processes. Once all processes have been identified and prioritized, Gensa develops the integration design iteratively and with frequent client input. Design artifacts are posted to the client’s Gensa client care portal. Reviews are conducted in person and through web meetings.
Design patterns are used to the maximum extent possible. In most cases, a pattern provides a starting point that is modified and tailored.
Gensa develops the solution in a simulated environment that mirrors the client’s production environment. The same topologies and process manager functionality are used. Loading of critical interfaces is accomplished early in the development cycle.
Just as patterns provide an benefits during design, reusable code provides benefits during development. As an example, many of the constructs required by BizTalk can be reused and modified to meet client’s requirements.
The integration steps that are done in the Gensa environment are the same steps that will be used in the client’s environment. This results in early identification of problem areas.
Gensa uses a structured, multilevel and repeatable testing approach. Automated test tools are used to the maximum extent possible. The following test levels are used. The tests are first conducted in Gensa’s environment with simulators, where required. The tests are then run in the client’s environment.
- Unit testing
- One way between two applications
- Two way between two applications
- Process testing
- Multi-process testing
Testing becomes more complex as the number of organizations increases.