SOA: An Approach to Information Sharing

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SOA An Approach to Information Sharing

• BJA Regional Information Sharing Conference
• Jacksonville, Florida
• June 5, 2007

Scott Came Director of Systems and
Technology SEARCH
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Agenda

• By the end, you should know
• What is SOA?
• What is a reference architecture, and how does it
  help with SOA adoption?
• What value does SOA bring to information sharing?
• What resources are available to help you consider
  or adopt SOA?
• What are some SOA success stories?

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What is SOA?
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Lets start with architecture
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Architectural Style

• An architectural style is a set of
  characteristics that distinguish an architecture
• The characteristics are intended to produce
  certain effects in things designed according to
  the style

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Architectural Styles Integration
Shared User Interface
Shared Database
File Transfer
SOA
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SOA is an architectural style

• SOA is an architectural style, not for houses,
  but for sharing information and functionality
  between systems
• Like any architectural style, SOA has a set of
  distinguishing characteristics
• There are many ways to build a functional
  housethe right one depends on what you find
  important

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Distinguishing Characteristics

• Interactions between consumers and providers (of
  functionality, data) take place across a
  minimalist interface
• Interface based on open (versus proprietary)
  standards
• Interface defined in business event terms, not
  system or technology terms
• Consumer can discover interface dynamically

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What is SOAreally?

• A set of policies, standards, and guidelines that
  constitute the architectural style
• A reference architecture can provide a starting
  point for these by standardizing terminology and
  then standardizing how concepts are implemented

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The Global JRA

• The Global Infrastructure/Standards Working Group
  is defining a Justice Reference Architecture
• The JRA
• Establishes common terminology for discussing SOA
• Evolves SOA concepts into reference
  standards/guidelines that you can use in
  establishing a specific SOA in your environment
  (rather than starting from scratch)

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Key JRA Deliverables

• The JRA itself (common terminology)
• Service Interaction Profiles Think messaging
  standards
• Web Services
• Others
• Service Modeling Guidelines
• Service Design Principles
• Methodology for identifying services
• Guidance on necessary investments to support
  services and interactions
• Management/Policy guidelines

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What SOA is Not

• The same as web services
• Service buses and message brokers
• An infrastructure investment strategy
• The brainchild of any particular vendor
• Radically new

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Why SOA?

• What is the value?
• How do I sell it?
• Why is an architecture with these qualities a
  good thing?
• What value will I get by adopting SOA as my
  integration / information sharing approach?

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Agility

• Accessing capabilities through services, if done
  with care, should result in more agile integrated
  systems
• Agility the ability to adapt to changing
  business requirements and environmental context

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Agility Makes a Difference

• Agility is the hallmark of successful modern
  enterprises
• Citizens expect rapid response to changing
  requirements
• In the public safety arena
• Clever opponents
• New partners and requirements
• Policy initiatives

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How is SOA agile?

• Minimizing dependencies loose coupling
• Interoperability
• When context changes, there is minimal impact on
  existing systems
• What kinds of context changes can happen?

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Summary

• SOA is a style of designing integration solutions
  to achieve technical and policy agility
• SOA is not technology that you buyits a way of
  thinking about positioning your technology
  capabilities for agile sharing

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BJA/Partner Resources

• Global JRA http//it.ojp.gov/topic.jsp?topic_id2
  42
• Training
• IJIS/SEARCH SOA Seminar available through GTTAC
• Technical Assistance available through BJA
  partners

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Success Stories

• Wisconsin
• Washington State
• District of Columbia
• New York CityCorrections and Probation
• Los Angeles County
• Maine

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Thank You!

• Scott Came
• Director, Systems and Technology
• SEARCH
• scott_at_search.org
• 916-212-5978