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Appendix A. Patterns for e-business 431

drivers) to Business patterns that have already been documented. The patterns

provide tangible solutions to the most frequently encountered business

challenges by identifying common interactions among users, business, and data.

Senior technical executives can use Application patterns to make critical

decisions related to the structure and architecture of the proposed solution.

Application patterns help refine Business patterns so that they can be

implemented as computer-based solutions. Technical executives can use these

patterns to identify and describe the high-level logical components that are

needed to implement the key functions identified in a Business pattern. Each

Application pattern would describe the structure (tiers of the application),

placement of the data, and the integration (loosely or tightly coupled) of the

systems involved.

Finally, solution architects and systems designers can develop a technical

architecture by using Runtime patterns to realize the Application patterns.

Runtime patterns describe the logical architecture that is required to implement

an Application pattern. Solution architects can match Runtime patterns to

existing environment and business needs. The Runtime pattern they implement

establishes the components needed to support the chosen Application pattern. It

defines the logical middleware nodes, their roles, and the interfaces among these

nodes in order to meet business requirements. The Runtime pattern documents

what must be in place to complete the application, but does not specify product

brands. Determination of actual products is made in the product mapping phase

of the patterns.

In summary, Patterns for e-business captures e-business approaches that have

been tested and proven. By making these approaches available and classifying

them into useful categories, LOB executives, planners, architects, and

developers can further refine them into useful, tangible guidelines. The patterns

and their associated guidelines enable the individual to start with a problem and

a vision, find a conceptual pattern that fits this vision, define the necessary

functional pieces that the application will need to succeed, and then actually build

the application. Furthermore, the Patterns for e-business provides common

terminology from a project’s onset and ensures that the application supports

business objectives, significantly reducing cost and risk.

The Patterns for e-business layered asset model

The Patterns for e-business approach enables architects to implement

successful e-business solutions through the re-use of components and solution

elements from proven, successful experiences. The Patterns approach is based

on a set of layered assets that can be exploited by any existing development

432 End-to-End e-business Transaction Management Made Easy

methodology. These layered assets are structured so that each level of detail

builds on the last. These assets include:

򐂰 Business patterns that identify the interaction between users, businesses,

and data.

򐂰 Integration patterns that tie multiple Business patterns together when a

solution cannot be provided based on a single Business pattern.

򐂰 Composite patterns that represent commonly occurring combinations of

Business patterns and Integration patterns.

򐂰 Application patterns that provide a conceptual layout describing how the

application components and data within a Business pattern or Integration

pattern interact.

򐂰 Runtime patterns that define the logical middleware structure supporting an

Application pattern. Runtime patterns depict the major middleware nodes,

their roles, and the interfaces between these nodes.

򐂰 Product mappings that identify proven and tested software implementations

for each Runtime pattern.

򐂰 Best-practice guidelines for design, development, deployment, and

management of e-business applications.

These assets and their relationship to each other are shown in Figure A-1.

Figure A-1 Patterns layered asset model

Best-Practice Guidelines

Application Design

Systems Management

Performance

Application Development

Technology Choices

Integration

patterns

Composite

patterns

Customer

requirements

Business

patterns

Application

patterns

Runtime

patterns

Product

mappings

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