How to Build a Business Rules Engine

ment the database of the engine within the database of the application. This achieves

the data integration needed for the engine to read from and write to the application’s

data tables. It also eliminates the need to manage two separate databases.

Another point to remember is that if a commercial rules engine is acquired, the

work to connect the rules engine to the application’s database, and to make the rules

engine understand the application’s data model, will have to be done after the rules

engine is implemented. This could be a large task, it may have to be done in a rela-

tively short period of time, and it must be completed before rules can be defined. It

may be necessary to wait until the application is substantially completed. By contrast, ...