SOA Governance Implementation Planning

As part of SOA Governance Solution using the Oracle Governance Suite of products, this is about planning the implementation of Oracle Enterprise Repository.

The Oracle Enterprise Repository is the key component of the Oracle's SOA Governance Suite. Implementing the Repository is the first step in the SOA Governance Solution.

• Define the SOA Governance model and Infrastructure, and review SOA Governance products as part of SOA Governance Solution including Oracle Enterprise Repository, Oracle Service Registry, and SOA Management Pack for Oracle Enterprise Manager, and Oracle Web Services Manager.

• Define Oracle Enterprise Repository (Implementation steps covering assets definition, adopting solution packs, defining stake holders, users and their roles, defining asset lifecycle including asset bootstrapping and asset harvesting.

• Conduct Repository usage sessions as part of user training focusing Users, Registrar and Administrator specific activities.

• From Users view, look at how to submit an asset, search for an asset, and download and use an asset. View Projects to which the users are associated, asset subscriptions, and how users can submit asset reviews.
• From Registrar view, look at how to review an asset, and how to approve or reject submitted asset.
• From Administers view, how to create Roles and Users, how to assign Users to Roles, how to create Projects and customize the Repository for enterprise specific needs.

• Outline integrating Repository with Reporting Server (OBI Publisher), with Active Directory for User Authentication, with JDeveloper for design time integration, and with Service Registry for run time integration.

• Define Reporting requirements and its usage including developing Custom Reports.

OAuth Setting for Twitter OFM SOA Application

This is related to my previous article about sending tweets to twitter.com from Oracle Fusion SOA Web Service application. Refer http://sreenisetty.blogspot.com/2010/05/tweet-from-ofm-soa.html

The SOA Web Service application prototype I had built was using the basic authentication using user name and password while connecting to the twitter.com user account.

Effective August 2010, Twitter has disabled the applications posting tweets using basic authentication. Basic authentication was the simple approach for applications to connect to the Twitter User Accounts using just the user name and password. But may not be the smartest way to connect given the security and account maintenance challenges.

OAuth based authentication is the recommended approach. All of the applications using the basic authentication need to switch to OAuth authentication.

This write up is the record of the steps I followed to switch my Fusion SOA Web Service tweet application that was using basic authentication to OAuth based authentication.


Summary steps:
Step 1: Register the application that tweets using an API. This is to register the application as a authorized source of tweets related to the Twitter User Account.

Step 2: Obtain OAuth Access Token.

Step 3: Update the client application API to use the Access Token instead of the basic user name and password.

Following sections details about each of these steps.


Register the application for OAuth access and obtain the Consumer Key and Consumer Secret Key


Open the link in a browser: http://twitter.com/oauth_clients/new
Enter the application details to obtain OAuth specific access.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Twitter generates Consumer Key and Consumer Secret Key for the associated Twitter user account. The keys will be used to obtain Access Token in the next steps.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Obtain the Access Token for OAuth
 
It is a three level process.

1. Generate Authorization URL
2. Obtain PIN
3. Generate Access Token

The code to perform this one time setup is: OAuthSetup.java

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The code output:
C:\>java OAuthSetup

Open the following URL and grant access to your account:
http://api.twitter.com/oauth/authorize?auth_token=Vy8qPu0hWf5iFK4q4yCuQBQpOd9Xpjgd8qj98saULP

Open the URL in the browser

Enter the twitter account user name and password and select ‘Allow’


Note the generated PIN

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Enter the PIN at the prompt in the OAuthSetup.java program, and generate the Access Token.
 
Note down the Access Token and Access Security Token and save it safe. This will be used in the twitter client to authenticate.
 
Here is a sample twitter client usage in Java which uses OAuth with Consumer Key, Consumer Secret Key, Access Token and Access Security Token to authenticate with twitter.com.
 
TwitterFactory factory = new TwitterFactory();
AccessToken accessToken = new AccessToken("Access Token", "Access Security Token");
Twitter twitter = factory.getOAuthAuthorizedInstance("Consumer Key", "Consumer Secret Key", accessToken);

Integrated SOA Gateway

Integrated SOA Gateway (ISG) is a SOA-based integration infrastructure for E-Business Suite R12 (EBS) with an objective to provide, consume and monitor web services for out of the box integrations in a heterogeneous ecosystem.

ISG is built on top of Oracle Fusion Middleware (OFM) and Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) and uses the Oracle Fusion Middleware Adapter for EBS available in OFM SOA Suite 10.1.3.x and 11g.

The components of ISG to achieve the above objective include:
Integration Repository
Integration Service Framework (ISF)
SOA Monitor

Integration Repository
Integration Repository is catalog of all EBS public integration points. Exposes the following integration types as web services:
• PL/SQL API
• Business Events
• XML Gateway
• E Commerce Gateway
• Open Interface Tables/Views
• Concurrent Programs
• Business Service Object
• Composite Services

Integration Repository provides easy steps to search and deploy an integration type as a web service.

For example,
1. Search the Integration Repository and identify the public PL/SQL API that needs to be exposed as a web service.
2. Generate a WSDL for it by pressing the Generate WSDL button and creating a Service.
3. Deploy the Service by pressing Deploy button.
4. Grant the permission controlling the access to this Service.
5. Any industry standard web service client will be able to invoke EBS PL/SQL API as a service.

Service Invocation Framework
The Service Invocation Framework of the Integrated SOA Gateway allows SOAP based web service invocation from an EBS instance

For example,
1. Create and deploy a BPEL process into SOA Suite middle tier (10g or 11g) and identify the BPEL process’s WSDL.
2. Create a Business Event in EBS
3. Create a Subscription of type “Invoke Web Service” and consume the BPEL process’s WSDL in the subscription.
4. The web service can be called passing the parameters, and receive the response parameters back into the calling process.
5. The BPEL process’s WSDL can be replaced with any standard web service’s SOAP WSDL.

SOA Monitor
SOA Monitor is a managing tool to monitor the SOAP request and response traffic with SOA and Web Service Provider.

For example, the Monitor allows to audit web service calls from outside world to the EBS instance where, suppose a PL/SQL API is exposed by the Integrated SOA Gateway. It also shows the actual response XML sent back from EBS to the caller.

Security
Web Services that are exposed within EBS are accessible to clients with two levels of access control: User Authentication and User Authorization.

The client is authenticated against the EBS instance based on the credentials they present as part of the WS-Security Headers.

The client’s authorization to invoke the service is validated within the SOA Gateway with the values Responsibility, Responsibility Application, Security Group, Organization ID, NLS Language, that are present in the SOAP Header of the client request.


Summary
The new Integrated SOA Gateway is a SOA based Enterprise Application Integration technology to integrate E-Business Suite instances with external systems over SOA based Web Service protocol.


References
ISG R12.1 Implementation Guide (E12169-03)
ISR R12.1 User Guide (E12064-03)

OFM Adapter for XML Gateway

Refer to the introduction to OFM Adapter for Oracle Applications from my previous post here

Oracle XML Gateway is a set of services that allows bidirectional integration with Oracle Applications using OAG standard XML messaging. Oracle Applications utilize the Oracle Workflow Business Event System to support event-based XML message creation and consumption.

For XML Gateway inbound message processing, the inbound message will be placed in the ECX_INBOUND queue by the Oracle BPEL process. Agent Listeners running on ECX_INBOUND would enable further processing by the Execution Engine. Oracle XML Gateway picks this XML message, does trading partner validation, and inserts data into Oracle Applications.

For XML Gateway outbound message processing, the outbound message will be first en-queued to the ECX_OUTBOUND queue. Oracle BPEL PM listens to ECX_OUTBOUND queue for the message with the same correlation Id BPEL. The message will then be de-queued to retrieve outbound data and then the outbound map will be invoked to update Oracle Applications.

The message will have XML payload of the transaction (PO, Invoice, etc) along with message attributes called XML Gateway Envelope.


Case Study 1 scenario – inserting a Purchase Order transaction into Oracle Applications through XML Gateway inbound message map PROCESS_PO_007 exposed as a Web Service.

The customer’s PO is input to the BPEL along with the ECX Header properties. The BPEL pushes this PO to ECX_INBOUND queue. Agent Listeners running on ECX_INBOUND would enable further processing by the Execution Engine. Oracle XML Gateway picks this XML message, does trading partner validation, and inserts order data to Order Management in Oracle Applications.

Pre-requisites:
Setup XML Gateway Header Properties
Setup XML Gateway Trading Partner
Activate ECX Inbound Agent and ECX Transaction Agent Listeners

Configuring the Adapter to enqueue:
1. Create a new SOA BPEL project (Composite with BPEL template) in a SOA application. Select the BPEL process as asynchronous and exposed as a SOAP service.
Application Name: XMLGatewayApplication
Type: SOA Application
Project Name: Inbound_PO
Technology: SOA
Composite Template: Composite with BPEL process
BPEL Process Name: EnqueuePO

2. Create a Partner Link service for Oracle Applications XML Gateway in the BPEL process by selecting partner link type “Oracle Applications” under BPEL Services.
Partner Link Service Name: XMLGateway_apps1

3. Configure the database connection to connect to the Oracle Applications’ database. Database Host Name, User Name, Password, database Port and SID fields are to be configured in the connection.

4. The adapter configuration wizard starts the Oracle Module Browser pulling interfaces data from Oracle Integration Repository that are supported by Oracle Applications Adapter and displays in tree structure.

5. Navigate to Order Management Suite > Order Management > Sales Order > XML Gateway > Inbound: Process Purchase Order XML Transaction (root element PROCESS_PO_007)

6. The wizard generates the WSDL file corresponding to the XML schema.

7. Configure the BPEL process to invoke XML Gateway by adding Invoke activity and wire to the Partner Link for XML Gateway. Select the ‘Enqueue’ operation.

8. Set the ECX Header Message Properties. The following property fields needs to be configured.
jca.apps.ecx.TransactionType: 'PO'
jca.apps.ecx.TransactionSubType: 'PROCESS'
jca.apps.ecx.PartySiteId: 'Site123'
jca.apps.ecx.MessageType: 'XML'
jca.apps.ecx.MessageStandard: 'OAG'
jca.apps.ecx.DocumentNumber: 'order_xml_01'

9. Map the XML PO payload from BPEL input variable to Partner Link’s Variables > Process > Variables > Invoke_Enqueue_InputVariables > PROCESS_PO_007

10. Deploy and test the BPEL process.

Case Study 2 scenario – responding a trading partner with Purchase Order acknowledgement transaction from Oracle Applications through XML Gateway outbound message map ECX_CBODO_OAG72_OUT_CONFIRM exposed as a Web Service.

When the PO is created and approved, a workflow creates the PO Acknowledgement flow and sends out the PO Acknowledgement XML file to ECX_OUTBOUND queue.

Pre-requisites:
Setup XML Gateway for correlation identifier labeling messages meant for specific agent.
Setup XML Gateway Trading Partner

Configuring the Adapter to dequeue:
1. Create a new SOA BPEL project (Composite with BPEL template) in a SOA application. Select the BPEL process as asynchronous and exposed as a SOAP service.
Application Name: XMLGatewayApplication
Type: SOA Application
Project Name: Outbound_POAck
Technology: SOA
Composite Template: Composite with BPEL process
BPEL Process Name: DequeuePOAck

2. Create a Partner Link service for Oracle Applications XML Gateway in the BPEL process by selecting partner link type “Oracle Applications” under BPEL Services and connect to the Oracle Applications.
Partner Link Service Name: XMLGateway_apps1

3. In the Oracle Module Browser, navigate to Other Interfaces > Custom Objects >XML Gateway Maps> Outbound > ECX_CBODO_OAG72_OUT_CONFIRM (root element CONFIRM_BOD_004)

4. The wizard generates the WSDL file corresponding to the XML schema.

5. Configure the BPEL process to receive from XML Gateway by adding Receive activity and wire to the Partner Link for XML Gateway. Select the ‘Dequeue’ operation.

6. Map the XML PO Acknowledgement payload from Variables > Process > Variables > Receive_Dequeue_InputVariables > CONFIRM_BOD_004 to BPEL response output variable.

7. Deploy and test the BPEL process.

Similar integrations can be built for interfacing with Oracle Applications using e-Commerce Gateway, PL/SQL, Concurrent Programs, Open Interfaces Tables and Views.


References
OFM Adapter for Oracle Applications 11g - User's Guide (E10537-01)

Oracle Fusion Middleware Adapter for Oracle Applications

Oracle Fusion Middleware Adapter allows Oracle Applications Release 11i and Release 12 to connect to non-Oracle applications over Web Services integration deployed on Oracle Fusion Middleware SOA Suite 10g and 11g.

The Adapter supports various integration types PL/SQL APIs, Business Events, Open Interface Tables and Views, Concurrent Programs, XML Gateway Interfaces, and e-Commerce Gateway Interface. The Adapter leverages the Integration Repository to provide the source for the integration on the Oracle Applications. JDeveloper design time allows for browsing the Oracle Applications interface and configuring the adapter metadata. The interfaces within Oracle Applications are exposed as a Web Service by generating WSDL with J2CA extension.

Adapter connects to Oracle Applications through FND user name and password authentication. Oracle User Management function security feature is used for authorization to access and execute APIs that are exposed as Web services to update Oracle Applications. Application Context is used for secured transaction processing into and out of Oracle Applications.

Integration Design Time: The Oracle JDeveloper BPEL Designer is used to design BPEL-based process flows and Web services orchestration.

Designing the Adapter requires creation of a partner link in JDeveloper BPEL Designer starting the Adapter Configuration Wizard. The wizard allows selecting and configuring the Adapters for Oracle Applications. With proper database and service connection setups, select an interface in or out from Oracle Applications and add the XML schema. When configuration is complete, the wizard generates a WSDL file corresponding to the XML schema for the partner link. Additional process activities are added to the BPEL process orchestration.

Integration Run Time: The WSIF Provider converts the Web service invocation from BPEL PM Invoke activity to an outbound interaction call, and performs the reverse conversion in the other direction as a Web service response for a synchronous request-response message pattern. The WSIF Provider also supports the one-way asynchronous outbound interaction invocation such as integration with XML Gateway outbound message maps and outbound Business Events.

Next: OFM Adapter for XML Gateway integration type…

Tweeting from OFM SOA!

After getting a Twitter Account and following a couple of Tweeters, it struck to me that I can use this simple yet efficient technology to make my work life easier.

On a day to day basis, over 1000 email notifications from various integration projects arrive to the mail box, out of which 10% of the notifications are significant; for example, notification that the critical bank feed went fine, the long running nightly scheduled job succeeded, etc,. To pull out the important ones on the go, on a smart phone, is tedious.

Traditional method: All the notifications are emailed to the mail box, without any priority.

Tweeting method: The significant notifications are tweeted to your smart phone, where as the others (along with the tweeted ones) are still emailed to the mail box.

A tweet of the notification will contain only the important data and the same notification is mailed with all the details. This way the important message is delivered fast and available for quick view and its details available in the mail (just like in the traditional method).

With all the technology, it is as secure as it can get. The tweets are sent out only to the followers, who are monitored by the tweeter. The tweeter permits as to who can be the followers.

Implementing Tweet as a Web Service

Java API for tweeting provides methods to publish tweets to the twitter account. Twitter4J is one such API. The Java API can be encapsulated in BPEL and deployed as a Web Service on Oracle Fusion Middleware SOA Suite. The Web Service would be deployed as a common service and invoked by other orchestrations to send tweets.

Architecture view

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 
A common Twitter account is created for the group. In this prototype the account name is “ofm2tweeter”. Users with their own Twitter accounts become ‘followers’ of this account and view the tweets.

Security of the account and the tweets is important since the account will be on the internet domain. The account is restricted so that its visibility in the internet is restricted. The users ‘follow’ requests are verified by the Twitter account admin before allowing them to follow the account. Even the tweets are invisible to the public except for the approved followers

The Tweet Web Service
The Tweet Web Service “Tweet_BPEL_WS_V1” is built as an asynchronous BPEL service, and invoked by other orchestrating services. The service receives the message to be tweeted from the invoking services. It uses the twitter4j factory classes to make a connection to the twitter account and posts the tweets. The service responds back with the status of the tweet.

Here is a view of the BPEL implementation.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The users who follow the Twitter account get the tweets on their smart-phones or on their web accounts. Here is view of trial tweets viewed on Twitterrific application on iPhone.

Summary
Twitter makes following the notifications easier. An organizations’ biggest concern is information security, which is taken care by account settings, monitoring and administering the followers by the Twitter account administrator.

Tweeting is cool!

Master Cloud Operative!

CLOUD COMPUTING! Why is it everyone is talking about it all of a sudden. For a feature/technology that has been in use since the sixties, we hear about it so loud and clear for the first time.

With the publicity and popularity given to it by Oracle, a layman is hearing about it and comprehending with the term Cloud Computing.

Cloud computing is the delivery of software and hardware as services via the internet. It has evolved through a number of phases which include grid and utility computing, application service provider (ASP), and software as a service (SaaS).

But the concept of delivering computing resources through a global network is rooted in the sixties. However it has reached masses only in the recent years since the revolution in the internet bandwidth and the recent evolution of Web 2.0.

Looking back at the major milestones…
· Salesforce.com (1999) – that pioneered the delivery of enterprise applications through a web.
· Amazon Web Services (2002) – that provided cloud based computation services and storage.
· Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud - EC2 (2006) – that allowed business to rent computers and run their own computer applications.
· IBM Cloud Box (2008) - custom built, Linux based rack servers for Web 2.0 and cloud computing companies
· Google Apps (2009) – that offered browser based enterprise applications.
· Microsoft Azure - cloud platform taking one step further into cloud operating system called Windows Azure
· and many other...


Oracle has done it in the biggest possible way, taking it further as - software as a service, platform as a service, infrastructure as a service.

Oracle has addressed the major concerns of cloud computing – the security and the managing of cloud services, through its Identity Management and Enterprise Manager.

Follow the Oracle sponsored Stark Expo 2010, the Stark Industries international technology exhibition that runs on Oracle Cloud Computing.




Links:
http://www.oracle.com/us/technologies/cloud/index.html
http://ironman.oracle.edgesuite.net/ironman2/index.html
http://www.starkexpo2010.com/