Moderator: Welcome to today's Live Event with Keith Winton, VP of Java Technology at eOne Group

bsheets357383: I've heard much about using Java in integration initiatives, what's the advantage of Java over other standards?

Keith_Winton : There are three very big advantages: 1) It runs the same everywhere, which is especially valuable when you're integrating different platforms and systems. 2)There are more developers learning and using Java right now that anything else, so the resource/skill pool is larger for Java. 3)It is, in general, much simpler to understand and use than many of the other standards.

mcohodas462483: Are the standard integration strategies truly scalable, or am I just going to turn around and have to revamp my systems a few years from now?

Keith_Winton : We have found the newer web and integration technologies to be very scalable. (In the web world, the re-vamping timeframe is more like a few months, rather than a few years, so it's even more important than in the past to make sure you start out at the beginning with a scalable architecture and applications.)

villeneg225670: Can you recommend a good web site on integrating business continuity planning into eBusiness strategies?

Keith_Winton : searchebusiness.com and intelligenteai.com are both good sites to start looking at. There may be others that we'll put into the transcript after we get a chance to find them.

jhubley408248: How difficult is an integration initiative on current IT staff?

Keith_Winton : The answer really depends on two things: how "interfacable" your current system is, and how "interfacable" your eCommerce application is. For example, if you're back-end systems are old, and have a monolithic sort of architecture, so that there is no easy way to re-use independent bits of functionality, then you might have a big task. On the other hand, if you know your back-end systems well, and you can break out their functions and data without extreme effort, the integration doesn't have to be a nightmare task. We have built our eCommerce product from the group up to be interfaced with back-end systems, and we find that for the average customer, the integration effort is the smallest part of a full-scale web implementation.

bvigil41253: Will I have to retrain a large number of my employees?

Keith_Winton : We find that for the average customer, the integration effort is the smallest part of a full-scale web implementation. I'd also like to add that we also find that this kind of integration initiative usually works out to be a great way to *start* retraining your current staff, to get them interested and excited in newer IT technology. We frequently spend a few days at the start of an implementation training existing staff on how to wrap stored procedure around their current back-end code, how to use XML, and so on. It's a great motivator, and a great way to keep your employee turnover low.

jglossner620926: How can I justify the necessity of a large integration package to the upper-level management in the company? They want an aggressive web-presence but fear the cost of getting all of our systems online, especially in the dot-gone climate.

Keith_Winton : *Especially* in light of the "dot-gone" climate, it is easy to justify web integration with existing systems...the companies that survive and are the most successful are the ones that have done the integration effort.

scushman896487: I have more than one ERP system, and I've been told that integrating them is near impossible. What's your experience?

Keith_Winton : If you take the approach of abstracting the interface functionality, and use a language like Java that has good object-oriented capabilities, you can create a website that uses "generic" interface objects and doesn't know which back-end system it is integrating with. We use this kind of architecture all the time, and it works well.

Moderator: We are speaking with Keith Winton on the subject of "eCommerce and Web application integration strategies." Please type any questions in the narrow, horizontal rectangle at the bottom of your screen and press Enter to send them.

lhunt838719: How do I deploy an integrated application architecture quickly, in a matter of months, rather than years?

Keith_Winton : One of the key success factors in a quick implementation is to use an eCommerce application that has a proven track record, and can function "out-of-the-box", so that you don't have a huge development and testing phase. In the end, a successful web integration project is just the same as any other successful IT project...managing scope, risks, and using proven technology will get you there according to plan.

mbrunelli188462: How important is it to integrate front and back end data?

Keith_Winton : I think it is very critical...customers have heard too many horror stories about sites (e.g. ToysRUs Xmas 1999) that didn't have their web site and back-end fulfillment/inventory systems integrated and couldn't deliver the goods. In addition to delivery, customers these days expect to see live order status and history, and to do things like copy an old order into a new order.

mbrunelli188462: Isn't it really difficult to integrate this data from a cost and resource standpoint?

Keith_Winton : It doesn't need to be. Take a look at my answer to the previous question on IT retraining, there is a partial answer there. We've found that using Java and a web application that is built for integration can make the integration effort very reasonable and small. Tight integration for our customers is usually only a three or four week project.

fcasjw737719: How do I connect an oracle database with a web page?

Keith_Winton : You use one of the J2EE standard technologies...so, you'd use EJB, or a servlet, or a JSP, and connect to oracle via JDBC. The Java code you'd write in your bean or servlet code would get the data from Oracle and get it into the html that goes out. (You could also use an older technology like CGI, but the J2EE platform is the way to go.)

mlewis776135: We're facing pressure from the mass-customization trend that is taking over the Internet. My company's small, we've been on the Web for a long time, and we're looking to gear up another notch. Customization is pretty intense work for us especially with the variety of products and promotions we have. How much will integration benefit us?

Keith_Winton : What you might consider is integrating with a content management system, also. This kind of application could benefit you quite a lot.

Narendra.H.Reddy85201 : What are the advantages/disadvantages of using Websphere with Java?

Keith_Winton : Websphere is certainly one of the most-shipped J2EE servers out there. Some of our customers have experienced very poor support from IBM, and there is also a very large technical and development skill set required to use it. Since it is a large system that tries to do everything, it is also very system resource intensive. If you're an IBM-centric shop, then you're used to the IBM "philosophy". If you're not looking for a "true blue" solution, I'd definately look strongly at the open source options. We have found the open source community has better support than most vendors, and the applications are generally more stable and definately more "light on their feet".

kathy.moore12983 : Can you explain "content mgmt system" in more detail?

Keith_Winton : Major systems would include Gauss Interprise, Interwoven and Vignette. To over simplify, these are workflow and "source control" systems for both data and html content.

mcolangelo304877: Simply, I want to know the top rules to observe when we approach an integration Web to back end project.

Keith_Winton : Make sure your network is ready. Make sure you've got a scalable architecture in your interface "mechanism" programs, make sure you've got proper security.

mderby447576: Are there any performance problems with integrating this data and applications?

Keith_Winton : In general, we have not encountered performance problems...the web-enabled response time is usually the same as or better than the "green-screen" response time; it all depends on if you're able to isolate out the functions at some sort of individual level, and if you use good, scalable technology.

dkeyes397730: We are currently in the process of finalizing our team structure for deploying an RPG-based legacy system to the Internet using WebSphere app server, JavaBeans, Servlets, JSP's etc. What are the key considerations regarding critical competencies?

Keith_Winton : I train RPG people in new, Java technologies, and, to be honest, there is typically a large learning curve, unless they have OO experience, or experience in other languages like VB, LotusScript, C++.... So, you may need to mix your team with some additional people who have SQL and OO skills, so that the Business-knowledge programmers mix with the new technology programmers and you get one complete team.

samir.mehta205910 : Can you direct us to a resource which can be used to benchmark web applications and their integration capabilities to backend systems like SAP?

Keith_Winton : Take a look at www.loadrunner.com (mercury interactive), and www.envive.com. There are also several others you can find via search engines.

schaefer54530: How important do you feel it is to use journaling and commitment control in WWW applications that talk to back end databases?

Keith_Winton : My personal bias is to always use journaling and commitment control. It just makes for more robust and fail-safe applications. In general, I would think you'd start off by using the same practices with the web that you do currently on your back end.

krosario978637: When is it best to use XML in your application processing?

Keith_Winton : We use it any time we want to create a re-usable data presentation layer, and any time we're interfacing to a back end system and the result isn't just a simple, one record answer. For example, when we interface to a member login function, we get the answer back from the back end system as an XML document, so that it is very easy to extend the functionality, receive additional custom parameters, receive multiple "result sets", and so on.

apontet29354: What are some of the common causes for project failures due to integration issues?

Keith_Winton : Mainly just the usual...scope creep, not understanding the current back end systems.

samir.mehta205910 : ERP vendors now offer Web applications that are tightly integrated to back end systems, are these the preferred solutions?

Keith_Winton : No, because what works in the back office typically doesn't directly transfer to great web applications and interfaces. You really want a website that is tightly integrated to the back end, but that could have the back end swap systems and still not require a complete re-write of the website. Finally, these vendor applications are usually very basic, and do not contain many (or any) of the features you'd get from a best-of-breed web application.

schaefer54530: We write a lots of CGI's. To us, Java appears to have a big learning curve. What are the pros/cons of Java versus older CGI technologies?

Keith_Winton : No matter what you're writing your CGI in, the learning curve for Java is well worth it. You get top notch object orientation and reusability, top notch effeciency and performance, and the ability to leverage all of the J2EE application servers and applications that are out there. (So, it's all pros and no cons.)

james_johnson395997 : We are using java (JDBC) to connect to DB2/400 files. We are experiencing slow retrieval times. What things do we need to look at both on java side and on AS/400 side?

Keith_Winton : As long as your at V4R4 or R5, and you have the current group ptf's for DB and Java installed (that's really key), then the only thing to look at is to check that your select statements can be optimized by DB2/400. If you've got the correct logical files built, and use the correct SQL statements, you'll get record-level response times that are nearly identical to direct RPG file access. (Oh...also you need to have a big enough AS/400.)

krosario978637: Wouldn't integration to a Content Management System involve customization to integrate it into an application?

Keith_Winton : I guess it depends on which content management system and which application. For example, we already have an integration facility built with one of the major content management providers. I'm sure this would be true for other vendors and their systems as well. If the application is modular enough, even if there is not, it shouldn't be a huge task.

smarquin769124: What other open source options to Websphere you recommend?

Keith_Winton : Apache JServ, Apache Tomcat, W3C Jigsaw, JBOSS...

nuddin297145: What type of consideration we should have to choose an applet or servlet or what ever for a web based application?

Keith_Winton : In general, applets, unless very small and to the point, would only be good if you have a captive, small, b2b kind of site. (You don't want to support all of the variations of browsers you'd have to on a b2c site.) So, you're probably left with servlets, jsp's, or some XML kind of architecture.

Moderator: Our session will be ending in about 10 minutes. A transcript of our entire session today will be available over the next few days for free download.

bsahota734570: What is your opinion of using a 3rd party out-of-the-box back to front-end integration solution like WRQ's VeraStream?

Keith_Winton : For the customers we've worked with, products like that are well-suited to them when they have very modest web application and scalability requirements, but not at all helpful if they have a large eCommerce initiate that includes marketing, eCRM, and all of the other things that a true web application provides.

mulumba239569: Keith, in your opinion what's one of the best approaches to integrating eCommerce with WAP?

Keith_Winton : If you pick a web application that separates the UI from the application logic, and use standards like WML, it can be pretty straightforward.

pamela603378: We are an as/400 J.D. Edwards World Client getting ready to upgrade to One World. We currently are running a 620 and a novell lan operation. We are considering deploying host on demand with our 400 to better prepare for the transition. Any advice?

Keith_Winton : What is causing you to consider Host on Demand? Are the end users internal or external? Are you doing it to get them used to a browser interface? It's not that I think Host on Demand is not a decent product, but how is it part of your strategy? Would using it as a stopgap cause you to have to train twice?

apontet29354: How is security architected in a B2B site for internal staff vs. external users? Our current deployment treats them both as external users. I have concerns over privileged functionality being deployed via the same mechanisms used to enroll partner vendors.

Keith_Winton : To a large degree, you may be constrained by the "application-level" security offered by your web application, vs. physical or network security. If the web app doesn't have a facility to separate out access, it may be difficult for you to solve your concerns.

qism554763: There have been articles about b2b applications not meeting the users' needs. Why?

Keith_Winton : Frequently it is because they've just pushed forward their back end application to the web, not realizing that the whole paradigm of what web users expect, and what can be expected of them, is very different from what a typical back-end system does.

scott.hamilton46802 : Can you suggest some good tools for somebody just starting and wanting to integrate to a back office AS/400?

Keith_Winton : Especially where the AS/400 is concerned, Java is the way to go. The Java toolbox for the AS/400 is the most amazing thing IBM has put together. No other OS give you complete Java object access to the entire OS the way the AS/400 does. So, learn Java and then get a web app server (websphere, tomcat...) running on your AS/400 and experiment with JSP's, EJB's, and Servlets.

Moderator: If you have any comments about today's Q&A or future Q&A's that you would like us to schedule, let us know at editor@searchEBusiness.com