1. SOA: An Approach to Information Sharing
BJA Regional Information Sharing Conference
Minneapolis, Minnesota
March 28, 2007
Scott Came
Director of Systems and Technology
SEARCH

2. 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?

3. What is SOA?
Get some audience perspective…

4. Lets start with “architecture”
Many of us understand what is meant by a Craftsman house, a Tudor house, a Victorian house, or a Federal house.
These houses have many things in common: houses built according to any of these styles can be functional, comfortable. None is better than any other.
We use the stylistic labels as a way to convey certain desirable characteristics that we want to achieve from designs.

5. 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

6. Architectural Styles: Integration
Shared User
Interface
Shared
Database
File
Transfer
SOA

7. 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 house…the right one depends on what you find important

8. 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

9. What is SOA…really?
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
Mention the SOA-RM and JRA.

10. 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)

11. 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

12. 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
SOA is not web services, but web services can be an effective means of implementing an SOA
SOA is not about classes of tools, though tools can be useful as part of an implementation strategy
SOA is not going to tell you who provisions what, where to outsource, what to share

13. 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?

14. 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

15. 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
Examples of success through agility: Amazon, Dell, Google, Toyota (lean mfg has been successful mostly because it promotes agility through reduced waste)

16. 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?
Loose coupling and interoperability are really synonyms.
Get some audience perspective on last bullet question.
Suggested answers: system context, implementation context, temporal context, semantics
Talk about policy agility.

17. Summary
SOA is a style of designing integration solutions to achieve technical and policy agility
SOA is not technology that you buy…it’s a way of thinking about positioning your technology capabilities for agile sharing

18. BJA/Partner Resources
Global JRA:
Training:
IJIS/SEARCH SOA Seminar available through GTTAC
Technical Assistance available through BJA partners

19. Success Stories Wisconsin Washington State District of Columbia
New York City—Corrections and Probation
Los Angeles County

20. Director, Systems and Technology
Thank You!
Scott Came
Director, Systems and Technology
SEARCH