Article | Exodus Enables Service Oriented Architectures (SOA)

With the vast complexities involved in distributed software, application integration, varying protocols, various devices and the Internet, developers needed a more equipped software solution. By adopting a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), users can eliminate the protocol and platforms and the applications integrate seamlessly.

The Exodus conversion tool provides the ability for Oracle Forms to be migrated to Java and XML making them Web-enabled, and platform independent. However, whether you favor Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE), Microsoft's .NET, legacy mainframe environments or any other platform, the platform architecture utilized should be a familiar, well-tested representation of the n-tier architecture that forms the basis for most eBusiness today. Because of this familiarity, the majority of application server vendors use a platform architecture to communicate their SOA like the one in the figure below:


Exodus' advanced technology capabilities with XML and Web services enables and supports SOA both for intra and inter-enterprise communication. Since abstraction and loose coupling is the key to multiple independent applications successfully sharing infrastructure, XML is an ideal candidate. It is self-describing, independent of hardware and programming languages, accommodates independent change and is the “least common dominator”.

The Exodus tool is developed with the architecture that provides the catalyst for a SOA. In developing the SOA, CipherSoft ensures that the architecture is aligned with current and future business needs, thus dramatically overhauling the way that applications are deployed in today's enterprises, cutting development time and costs, and allowing businesses to create new applications on an as needed basis.

With CipherSoft's SOA offering, organizations can more closely align IT resources with their business functions, and more rapidly deliver composite applications that provide unified, task-oriented views across the business.

Why SOA?

  • Web services have catalyzed new interest in services, as we continue to see such a uniform acceptance of basic standards across the industry.
  • The need for agile IT systems is no longer an option—it is an imperative. The business is pushing us to perform.
  • The use of the Internet (portals, distribution, Internet services) eases our cultural bias against using "other peoples' services."
  • Application platform suites are integrated sets of technologies that make service-oriented everything easier and feasible for the masses.

Gartner estimates that by 2008, more than 60 percent of enterprises will use SOA as a "guiding principle" when creating mission-critical applications and processes.

The ROI of Web Services

Among the key benefits you can expect from Web services

  • Improve IT Productivity
    Development teams can do MORE in LESS time, thanks to graphical tools, a reduced need to custom code and architectures that promote reuse.

  • Improve Business Productivity
    Clients can use your products to run a data-integrating, self-service portal - Why not push the work to a customer who is more than happy to do it for you.

  • Reduce Total Cost of Ownership
    Simpler infrastructure is cheaper infrastructure, thanks to the use of standards rather than customized integration links, fewer license agreements to be maintained and so on.

  • Lower Training Costs
    Easier to use tools and platform extensions lower the learning curve because developers can work within a familiar environment and extend their skills to build integration applications.

Please Contact our offices for more information on our SOA offering.

Exodus is a trademarked product of CipherSoft Inc.