Task: Develop Business Rule Application Architecture |  |
The purpose of the architecture activities is to support the following major items: • Integrate the Rule Engine into the business application • Deploy Business Rules Management System into the business and IT organizations.
Disciplines: BRMS Architecture
Purpose
Develop the piece of the software architecture related to the execution of the rules, and their management.
Relationships
Roles | Primary Performer: Rule Architect | Additional Performers:
Inputs | Mandatory: Decision Point Table Logical Data Model | Optional: None
Outputs | Decision Service Architecture
Main Description
The architect has to address as soon as possible in the project life cycle: Integrate the Rule Engine into the business application using a service oriented design to facilitate reuse and scalability. If an embedded solution is the choice for accessing the BRE the design should address the engine integration at the API level. Deploy Business Rules Management System into the business and IT organizations. This includes the deployment of the Rule Developer IDE and Rule Analyst web based component into the IT architecture. It also addresses the change management processes to design on top of the tools. For a BRMS deployment architect needs to integrate the following components within the IT architecture: The Rule Engine as an executable class, callable using proprietary API or the JSR94 API. Rule Engine can be an embedded component or deployed within a pool as reusable components. Java Connector Architecture can be a solution to manage a pool of Rule Engines. JCA implementation offers a set of services which any deployed adapters can leverage: such as security and transaction propagation. The Rule Set(s): As script file, it needs to be managed and deployed dynamically and can follow a specific life cycle. It can be also packaged as a jar and available after the system startup, or hot deployed using JMX. The IDE, like a Rule Studio, used by the developers to implement the rules, the rule set structure and the technical elements of the rule sets. A Web based Rule management platform to let business users and analysts being able to maintain the rules. A Rule testing framework to support functional testing of the rule set and non-regression tests.
Steps
Analyze business and technical requirements
Design the decision service interface
Implement the interface with POJO / EJB or .Net classes
Add the connection code to the BRE
Design the control parameters to add to the context of the rule execution
Design the transaction propagation
Design the exception reporting
Assess Performance
Key Considerations
Integrating the BRE into the business application involves Middleware, server implementation and architecture background. Integrating BRMS into the business and IT organization involves process definition, development practices and methodology skills.
More Information
Concepts | Executable Architecture Software Architecture
Guidelines | Representing Interfaces to External Systems
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