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Web-Enabling Applications

How to get rid of stovepipes and data islands. One consequence of low cost computers, expanded applications and database software, and growing local area networks is the proliferation of standalone systems, many of which contain duplicate data. They may be enterprise systems, departmental systems, or desktop systems, but they all suffer from an inability to share their data. This leads to increased cost (entering data into separate systems) and poor data quality (data keyed incorrectly or not at all). Affectionately, we call these applications stovepipes and data islands. Web enabling these legacy systems is one way to open them up, to share data, and to cut costs. Web interfaces can be written for many legacy systems. Auburn SeeWolf has written user interfaces for Oracle and SQL Server based legacy systems, allowing users to access the systems over a local area network or the Internet. This opens the systems for users at remote locations, and in some cases decreases the cost of workstation licenses. Another approach is Web Services. Web services provide a machine-to-machine interface which uses Internet technology. This enables secure communications from behind firewalls and allows machines running different environments (Windows, UNIX, Linux, Solaris, etc.) to communicate. It also is an enabling technology for Service Oriented Architectures, which turn legacy systems and new applications into services which can easily communicate and share data, and tear down the walls between applications and organizations. Web enabling is very effective when: Legacy systems contain valuable information that needs to be shared. Access to legacy systems needs to be expanded to multiple users. Productivity needs to be improved by reducing reentry of information into stovepipe systems. Eliminating stovepipe systems and data islands is one way to reduce costs and gain a competitive advantage.