Module 7: Selecting Solution Technologies 214 Module 7: Selecting Solution Technologies Module Overview Module 3: A Services-based Approach to Solution Design Module 4: Business Solution Conceptual Design Module 5: Business Solution Logical Design Module 6: Beginning Physical Design Module 1: Course Overview Modu le 2: Solution Design Using the MSF Module 7: Selecting Solution Technologies Module 8: Solution Design and the Component Object Model Module 9: Designing Solutions with Microsoft Technologies Module 10: Completing the Physical Design Module 11: Designing the Presentation Layer Module 12: Introduction to Functional Specifications Designing Business Solutions Overview Considerations by Type of Technology Activity 7.2: Determining the impact of Technology on a Windows DNA Design Review Distributed Applications Using Windows DNA Technology Selection Process Activity 7.1: Determining Technology Requirements Module 7: Selecting Solution Technologies Module 7: Selecting Solution Technologies 215 ! !! ! Overview In this module In this module " Distributed Applications Using Windows DNA " Technology Selection Process " Activity 7.1: Determining Technology Requirements " Considerations by Type of Technology " Activity 7.2: Determining the Impact of Technology on a Windows DNA Design " Review Physical design involves evaluating solution technologies. In this module, you will learn about some of the solution technology types and some evaluation criteria to consider for each of them. Later, you will use this information to investigate specific Microsoft ® solution technologies. After completing this module, you will be able to: " Describe Microsoft Windows ® Distributed interNet Applications Architecture (Windows DNA) and how it applies to an application’s development. " Describe a process for selecting solution technologies for implementing the designed solution. " Evaluate implementation technologies from the perspective of the solution requirements, business considerations, enterprise architecture considerations, and whether the technology should be reused, purchased, or built. " Evaluate the technology implications of solution requirements. " Identify technology types and their evaluation criteria. Slide Objective To provide an overview of the module topics and objectives. 216 Module 7: Selecting Solution Technologies ! !! ! Distributed Applications Using Windows DNA " Windows DNA Architecture Model " Core Structure of Windows DNA " Key Benefits of Windows DNA In this section In this section Windows DNA is an important concept that will be central to developing applications in the future. In this section, you will learn what Windows DNA is, the problems it solves, the services it provides, and its key benefits. Slide Objective To provide an overview of the topics and activities in this section. Module 7: Selecting Solution Technologies 217 Windows DNA Architecture Model " Application development model for the Windows platform " Specifies: $ How to develop services-based applications $ How to extend existing data and external applications to support the Internet $ How to support a wide range of client devices and maximize the reach of an application " Exposed services through COM Windows DNA is the application development model for the Windows platform. It specifies how to develop service applications based upon the ideas of user, business, and data services, in addition to using other system services of the Windows platform. Windows DNA also describes how existing applications and data can be used more easily in an Internet environment. The multiple service-layer design allows the development team to quickly move an application to an Internet or intranet system. Windows DNA also allows for a varying array of client devices, ranging from Windows clients to Web browsers and hand-held computers. All Windows DNA services are exposed in a unified way through the Component Object Model (COM). Windows DNA is a roadmap for creating solutions that build on existing computing investments. Its multiple-service- layer design allows applications to quickly access existing data and provide integration with existing applications. Slide Objective To provide a general overview of Windows DNA. Lead-in Windows DNA is the application development model for the Windows platform. 218 Module 7: Selecting Solution Technologies Core Structure of Windows DNA " User interface " User services " Business services " Data access services " Data store " System services " Operating systems " Development tools User Interface User Interface User Services User Services Business Services Business Services Data Access Services Data Access Services Data Store Data Store Microsoft System Services Microsoft System Services Microsoft Operating Systems Microsoft Operating Systems Microsoft Development Tools Microsoft Development Tools The Windows DNA architecture consists of a set of system services and component-based application services that support open technology standards that are exposed in a unified way through COM. These services can be thought of as separate layers. Each layer has its own characteristics and provides an isolating buffer to the neighboring services. These layers are often separated into the following categories: " User interface consisting of HTML, DHTML, Native Microsoft Win32 ® , Active Server Pages (ASPs) applications, and code " User services consisting of ASP, scripting, Microsoft ActiveX ® controls, COM+ components, and Win32 application programming interface (API) applications and code " Business services consisting of COM+ components, Microsoft Transaction Services, and applications based on Microsoft Message Queue Services " Data access services consisting of COM+ components, ActiveX Data Objects (ADO), OLE DB, and Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) services " Data storage services using Microsoft SQL Server ™ , Microsoft Visual FoxPro ® , Microsoft MSDE, and Microsoft Access " System services consisting of Active Directory ™ , security, management, networking, and communications " Operating systems consisting of Microsoft Windows CE, Windows 98, Windows NT ® , and Windows 2000 " Development Tools consisting of Microsoft Visual Basic ® , Microsoft Visual C++ ® , Microsoft Visual InterDev ® , Microsoft Visual J++ ® , and Microsoft Visual Modeler Slide Objective To explain the service areas that Windows DNA provides. Lead-in Windows DNA consists of a variety of presentation, application, data, and system services. Delivery Tip The technology categories presented in this section will be covered in detail in Module 9. User services and user interfaces will be covered in Module 11. Module 7: Selecting Solution Technologies 219 Key Benefits of Windows DNA " Provides an integrated platform for building distributed applications " Applications can be built faster and easier " Supports a wide choice of programming languages and integrated development tools " Provides high levels of interoperability Windows DNA provides an integrated platform for building distributed applications. The existing Windows DNA system services free the development team from the burden of building or assembling commonly needed, middle-tier services such as asynchronous message queuing, transactions, component services, data access, and Web publishing. Applications can be built faster and easier by using the common service infrastructure of the Windows platform. Windows DNA supports a wide choice of programming languages and integrated development tools, which allows the project team to choose the tool that best fits the needs of the current project. Windows DNA is designed to provide a high level of interoperability with existing enterprise applications and legacy systems, which makes it easy to protect and extend current investments. Slide Objective To describe some of the benefits of Windows DNA. Lead-in You will find that Windows DNA provides many benefits to application developers and systems integrators. 220 Module 7: Selecting Solution Technologies ! !! ! Technology Selection Process In this section In this section " Determine Technology Requirements " Evaluate Solution Requirements " Evaluate Business Considerations " Evaluate Enterprise Architecture Considerations " Evaluate Reuse vs. Buy vs. Build Options " Iterate Selection Process In this section, you will learn about the process of selecting candidate technologies for your solution. They are termed candidate technologies because they have not been proven and thereby finalized as the optimal technology for your solution. You will learn a set of steps that will assist you in evaluating candidate technologies. Slide Objective To provide an overview of the topics and activities in this section. Module 7: Selecting Solution Technologies 221 Determine Technology Requirements " Using the business goals and requirements " Using the design goals and requirements " Identifying project constraints The first step in selecting technologies for an application is to determine the technology requirements and identify the necessary types of technology. The candidate technologies should meet the business goals of an organization. Understanding the business goals and requirements is critical when making technology decisions. The candidate technologies should also meet the design goals of the proposed solution. Evaluate the technologies to determine if they supply the needed functionality that has been identified so far in the Microsoft Solutions Framework (MSF) Design Process. In addition, be sure that the candidate technologies will work within the project constraints. For example, it might take three months to implement a new networking technology, but the application that relies on the new technology must be available in one month. Slide Objective To explain that there are already technology implications in the current design materials and to identify the typical set of technologies required for the implementation of a solution. Lead-in Before you can select any particular technology, you must first determine what is required of that technology. 222 Module 7: Selecting Solution Technologies Evaluate Solution Requirements " Performance " Security " Supportability " Deployability " Scalability " Reliability " Reusability Every solution will have its own requirements for a successful implementation. The project team should consider the following requirements when evaluating technologies and technology requirements: " One of the first items to consider in the physical design of the solution is the overall performance of the application. Even if the solution accomplishes every operation for which it was intended, it will be useless if it does not perform well. " When looking at security for a new application, it is important to understand not only the method of authentication (proving the identity of the user), but also the access rights (what they can see or do) of that user. Security is especially important with today’s public systems located on the Internet. During physical design, the project team should be looking at the security requirements of the system and determining which of those needs will be met by the existing business environment and which need to be designed into the new system. Understand that the technology selected for security must be supported, just as the solution built with it must be supported. What are the implications of that support for the project and the enterprise? A supportable product has support options such as vendor, outsourcing, and help desk, and it also accumulates support costs such as incidental costs and maintenance. " Other points to consider are deployment, competitive advantage, time to market, and industry perception. Keep in mind that supporting an application may mean later upgrades or extended functionality. An application development process is not something with an end, but something with a life span. Throughout the life of an application, it will likely need updates and extended functionality. Attempt to prepare for these changes through the design process to ensure that they are as easy as possible to implement. Slide Objective To highlight some of the more common requirements of any business solution. Lead-in Every solution will have its own requirements for a successful implementation. [...]... Course Overview Designing Business Solutions Module 8: Solution Design and the Component Object Model Module 7: Selecting Solution Technologies Module 2: Solution Design Using the MSF Module 3: A Services-Based Approach to Solution Design Module 4: Business Solution Conceptual Design Module 5: Business Solution Logical Design Module 6: Beginning Physical Design In this module, you learned about Windows... security Module 7: Selecting Solution Technologies 243 Looking Forward Slide Objective To provide a context in which students can frame what they have just learned and foreshadow what they will be learning Module 12: Introduction to Functional Specifications Module 11: Designing the Presentation Layer Module 10: Completing the Physical Design Module 9: Designing Solutions with Microsoft Technologies Module. .. 242 Module 7: Selecting Solution Technologies Review Questions Slide Objective To reinforce module objectives by reviewing key points Lead-in The review questions cover some of the key concepts taught in the module " Describe Windows DNA and how it applies to an application's development " Describe a process for selecting technologies for implementing the designed solution " Evaluate implementation technologies. .. a solution 240 Module 7: Selecting Solution Technologies ! Review Slide Objective To reinforce module objectives by reviewing key points Lead-in In this section, you will learn some practical guidelines for practicing the concepts of this module, and you will test yourself on your understanding of those concepts " Guidelines " Review Questions " Looking Forward In this section In this section Module. .. application design In addition, you should examine specific considerations when selecting candidate technologies Module 7: Selecting Solution Technologies 231 Communications Slide Objective To identify some key considerations when selecting communication standards " Lead-in You should consider the following key issues when selecting communications standards Provisions $ " Component interoperability Considerations... some of the issues to consider in selecting different types of technologies In the next module, you will begin to use this knowledge to evaluate specific technologies that may be used in an application development project This process will ultimately lead to the end of physical design and the creation of the functional specification 244 Module 7: Selecting Solution Technologies THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY... bridging, name resolution, and bandwidth bottlenecks directly affect the performance of remote components and their ability to execute 232 Module 7: Selecting Solution Technologies Operating Systems Slide Objective To identify some key considerations when selecting operating systems " Lead-in Provisions $ " Primary interface to hardware $ You should consider the following issues when selecting operating... contrast the separate candidate technologies Finally, as with the other stages of the MSF Design Process, you should always look at candidate technologies in an iterative manner to ensure an optimal decision Make the selection, validate the selection, make additional selections for unsuitable technologies, validate the selections, and so on Module 7: Selecting Solution Technologies 229 Activity 7.1:... the tool or for implementing solutions created by the tool Finally, recognize that different parts of a solution may require using different development tools The development team may write most of an application in an easy-to-use development tool while writing heavily used components in a separate development tool to provide better performance Module 7: Selecting Solution Technologies 235 Data Access... nonstructural data Each of these data types might require a different type of data access technology 236 Module 7: Selecting Solution Technologies Data Storage Slide Objective To identify some key considerations in selecting data stores Lead-in You should think about the following key issues when selecting data stores " Provisions $ " Storage for all company information Considerations $ Multiple locations . Module 7: Selecting Solution Technologies 214 Module 7: Selecting Solution Technologies Module Overview Module 3: A Services-based Approach. Requirements Module 7: Selecting Solution Technologies Module 7: Selecting Solution Technologies 215 ! !! ! Overview In this module In this module