The JProv provisioning system provides an enterprise integration layer between the network elements and other business systems. The types of applications and services supported by JProv include:
- service activations and deactivations
- changes to customer services e.g.
- change number
- change service profile
- call barring/unbarring
- customer services including account enquiries, credit adjustments
- web services for eCommerce, mCommerce
- system integration services
The core service provided by the JProv provisioning layer are:
- systems integration
- message services
- transaction services
- business rules and workflow
- security services
- load balancing
Systems integration
JProv can be used to connect to almost any type of network element or system either using standard components, configuration of new components from existing ones or extending the framework using standard extension points.
JProv supports most standard communications protocols including TCP/IP, telnet, X25, Serial comms, CORBA, Sql via JDBC and includes Java JMS support.
Message services
JProv supports both synchronous and asynchronous messages with message prioritization. JProvs prioritized messages allows high priority synchronous services to be run at the same time as lower priority background processes on the same element connection. Messages may be optionally stored to a database to provide an audit history where required.
Transaction services
JProv decomposes a service order into a number of requests which are managed as part of a single transaction.
Partially completed transactions may be rolled back if an individual request fails or the system encounters a fault.
JProv supports the creation of new services and the ability to adapt services to new element types through configuration tables.
Business rules and workflow
JProv allows new business rules to be 'plugged in' to control the transaction workflow. In particular the business rules provide flow control allowing alternative requests to be made based on responses and response criteria.
Security services
JProv uses encrypted configuration and is architected with security in mind.
Secure4J provides centralized fine grained security control and provides a full audit history of security events.
Using JProv the security of the core network is enhanced by reducing the number of systems interacting with it.
Load balancing
JProv compined connection pooling with load balancing to facilitate better utilization of system resources.
Connection pooling supports multiple connections per element and allows the number of connection to be controlled. A pool of connections is created such that the JProv only creates as many connections as it needs and will share the load amongst available connections to provide maximum through-put, fault tolerance and best use of resources.
Architecture
Key features of the JProv architecture include:
- portability
- adaptablity
- scalability
- standards support
Portability
JProv is a java application which has inherant benefits in platform portability, scalability, security and support. JProv currently supports Java 1.4 and will soon be ported to Java 1.5. JProv is backwards compatible with Java 1.3.
Adaptability
JProv has a distributed component architecture enabling flexible deployment strategies to meet different business needs including load balancing and fault tolerance. New components may be plugged-in, to provide inter-operability with other applications. JSoft maybe adapted through well defined extension points to support new types of clients and network elements.
JProv's configuration options include:
- the ability to support new services
- adapt services to new element types
- application logging and configuration options
- deployment options through alternative bootstrap configurations
- auditing and password encryption
- network element configuration
- thread and connction pool configuration
- business rules and workflow configuration
- plug-in authorization
- network element extension points
- configure new elements from existing components
- configurable data source
Scalability
JProv offers a number of scaling strategies to take advantage of the available resources. Strategies include developing a multi-tiered client server architecture or deploying the system components over a cluster of CPUs to provide a more distributed fault tolerant environment.
|
printable