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Data Interface Engine |
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A Data Interface Engine is a clearing house of communications where data can be routed, reformatted, translated and/or mapped. A single engine manages several interfaces simultaneously.
In the real world, a business enterprise is a collection of business groups working together, e.g. a manufacturing business has Purchasing, Accounting, Quality Control, or a hospital has Patient Admission, Lab, Finance, Pharmacy. These groups exchange information (called transactions), traditionally in paper forms or reports. The information in these transactions is customized for each recipient since not everybody needs the same set of data. For example, from a Purchase Order received, Accounting is interested in the total price while Manufacturing needs the promised delivery dates. To satisfy these varied requirements, the Purchasing group must create and send customized messages (usually take-offs or subsets of the original Purchase Order received) to each data recipient.
Computer systems emulate these real life business functions with software programs called applications. As in real life, these applications communicate with each other sending and receiving data transactions over a network (an intranet or the internet). Each of these software applications is programmed to generate and send transactions tailored to the requirements of the receiving system/application.
This approach is reasonable in a static environment. But as we all know, change happens. A business expands or merges with other businesses or, as is the case with electronic commerce, it needs to talk to other businesses. These in turn may have their own way of communicating, or have different applications, or use different communication protocols. Networking makes it possible for systems to talk to each other, however that doesn’t mean they understand each other.
A solution to this problem is the Data Interface Engine which establishes links (interfaces) between systems and/or applications so every system receives the data it needs in the order, value and format it can understand and process. The Data Interface Engine “knows” every system/application data input requirement and every application's output characteristics. It keeps that information in tables defined by the user. If an application has new requirements or a new system is deployed, or has to send information to another business, existing applications need not be affected. The new requirements are made known to the Data Integration Engine by the user without incurring expensive software development.
A Data Interface Engine is one more node in the network layout providing the following functions on demand:
In addition, by directly transmitting data between applications, the data integration engine reduces, if not totally eliminates, "traditional" data entry costs, improves data accuracy, eliminates re-keying errors, improves cash flow, and increases bottom line profitability. © 2003 Transko Corporation |