The developerWorks SEK comes with a wide range of software designed to help you develop Web services solutions, deploy them, store data, and integrate with messaging and workflow products, as well as proprietary solutions such as SAP and PeopleSoft. All of the software ships on the two high-density DVDs in either Microsoft® Windows® or Linux™-compatible versions.
The DVDs include their own interface, as shown in Figure 1. This interface is the easiest way to navigate and install the SEK software.
Figure 1. The SEK DVD interface (Windows version)
The SEK includes a wide range of software designed to help you develop applications, from analyzing the business process through running and supporting your new Web services and SOA applications. The two DVDs contain products from many of the suites that IBM offers.
The SEK includes several tools from the Rational Suite:
- Rational Application Developer for WebSphere Software Version 6.0
- Rational Functional Tester Version 6.1.0
- Rational Software Architect Version 6.0
- Rational Software Modeler Version 6.0
- Rational Web Developer for WebSphere Software Version 6.0
The Rational development tools are based on the successful and popular Eclipse platform -- an easy-to-use, flexible, and extensible development environment that you can use for every step in the development process. Rational Software Modeler provides modeling capability using design standards, such as the Unified Modeling Language (UML). You can translate these models into classes and code through Rational Software Modeler, and then further enhance them through Rational Software Architect and Rational Application Developer.
For the specific deployment of Web sites and Web services, Rational Web Developer for WebSphere Software Version 6.0 provides an end-to-end environment for building, testing, and deploying Web services through the WebSphere Application Server products.
As mentioned above, the IBM Software Development Platform uses Eclipse, which supports a flexible plug-in architecture that makes it easy to extend and adapt the functionality of the Eclipse environment. This means that you can also use Eclipse to provide access to other tools from IBM, such as those in the Rational Suite designed for managing the development process. These tools include Rational RequisitePro®, Rational ClearQuest®, and Rational ClearCase®, among others. Because these tools provide inline access within the development environment, developers and mangers can communicate more easily about the status and progress of a project.
It's worth showing an example of the Eclipse-based IBM Rational product packaging architecture to better illustrate this (see Figure 2):
Figure 2. IBM Rational product packaging architecture
The SEK includes two DB2® tools:
- DB2 Universal Database™ Enterprise Server Edition Version 8.2
- DB2 Universal Database Express Edition Version 8.2
The backbone of any data-driven application is the database mechanism used to store the information. The SEK provides a free trial of the DB2 Universal Database Express Edition, which is part of the DB2 suite of database products. The Express Edition allows a single developer to use the DB2 database technology, but because the tool is part of the DB2 suite, you can deploy the same application -- without any redevelopment -- on one of the servers or enterprise editions of the DB2 database, such as the DB2 Universal Database Enterprise Server Edition product provided in the SEK.
The SEK includes two tools from the IBM Lotus® family of products:
- Lotus Domino® Version 6.5.3
- Lotus Notes® Clients (Notes/Designer/Administrator) Version 6.5.3
The Lotus Domino system provides an environment for both content management and collaborative applications. At its heart, Domino is a collaborative application that enables you to build messaging and scheduling applications used within the collaborative environment.
Lotus Notes is a document-management and workflow application. You can use it as a simple document-management system, or you can further enhance the product to provide a history of the development of a document or projects. This functionality can be particularly useful in Customer Relationship Management (CRM), help desk, and other environments in which the tracking of documentation and communication can improve the quality of service (QoS) provided.
The SEK contains two WebSphere Application Server (Application Server) products:
- Application Server Version 6.0
- Application Server Express Version 6.0
Application Server provides a development and deployment service for Web-based applications. It is optimized for easy deployment of Java-based technologies such as servlets, JavaServer Pages (JSP), Enterprise JavaBeans (EJB), and Web services.
The SEK includes the Express version of the server, which you can use both independently and for quick deployment on servers. The installation of this version was designed to be simple and straightforward, making it ideal for quick distribution. The full version of Application Server provides more extensive functionality, particularly for the control and optimization of security, performance, and applications across multiple servers.
The SEK contains the WebSphere integration suite:
- WebSphere Business Integration Modeler Advanced Edition Version 5.1
- WebSphere Host Access Transformation Services (HATS) Toolkit Version 5.0
- WebSphere Information Integrator Advanced Edition Version 8.2
- WebSphere MQ Version 5.3
- WebSphere Studio Application Developer Integration Edition Version 5.1.1
The WebSphere integration suite includes a range of tools for integrating with other platforms and environments. They support the interfacing and even translation of proprietary standards into Web services for easy integration with Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) applications.
WebSphere Business Integration Modeler Advanced Edition is based on the Eclipse platform, and supports a simple modeling platform to let you simulate and validate business processes and workflow for the purpose of translating them into applications. It also integrates with the WebSphere MQ (for workflow management and integration) and the WebSphere Studio Application Developer Integration Edition to provide tools for building and developing applications based on your business processes and workflow.
The WebSphere HATS Toolkit and WebSphere Information Integrator Advanced Edition provide tools and services for integrating and communicating with proprietary applications and environments, such as SAP and PeopleSoft, as well as mainframe applications and technologies.
IBM Workplace Client Technology
Deploying Web services applications to platforms other than the typical server and desktop environments often requires extensive development effort. With IBM Workplace Client Technology, Micro Edition Version 5.7, you can easily extend your Web services and SOA applications to handheld devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and other mobile devices, making it easy to support your Web application to users outside the typical local area network (LAN) environment.
IBM Tivoli® Directory Server Version 5.2 provides an industry-standard Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) database for storing security and authentication information.
Developing Web services with SEK tools
Web services are becoming a key component in the supported technology and systems of most modern applications. They are also being retrofitted to many existing applications. Developing a Web services application -- or redeveloping an existing application -- is not an easy task. However, with the right software and development tools, building a Web services-enabled application becomes much easier.
SOA builds on the Web services model. SOA defines a methodology that extends the object-based architecture of Web services, and helps you develop your applications in a modular form. Each module communicates with the other modules through a well-defined interface of the Web service. Each module is independent but yet still accessible, and applications become easy to generate because you can build them from these smaller components.
Furthermore, you can redevelop, modify, and improve applications over time without the complexity of completely rebuilding the application itself. Instead, you rebuild one of the components, which can remain compatible with older SOA applications, yet still provide new features and functionality to those applications requiring them. SOA is therefore the logical progression of objects from localized applications to LAN, wide area network (WAN), and Internet-wide applications that can communicate and cooperate with each other on numerous levels.
Web services and SOA applications are deployed using open standards, such as Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), Extensible Markup Language (XML), and Web Services Description Language (WSDL). These standards make developing and deploying applications across a wide range of platforms and environments easy. This flexibility for development and deployment also means that you can use SOA applications to build new applications, interface with old applications, and make the best use of available technology and equipment.
The software in the SEK provides a complete solution -- from start to finish -- for developing and deploying applications, including those applications based on Web services and SOA. Individually, all the software provides functionality for creating your applications, but you can benefit even more by using the tools together to provide a coherent solution. Some of the tools, for example, already work as Web services solutions and incorporate into SOA applications without having to design and develop interfaces to their functionality. Others provide simple solutions for deploying, securing, and supporting your Web services and SOA applications.
To help you understand the integration and cooperation involved, Figure 3 below shows a basic overview of the relationships between SEK products.
Figure 3. SEK tool integration
Development of a SOA application starts with the design and IBM Software Development Platform, which includes the Rational family of products, wizards, templates, and guides for building your applications, including special tools for Web services. The process starts with IBM Rational Software Modeler, which provides modeling tools for Web services applications. IBM Rational Software Architect provides the development environment for writing code and completing the application. You can use additional tools, such as IBM Rational Functional Tester, to test your application and deploy it to your WebSphere server platform.
Throughout the application life cycle, consistent interfaces, wizards, and the Eclipse environment make it easy for you both to design the application and coherently bond the components of a SOA application together. For example, the Eclipse environment includes browsers and discovery tools to find existing Web services, and you can browse their functionality and interfaces from within Eclipse. Figure 4 shows an example of the Web services browser and the main IBM Rational Application Developer interface.
Figure 4. Web services browser in Rational Application Developer
The DB2 Universal Database is a relational database solution that you can use to store structured data, as well as objects and components for use within your SOA applications. DB2 can work as both a Web services provider and a consumer. The DB2 Web services object runtime framework (WORF) can automatically create the WSDL interface to your DB2 data through a definition file called the document access definition extension (DADX). This file contains information about your data structure and operations that you want to support. The Web services interface to DB2 works in combination with a suitable Java server solution, such as WebSphere. As a consumer, DB2 uses the Starburst extension to enable you to integrate data from other Web services through SQL. You can convert WSDL definitions into the necessary DB2 SQL functions using a plug-in to WebSphere Studio. You can easily integrate DB2 as both a provider and a consumer into SOA applications and environments without having to create complex and time-consuming glue code, simplifying the development process considerably.
When it's time to deploy your Web service and SOA, Application Server provides the high-performance and secure platform you need. WebSphere is flexible and highly configurable, while still retaining compatibility and integration with the other SEK tools. For example, you can use the IBM Software Development Platform to test and deploy Web services directly to a WebSphere server. Because everything can be achieved from within the Eclipse platform, you don't need to switch between applications, environments, and platforms when moving from development to deployment. This ease-of-use significantly improves the workflow and speed of application development and deployment.
For security, Tivoli Directory Server provides an industry-standard LDAP service. This service integrates with Application Server to provide directory services, which help in service discovery, authentication, and access control information necessary for securing the Web services components.
Adapting existing technology and software -- especially those based on mainframe, turnkey, and proprietary solutions -- can be complex. Several SEK tools provide solutions for building and deploying Web services interfaces to these applications that you can then incorporate into SOA deployments. For example, IBM HATS provides an HTML interface to 3270 and 5250 host interfaces, and you can use HATS to build Web services interfaces to host transactions and operations.
The developerWorks SEK provides everything you need to design, develop, and deploy Web services and SOA applications within your organization. The SEK offers tools for designing and modeling business processes, translating them into application models and applications, and further developing them into working code. You have a complete database solution and tools for messaging and document workflow to aid the storage of information for your existing business processes. Finally, you have deployment and management tools to try your applications.
- You can request a copy of the SEK from the developerWorks Web site.
- You can get more information, articles, and tutorials on Rational products at the developerWorks Rational zone.
- If you're a WebSphere developer, check out the developerWorks WebSphere Web services page.
- DB2 users will find the information in the developerWorks DB2 Web services guide a good read.
- If you're new to SOA and Web services, visit the New to SOA and Web services page on developerWorks.
- The developerWorks SOA and Web services zone provides articles, tutorials, and other information about building Web services applications.
- Browse for books on these and other technical topics.
- Get involved in the developerWorks community by participating in
developerWorks blogs.
- Want more? The developerWorks SOA and Web services zone hosts hundreds of informative articles and introductory, intermediate, and advanced tutorials on how to develop Web services applications.
Martin Brown has been a professional writer for over eight years. He is the author of numerous books and articles across a range of topics. His expertise spans myriad development languages and platforms -- Perl, Python, Java, JavaScript, Basic, Pascal, Modula-2, C, C++, Rebol, Gawk, Shellscript, Windows, Solaris, Linux, BeOS, Mac OS/X and more -- as well as Web programming, systems management and integration. Martin is a regular contributor to ServerWatch.com, LinuxToday.com and IBM developerWorks, and a regular blogger at Computerworld, The Apple Blog and other sites, as well as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for Microsoft. He can be contacted through his Web site at http://www.mcslp.com.
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