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introduction
In this article, I will first discuss two methods for developing RFID applications: traditional methods and RFID web services. Then, I’ll discuss how an EAI application integrating RFID Web services into multiple SOAs will improve the visibility of RFID-tagged items, boxes, and pallets, and will provide information on their solutions. I will demonstrate how to integrate RFID web services into an EAI application across multiple SOAs.
traditional method
The traditional approach would use IBM RFID products, which consist of three parts that make up the RFID framework. The three parts are Device Infrastructure, WebSphere RFID Premises Server, and WebSphere Integration Server.
Devices are readers, scanners, and printers embedded with the WebSphere RFID Device Infrastructure. Device Infrastructure is an RFID-enabled middleware product from IBM that selects partners to place their devices.
Premises Server
Connected to the Device Infrastructure is the IBM WebSphere RFID Premises Server. This system at the center of the RFID framework supports all Device Infrastructure capabilities and supports the aggregation, monitoring, interpretation, filtering, and storage of all incoming RFID events. Intended recipients receive real-time alerts if an event reaches a threshold point designated as a critical point by the system administrator. Premises Server acts as a gateway to Electronic Product Code Information Systems (EPCIS), allowing applications, customers, providers and manufacturers to find data about RFID-tagged products.
Integration Server
Premises Server acts as a gateway to IBM integration servers such as WebSphere Business Integration Server. This server allows business logic integration of information from back-end EAI systems that connect disparate systems, such as supply chain management (SCM), customer relationship management (CRM), and enterprise resource planning (ERP), to name a few. EAI systems provide tools for modeling business processes in SOA, creating workflows, integrating heterogeneous B2B, monitoring business activities, and creating and exposing Web services.
RFID solution
Let’s look at some RFID solutions using traditional methods:
Consolidate your carrier’s mobile fleet: Get in touch with your fleet more quickly. The reduction in government intervention has shifted control of the transportation market from the shipper to the carrier.
Improve internal operations: You can provide near real-time visibility through container-, pallet- or item-level tracking of consumables, eliminating out-of-stock and “weight loss” situations.
Manage customer-driven supply chains: You can better manage demand forecasts and inventory, and coordinate delivery and marketing. Customers can help drive the company’s business decisions.
Change the factory environment: By automating assembly line processes, you can help minimize rework and improve the reliability of tools, equipment, and other valuable assets. You can reduce production line downtime and replenish the line with needed materials in a timely manner.
Manage assets on demand: You can find your assets in industries such as automotive, chemical, transportation, aerospace and defense, and wireless technology anywhere in the supply chain—without delay. An asset can be anything.
RFID Complementary Methods
One way to complement the traditional approach is to use IBM Relational Web Developer for WebSphere Software to create RFID Web services. These web services are useful many times, for example, when you need to combine information from a carrier’s mobile fleet with information from internal operations to generate item visibility reports for senior management.
external interoperability
However, not all web services can be provided internally. Some web services may need to connect to external RFID web services established in a different SOA. Internal and external web services can be composed into composite applications in the original SOA.
When RFID Web services are not under the control of an organization, it needs to be ensured that they have the same semantics and adhere to the same contractual requirements to be able to interoperate with each other externally. Semantic misunderstandings (eg, specificity) and contract vulnerabilities (eg, multi-platform differences) can cause interoperability problems between external enterprise Web services.
faster network communication
Another problem is that XML-based RFID web service applications can become too bulky when used in large numbers. These web services can block network traffic and overload the system. To solve this problem, the XML Binary Optimized Packaging (XOP) specification should be applied to accelerate web services.
This specification is a draft standard designed to handle Web services more efficiently than current XML parsers. A parser behaves more like an interpreter than a compiler. When the parser reads large files (especially large files in text format), it does not achieve the performance it does when reading smaller files or computing simple functions. Even encryption can bring RFID web services to a standstill because complex calculations must be performed to obtain the desired results.
RFID Web Services Architecture
To increase the visibility of RFID-tagged items, an RFID web service with two gateways needs to be created. One gateway connects the web service to the IBM integration server, while the second gateway sits between the integration server and the back-end EAI application. Since some RFID web services may not be provided internally, it may be necessary to connect to external web services to complete processing tasks.
connect
Internal web services can be connected to an integration server and then connected to external services across the SOA. External RFID web services may not reside on the same SOA. Each SOA has a distinct set of services provided to EAI applications hosted by IBM partners.
Internal RFID Web services can be made to call external RFID Web services in the SOA to allow external EAI applications to provide internal EAI applications with the information needed to perform various operations, such as storing information, generating reports, and sending alerts. The same internal RFID web service can be used to call another external EAI application or even another external web service. Internal and external RFID web services can be combined into composite applications within the internal SOA to improve operational efficiency.
You need to develop an application composed of web service modules in a hierarchical order. It is much more efficient to change one module and leave the others unchanged than changing a large application without modules. Applications should have specific parameters that can be changed so that when offline changes are made to a module, specific mission-critical modules can be run in production.
For example, to reduce the risk of losing RFID data when it is sent from one point in the supply chain to another, consider developing an RFID web service application on enterprise security, which is divided into the following four modules: Information Security, Vulnerability management, threat detection, and management and monitoring of response and policy. If the first three modules are provided internally, they can be combined with a fourth module from the outside as a composite application.
As long as it does not overload the system, you can connect as many RFID web services as you want. The maximum number of RFID web services that can be opened almost simultaneously in order to complete the task sequence is even more important. The loosely coupled nature of web services allows them to be invoked when needed and released when not needed. Just make sure that an XML-based web service that handles large text files doesn’t get too bulky when used heavily. This problem can be avoided by using the XOP specification.
concluding remarks
Integrating an RFID web service into an EAI application across multiple SOAs requires planning ahead to determine how it should be designed to avoid overloading during peak hours. Teams of system administrators, RFID business analysts, and developers should be communicated to understand how Web services should integrate internally and with Web services from outside.
If you solve these problems first, you will find it much easier to integrate your RFID Web Services application. You can use IBM Relational Web Developer for WebSphere Software to develop business process-based Web services and use them with XOP packages within and across SOAs. Administrators will find that solving these problems also makes their network management easier. They can determine how many applications can be developed without overloading the system.
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