Capturing Integration Complexity BPM and SOA †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Capturing Integration Complexity BPM and SOA. Answer: Introduction In any given day, there is always a significant amount of data generated by the healthcare industry. This data is very important as it determines the decision made by the institutions involved, an outcome that also includes the diagnosis and treatments given to the patients. Moreover, the same data is used in making managerial decisions that aim to improve the services of the institution. Similarly, Headspace, a healthcare organization aims to build a modern information system to capture the data of patients most of who are young people with mental illnesses. Now, the system will mainly store patients stories, data that will determine the treatments given to the patients. Therefore, a large storage facility is needed to support this functionality as the content will continuously increase with time(Pattnaik, 2017). Now, cloud-based solutions are been sort out as a desirable alternative to this requirement as they offer extended IT resources at affordable prices. In essence, the organization will lease the computational infrastructure from a service provider to store and process the data. In the process, the organization will increase its overall service availability and accessibility. In addition to this, the organization will be able to minimize its overall expenditures since most of the resource needed will be acquired based on the immediate demands(Bisong Rahman, 2011). In light of these objectives, this report offers an in-depth analysis of the cloud solutions where the various aspects of the technology are highlighted. The report also discusses the various non-functional requirements of the system including its development process. Non-functional requirements In software development, non-functional requirements represent the systematic elements of building quality systems based on the needs of the users. In essence, the system must reflect some envisioned qualities characteristics such as performance, security, reliability and usability. However, developing these qualities is not as easy as enacting the functional requirements of the systems, because they are not solely based on the technical aspects of the software packages(Chung, Yu, Mylopoulos, 2017). In essence, non-functional requirements are usually determined by the interaction between the end user and the proposed system. Furthermore, their determination is often subjective to certain conditions which intensify their definition. Nevertheless, their presence must be reflected in a system and in most cases must be outlined as soft goals that will depend on the trade-off of various functionalities. A quality system must have increased maintainability and reliability outcomes both during its development time as well as its execution time. Furthermore, as stated above its performance must be consistent based on an adequate usability, where all the requirements of the end users are met while continuously engaging the end user(Ebert, 2011). Therefore, the system qualities will represent the general characteristics that will determine the run-time behaviour, system experience and the system design. In this case, they represent different areas of system concern that have a potential to impact the package at wider layers and operation tiers. For the Headspace system, the following characteristics will be necessary: Application availability this attribute represents the duration of time that the system is available to the user offering the different functionalities and operations. While its an abstract factor, its measurement is done using percentages of the overall downtimes at a given period of time. Interoperability this represents the ability of an application to perform different functionalities including communicating with other external systems for the successful interchange of operations with external entities. Now, this will be a crucial factor to the Headspace project which will interact with a cloud resource. Scalability on an account of the patients stories, the systems infrastructure, particularly, the storage will require an adjustable infrastructure that will regularly meet the needs of the institution. Moreover, the system must be able to handle the rapid changes in the overall functional load. Supportability finally, to improve the reliability and usability of the system, the application will require to poses some troubleshooting elements that will be used to resolve operational issues. The same elements will be crucial in resolving security problems (Microsoft, 2017). System interface Software packages constitute a wide variety of functionalities that are usually represented as various inputs and outputs. In each component, an input will stem from another elements output, an outcome that will constitute different operational subsections. Moreover, for a cross-platform system such as the Headspace system, a variety of information from different elements will be used. In essence, the collection of these inputs and outputs will define the systems interface where definite boundaries are given(Salustri, 2015). These boundaries require the following attributes (requirements): High response time consider the feedback that the system gives to the users, it must be within a reasonable time to avoid performance frustrations. Moreover, the same response must be desirable as per the users needs. This requirement will ensure a seamless interaction of the various components of the application. Concurrency secondly, the systems elements, for instance, the database instance (cloud) and analyser should interact seamlessly with minimal conflicts. Again, this attribute will promote the usability of the system having developed a favourable performance(Chung, Nixon, Yu). User interface (UI) requirements Similar to the other interfaces, the UI represents the boundary between the system itself and the end user. Now, unlike the system interface that may require a technical background to analyze, the UI will be frequently judged by the user based on their levels of satisfaction(Clark Petrini, 2011). Therefore, the UI must possess the following attributes. Familiarity and simplicity the users ability to interact with the system will depend on the design of the interface which should be familiar to the functionalities and environment of the system. In this case, the application elements such as icons and buttons should be easily located. Clarity perhaps the most significant attribute of the UI, where the user must figure out the general proceedings of the system with ease. In all, the end users should not be frustrated while using the application. Finally, responsive again, the UI requires a fast response to users requests by having minimal lag instances(Usabilitypost, 2017). There are factors or attributes of a system that will restrict the overall freedom of the system by limiting its different functionalities. These factors will represent the systems constraints as they will deter of the application functionalities. Furthermore, unlike the other non-functional requirements, they are global in nature as they will affect all development processes of the system(Ambler, 2014). In this case, the project may face the following constraints: Deployment environment a cloud resource is proposed and although it represents a favourable operation environment, it defines a new operational paradigm that will limit various functionalities. Economic constraints resources such as time and budget will restrict the development process which will affect some system functionalities(Ebert, 2011). A review of the cloud-based solutions Most information systems have always been implemented on on-premise equipment owing to the conveniences of physically accessed infrastructures i.e. security and improved data management. However, the recent growth of cloud solutions has started to shift this outcome as organizations try to increase the availability of their facilities. In essence, cloud solutions, unlike on-premise equipment, will require fewer resources from the systems owners as they are leased from service providers(HA Guled). Furthermore, the users will have minimal cost expenditures as they will have minimal back-end functionalities i.e. support and management. However, at the same time, these resources will often represent a security risk owing to the operating environment. In all, the Headspace project is likely to have the following strengths and weaknesses after incorporating cloud services into its system. Benefits of cloud solutions Minimal capital cost with cloud solutions, a variety of computational resources can be accessed and used to offer a wide range of services. These resources are not implemented by the end user but by the service provider. Moreover, the end user can scale the capacity of these resources based on the immediate demands while only paying for the relevant services and durations. Usability and availability cloud facilities especially storage enable the users to adequately store data in a variety of locations. The same experience is given by the overall infrastructure which is accessible from any location and at any given time. Disaster recovery another considerable benefit that is usually facilitated by the service providers resources which are often in different locations. Therefore, in case of a failure in one location, a backup in a different service centre takes over the roles. This outcome is different in on-premise systems as they are localized in specific locations(Fesak, 2012). Drawbacks/weaknesses Environmental security limitation the general concentration of resources in a single online platform represents a serious security threat. Moreover, because of their size and functional significance, they are often the target of attacks as they offer a wide range of resources to intruders. Data security While cloud facilities may offer adequate storage facilities to host data, their utilization will require the user to transfer a considerable amount of their control to service providers. This control allows service providers to be able to access and manage confidential information which affects the security of the data involved. Record retention limitations - another significant drawback of cloud solutions that are caused by its inability to retain extensive records owing to its operational structure. In most cases, cloud facilities will continuously erase old archives in an attempt to conserve storage space. This outcome limits the users in case they require old information(Romes, 2013). Software development life cycle (SDLC) There are various methods that are used to design and develop software systems. These methods define the models of SDLC where a variety of systemic operations are logically executed. Now, while the definition and operations of SDLC may seem obvious to the end users, their existence is as result of the complexity of developing information systems. In essence, a wide range of factors and considerations are determined before implementing systems which necessitates the need for eloquent development structures to implement software packages. Furthermore, various systems will have different requirements and functionalities and thus will require different development procedures(ISTQB, 2017). In all, SDLC will represent the procedures of developing and deploying software solutions to end users where a wide variety of requirements are given. In this project, two general SDLC approaches are considered and are outlined below. Predictive SDLC This approach follows a conventional structure of system development which has a predictable procedure that encompasses all the system requirements. In all, a consistent a structure defines the approach where various implementation phases are executed sequentially with minimal system variations. Now, to meet this operational requirement, the predictive approach will assume all the systems requirements including the end users functionalities. Furthermore, it will outline a logical and sequential procedure for developing the system(CIOCouncil, 2012). However, its most notable feature will be its inability to respond to changes where every new and subsequent requirement after the start of the development process will require a complete restart of the design process. A good example of this approach is the waterfall design model which uses a sequential pattern to execute projects. In the model, the developers will execute a development phase independently without overlapping the sequential plan. Advantages of the method The method is easy to understand because of its simple structure that is defined before the start of the implementation process. Moreover, it requires constant documentation of the processes involved which further simplifies the process. Secondly, its predictability requirements enable the users and developers to determine the implementation timelines before the process start. The approach also uses minimal resources because of its conventional structure that defines all the systems requirements(Balaji, 2012). Disadvantages Because of it sequential structure, the development process will require the completion of each subsequent phase before proceeding to the next. This requirement demands a lot of time, an outcome that limits its application in time-sensitive systems. Moreover, the same execution requirement causes the approach to produce poorly structured systems because developers will rush the development phases so as to meet the set deadlines. Finally, the approach does not accommodate any changes during the development process, an outcome that affects its overall functionalities(Balaji, 2012). Adaptive SDLC approach A modern approach to system development as it follows an agile and adaptable procedure to system implementation. Now, unlike the predictive approach that predicts and assumes all the requirements of the application, the adaptive method will define a versatile model that will provide room for system variations. Therefore, any changes during the development process will be accommodated in the final design of the solution. Furthermore, the method will also focus on the users requirement, a design attribute that will increase its satisfaction levels(Devi, 2013).. Nevertheless, the method starts like any other SDLC approach where all the system requirements are defined including the user preferences and functionalities. From this general step, the method will then segment the development process into various phases which will have different design functionalities. Now, these phases are then executed simultaneously having established their unique requirements. This implementation process will result in multiple sub-systems which are then combined to form the final solutions using iterative techniques. Advantages of the method The adaptive method is extremely flexible owing to its ability to accommodate any design requirements. Secondly, its user-centered design process facilitates the development of efficient systems that are able to meet the end users requirements. This approach also increases the users satisfaction levels as their requirements are usually guaranteed. It is also time efficient because all the design phases are executed concurrently based on their individual requirements. Disadvantages Because of the specialization exhibited by the development phases, the method requires a lot of resources. In addition this, the method also makes it difficult to predict the development timelines as it has to accommodate all the changes given by the end users(Balaji, 2012). Recommendation Although the predictive approach represents a simple structure of implementing systems, its extensive limitations affect its overall suitability. For one, it will require the developers to assume all the requirements and preferences of users based on their initial assessments. Therefore, unlike the adaptive method, it will focus on the functional requirements of the system i.e. the tools and capabilities, an outcome that does not guarantee the users satisfaction. Secondly, its deployment structure will not accommodate changes, a limitation that will affect its application in modern applications that require agile infrastructures(CIOCouncil, 2012). On the other hand, its counterpart, the adaptive method will meet all the users requirements because it will outline an agile and flexible implementation structure. Moreover, the adaptive approach will follow a user-centred procedure that will guarantee the users satisfaction. In all, the adaptive approach will ensure that all the requireme nts of the Headspace project are met, which makes it the method of choice. Conclusion This report has highlighted the benefits of cloud-based solutions which in general increases the availability and accessibility of IT resources. This technology also minimizes the overall cost of deploying solutions as the end user leases most of the resources needed. Now, the Headspace project requires these benefits in order to improve its service delivery systems which at the moment are backlogged with a lot of data. Furthermore, with the system, the organization will be able to improve the treatments that are given to its mental patients as they require a complete review of users personal experiences i.e. stories. Therefore, with the integration of cloud solutions, the Headspace system will meet the overall requirements of the institution of increasing its service delivery systems References Ambler, S. (2014). 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