Section 15.1. Scenario Description

15.1. Scenario Description

In this scenario, a car dealer has secure access to a manufacturer's Web site so that he can order auto parts. The dealer can access the car manufacturer applications using a Web browser to place orders and to check the status of existing orders. The interaction requires the requester's authentication with both the dealer and car manufacturer systems. After the dealer achieves authentication, he can access a Web service on the manufacturer's site to retrieve order data and to place new orders.

The manufacturer, in turn, maintains a relationship with a parts supplier who is chartered with maintaining an appropriate supply of certain parts from the manufacturer's inventory. With this purpose, the manufacturer and the supplier have entered into an agreement by which the supplier can check inventory levels and place orders on behalf of the manufacturer when levels fall below certain thresholds. To do this, the manufacturer provides direct access to its internal systems (the inventory systems in this case) through a secure Web service.

Finally, the supplier's internal systems are Web service enabled to allow open integration among different platforms. To place an order (this time on behalf of this particular car manufacturer), the ordering application contacts the warehouse system, which is also exposed as a Web service, and transmits the order as an XML message. The warehouse application then divides the order between two provisioning systems used to fulfill orders.