2.1 Access integration patterns

Access Integration patterns describe the services and components commonly required to provide users with consistent, seamless, secure, device-independent access to relevant applications and information. Access Integration patterns are useful when:

Users need access to multiple applications and information sources via a Single Sign-On and application-independent security context.
Applications need to be accessible via multiple device types, including fat clients , browsers, voice response units, mobile devices, and PDAs.
There is a requirement to provide a common look and feel to a collection of applications or to aggregate result sets from discrete applications in a business process.
The user wishes to customize the choice of applications and how they are presented.
The business wishes to target information and applications to a specific user or group .

The Access Integration pattern, however, can be used to enable more complex e-business solutions composed of multiple Business patterns. For example, a browser-based, personalized portal can be developed by combining applications that automate the Self-Service business pattern and the Collaboration business pattern. Additionally, this personalized portal might add accessibility to mobile devices.

A study of several e-business solutions that have successfully met these challenging requirements reveals the use of four recurring, common services, including:

Device Support service
Presentation service
Personalization service
Security and Administration service

The objective of the Access Integration pattern is to externalize these services and make them selectable by developers of integrated solutions. If you want to learn in more detail these patterns, you can read the IBM Redbook entitle Access Integration Pattern Using IBM WebSphere Portal Server , SG24-6267.

2.1.1 Access Integration services

Application patterns for a Business pattern are designed to solve a specific business problem. Application patterns for Access Integration are different in that they are designed to externalize common, user-to-system interaction services from the applications within a Business pattern. These services do not provide end-to-end business value if deployed in isolation from the application patterns that they support.

Access Integration patterns observed in practice are composed of the following services:

Presentation
Personalization
Security and Administration
Pervasive Device Support
- Notification
- Synchronization
- Device management

We often realize the benefits of Access Integration patterns best when these services are combined. For example, the Personalization service and the Pervasive Device Support service require the use of the Presentation service to create the user interface. The Pervasive Device Support, Personalization, and Presentation services require the Security and Administration service to be effective. System designers can mix and match these services to facilitate consistent and seamless access to multiple applications.