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Sample Design – Web Application Architecture Considerations

September 16, 2012

User Interface Layer

This layer comprises of the components residing in the interface from which the user will access the application. Normally this will be a web browser running on the user’s machine. Sometimes, this will be the Web Services client that calls a Web Service on the backend.  The layer also includes any external application / services that will be called from an application within corporate. Logically, this layer exists outside of the external firewall (on the internet), however physically the layer could be anywhere with access to the corporate network.

If the application is accessed through a web browser, include the Web Browser box.

1) If the application is a web service that provides service to client, include the Web Service Client box.

2) If the application interacts with an externally hosted application, include the External Web Application box.

3) If the application interacts with an externally hosted web service, include the External Web Service box.

4) If the application does not have a user interface, do not show any box in this layer.

Web Server Layer Considerations

This is made up of the components residing on the Web Server which are used for server-side web server processing. Normally this will be a web server such as Apache or whichever web server is currently supported by Internal Data Networks. This layer also includes the Proxy Server that applications within corporate go through to call external application / web service. Logically and physically, this layer exists in the corporate Protected Networks between the corporate firewalls.

The Load Balancer and the HTTP Web Server boxes are a must for all application.

If the application interacts with an external application and/or web service, include the Proxy Server box.

Application Server Layer

The components residing on the Application Server which are used for server-side application processing constitute Application Server Layer. In the shared environment this will be an instance of WebSphere Application Server (WAS). This layer also includes the other systems that the application connects to or dependent on. This layer exists on Corporate-Network, inside of the internal firewall.

1) In the Application Server box, indicate if the application is one of the following:

  • JSP-Servlet
  • Web service – SOAP
  • Web service – REST

2) If the application interacts with other systems (Business Objects, Mail Server, Content Management System, etc), include those boxes in the diagram; otherwise remove those boxes.

3) Remove the boxes (JDBC, etc.) that are not appropriate for the application when connecting to the backend database / system.

Access Gateways Layer

This layer includes the distributed application components such as the DB2 Gateways, the Message Broker Interface and Middleware components such as DB2 Information Integrator, SAP PI, IBM Message Broker (MB) and the CICS DPL Bridge for connectivity to the backend database management systems.

1) If the application uses SAP PI middleware, include that box and include the appropriate Input and Output adapters that are used.

2) If the application uses Message Broker middleware, include that box and include the appropriate Input and Output adapters that are used.

3) Include the appropriate gateways the application uses to connect to the backend databases.

Data Layer

These are the backend data stores of relational and non-relational data such as DB2, Oracle, SQL Server, etc.. This also includes SAP, CRM and ERP platforms.

1) Include the appropriate backend databases, systems that the application connects to.

Special Note for DB2 Applications

1) There are two boxes – one representing use of DB2 on the mainframe (DB2 for z/OS) and the other representing DB2 in the distributed environment (Midrange / Open Systems ). In most cases an application will only utilize one of these databases.  Retain the appropriate DB2 box depending on your application’s use.

When using the IBM Universal Driver for DB2

1) Direct access to DB2 is now allowed when using the IBM Universal Driver for DB2 (now the default on shared systems). You no longer use the Java or DB2Connect Gateways. There is no longer a need to represent these components on your architecture diagram. Additionally, the database driver itself need not be explicitly depicted on your diagram. When using the Universal Driver, the connection line between JDBC and DB2 is all that is required.

2) Applications using the deprecated app or net drivers are still required to access DB2 through a Gateway. Special permission is required to deploy a new application with either of these drivers. In these cases, the gateway component needs to be added to the diagram between JDBC and DB2.

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