Events and Edges – Understanding BEA (part 3)

BEA WebLogic Event Server

In May 2007, BEA announced its entry into Event-Driven Architecture (EDA) with a new product, WebLogic Event Server, designed to enable event-driven SOA in Java environments. This is a lightweight but full-featured application server platform with event features built in, enabling customers to build their applications on the platform without having to integrate a complex event processing (CEP) engine with a separate general-purpose platform. This approach also makes it easier to add event-oriented functionality to existing applications.

WebLogic Event Server aggregates information from distributed systems in real time and applies rules to discern patterns and trends. The product provides support for XTP, simple Java (POJO) programming and the Spring Framework, as well as an Event Processing Language (EPL) that augments and extends SQL in defining the temporal rules and non-linear rule application critical for event processing.

WebLogic Event Server is the first BEA product to be completely based on the company’s microService Architecture (mSA), a component architecture designed to be open, interoperable, embeddable and extensible for third-party development. mSA is the underlying architecture behind BEA SOA 360°.

BEA claims the following performance capabilities with WebLogic Real Time Server:

• Ability to handle over 50,000 events per second
• Ability to apply 10,000 rules
• Guaranteed worst-case 10 milli-second latency

There is a Latency analysis tool for tuning client applications.

BEA WebLogic RFID

In October 2005, BEA announced the acquisition of ConnecTerra, who were a pioneering provider of RFID infrastructure software. The WebLogic RFID Product Family consists of:

• WebLogic RFID Edge Mobile SDK – This solution allows developers to create the software for handheld devices. It includes industry-standard Application Program Interfaces (APIs) and libraries that enable developers to write applications for mobile RFID devices.
• WebLogic RFID Edge Server – This handles all computation that must be carried out locally, controlling RFID readers and other devices, filtering data, carrying out local business logic in support of operational processes and delivering data to the enterprise. It also provides an administration console for dynamic configuration, monitoring, and management of all devices and software infrastructure. All relevant industry standards including EPC and ISO tag protocols, EPC, US DoD and IATA tag data standards, EPCGlobal Application Level Events (ALE), and EPC Information Services (EPCIS) are supported. The edge server also provides an easy-to-use extension for tag writing. WebLogic RFID Edge Server comes out of box with many Edge Flows for common business operations like shipping, inventory movement detection, tag commissioning etc. These Edge Flows are assembled using a rich set of reusable modules. These reusable modules are essentially building blocks implementing common functions such as RFID and sensor device controls, application connectivity, tag writing and verification, user feedback and process flow controls, application flow controls, EPCIS interactions and output formatting.
• WebLogic RFID Enterprise Server – For centrally managing RFID data collected at the edge. This standards-based infrastructure enables partners to gain superior visibility into product movement data, and allows central provisioning of RFID data in distributed tagging. It provides a suite of six services that help manage and coordinate RFID data and edge operations across a global operation, creating a solid foundation for all use of RFID data within enterprise-scale applications and business processes. WebLogic RFID Enterprise Server centralizes management of all RFID events, provides a single source of master data, delivers out-of-box RFID reporting capabilities, performs data exchange with trading partners, coordinates serial number assignment for distributed tagging operations, and provides a central point of management for edge infrastructure. The enterprise server is implements the latest EPCglobal EPC Information Services (EPCIS) standard. WebLogic RFID Enterprise Server is built on BEA WebLogic Server,
• WebLogic RFID Compliance Express – This turnkey solution for initial, small-scale deployments delivers a migration path to larger-scale implementations that may include a mix of Tag-at-Ship, Tag-at-Pick, Tag-at-Source, and other EPC-based business processes. It enables companies to meet RFID product tagging requirements to satisfy retail and/or Government compliance mandates or to create efficiencies within their internal operation.

One interesting emission from what is fairly good list of features for RFID middleware is there is no simulation capability, such as is available with BEA’s AquaLogic product set. In my view simulation software is a must and it would seem to be an obvious simple extension for BEA to add this capability based on their existing product.

Like many other RFID middleware vendors, BEA have recognised that what works for RFID events works for other type of event devices and therefore they are moving the RFID products forwards into being part of the more general event server solution.

Conclusions

In these 3 articles I have looked at where BEA is going away from its base territory of Application Server. Thinking Liquid looked at the SOA credentials of BEA based around their new marketing logo. The two big acquisitions of ConnecTerra and Fuego have certainly been incorporated into the BEA product set. AquaLogic, as Fuego has become, makes BEA a major player in the BPM market with some clear innovative ideas on top of a performant base. In terms of Events and Edge, BEA is progressing well.

On the negative side, I don’t see a lot of partner activity based upon their solutions. This is a surprise as during their early years BEA made a big play in the channel. Perhaps I will see more at BEAWorld in Barcelona in October.