Abstracts of Magazine FUJITSU 2006-1 (VOL.57, NO.1)

Special Issue : System Development Architecture & Support facilities: SDAS

• Fujitsu's System Development Methodology: SDAS

Recent information systems have become a critical infrastructure for both industry and society given the growing requirements for higher quality, reliability, and a shorter period development to meet ongoing changes in the business environment. To meet these needs, Fujitsu has strengthened and enhanced its system development methodology known as System Development Architecture & Support facilities (SDAS). Moreover, Fujitsu has adapted SDAS to new technologies and expanded its scope to cover the complete lifecycle of system development including analysis, maintenance, and rebuilding. SDAS provides a development methodology, framework, and useful tools to improve quality and reduce the time needed for development. SDAS features an accurate definition of requirements, a high degree of expandability and maintainability by using a mission-critical application framework, and effective development tools to automate testing and documentation. This paper outlines the features of SDAS methodology, its framework, and development tools.

• Approach to EA at Fujitsu and Relationships between EA, SDAS, and SOA

The Enterprise Architecture (EA) is an increasingly popular system that totally optimizes business and information systems by IT governance and adjustment of business and information strategies. The EA used at Fujitsu has features such as 1) an approach for realizing IT governance, 2) early development support of EA, and 3) smooth cooperation for operation and further development of EA. Our EA receives good reviews as a practical one by providing an EA methodology in the form of a development and consulting service. From the viewpoint of SDAS, Fujitsu's EA not only positions itself as an entry point that connects a business strategy with system requirements analysis, but it also deeply incorporates the concept of SDAS into its methodology. This paper outlines EA, Fujitsu's approach to EA, and the relationships between EA, SDAS, and SOA.

• Standardization of Development Process, and Additional Efforts Focusing on Web Application Development

In this time of remarkable informationization, information systems have become an essential business base for managing enterprise activities. Information system workers cover a lot of ground by diversifying the functions of systems, and tasks should be accomplished through the division and specialization of labor. It is therefore necessary to clarify the roles and ranges of responsibility of workers and for workers to cooperate with each other. To meet this need, Fujitsu has developed the SDEM21 system development map, which plainly systematizes the entire life cycle of a task from planning to operation and maintenance.
Web application development has accelerated in recent years, and to assist in this area, Fujitsu has developed the ComponentAA Development Method. This method makes it easy to construct a flexible project development standard for various technologies for packaging Web applications. Moreover, Fujitsu has developed Secure Web application as a standard for security countermeasures of Web application. This provides customers with stable and secure Web services.

• Use of Business Modeling in Requirements Definition Phase

For many enterprises, how to anticipate various changes in the business environment and promptly respond to those changes are important issues. However, in many cases, the IT systems that support the basis of business are extremely complicated and difficult to repair. To address these needs, Fujitsu recently reviewed its system development methodology (SDAS) from the requirement definition phase by reconsidering its original concept. First, enterprise businesses and related IT systems can be correctly visualized and commonly understood by everyone by improving a few key modeling techniques for the requirement definition phase (such as business process modeling and business data modeling) based on our past practical experience. Secondly, the total optimization of systems by taking new approaches such as Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) becomes possible by providing the means to redesign complex IT systems into flexible, mutually separated ones. This paper describes the concept of modeling and then examines business process modeling and business data modeling. Finally, this paper shows how these modeling techniques can be effective tools for implementing SOA.

• Improvement of Software Quality and Productivity Using Development Tools

Information systems, which continue to help on-site management and staff solve problems, have become enormous and complicated after many years of modification. Effective use of current resources, quick system operation, and reduced test work-hours have been essential for efficient IT investment. To implement such system development, Fujitsu has provided the System Development Architecture & Support facilities (SDAS) systematic development environment based on the entire life cycle of application development. This paper introduces some systematic development tools for SDAS-based Web application development. Specifically, it introduces an integrated development environment based on the open standard Interstage Apworks, the SIMPLIA series testing support tool, reverse engineering tool PROSPECS, and a COBOL compiler called NetCOBOL for various platforms.

• Promotion of Development Efficiency by Using Frameworks

The framework is the central SDAS technology for reducing the time needed to develop a system and improve the development efficiency and quality. Fujitsu provides the B².Sframework, which consists of three frameworks, as the application framework system. The first framework, Interstage Application Framework Suite (IAFS), is a Web application framework that can make development and maintenance more efficient because it separates screens, business logic, and data. It can also improve the security of Web applications. The second, Interstage Business Application Server (IBAS), is a framework for mission-critical systems. IBAS ensures efficient construction of mission-critical systems by providing a multi-language container and batch framework functions. The third framework, Client J Framework (CJF), is used for establishing a rich client system by using Java. This paper focuses on the latest facilities for using these frameworks and some examples of how these frameworks are applied.

• TransMigration Services

Information technology (IT) systems are now directly linked to the business strategy of clients and a critical factor in determining whether a given business succeeds. Therefore, clients must take an ongoing approach to optimizing IT systems enterprise-wide for ensuring long-term business expansion. Fujitsu offers "TransMigration Services" to clients who face challenges in optimizing their IT systems. TransMigration Services enable clients to transform their systems "Safely, Surely, and Shortly" into optimized systems by effectively using existing software assets to address a broad range of business challenges and requirements for clients. This paper clarifies the points of system optimization applicable to TransMigration Services. It also introduces the purpose of these services, describes the services available, and cites case studies made on the services.

• Requests and Main Problems Regarding Configuration Management in Open System Development -Management in Short-Term Congestion Developments-

To cope with the drastically changing business environment, enterprises are becoming strongly focused on ways to achieve speed-oriented management, improve management efficiency, and reduce costs, even at their system development sites. To help them achieve these goals, IT is becoming more open and is expanding its range of application. For example, Fujitsu has developed configuration management models that target not only conventional library management areas, but also linkages with other management areas and areas of system specifications. We are currently verifying the effectiveness of these models in individual business fields. We regard problem-solving methods for configuration management as configuration management solutions. This paper describes the configuration management models we have developed that standardize these solutions and problem-solving methods by using configuration management solutions.

• Application of Knowledge Management to System Development

Fujitsu is currently undertaking both project management advocated by PMI Co. of the U.S. based on PMBOK and development management based on SDEM/SDAS. Given this background, FSI-BOK/PM is set as a practical benchmark for achieving both types of management. To effectively manage projects based on these standards, it is important to share specific development information among management activities supervised by project managers and other leaders, as well as those conducted by all development staff members in order to make these activities practical. For these reasons, Fujitsu is promoting efficient on-site activities to improve software through a mechanism known as "SolutionNET", a knowledge management concept established in 1997 that enables a systematic spiral of restructuring business operations. This paper introduces the adaptation of the ProjectWEB, which is the support tool used to practice these activities, to the system developments.

• Mechanism of Third-Party Quality Assurance

Today computer systems are so deeply ingrained in society that they form a major social infrastructure. Consequently, the effects of computer system trouble on society often cause very serious problems. At Fujitsu, the urgent tasks of reducing the delay in service release time caused by quality problems and curtailing projects that adversely affect profit must be addressed. Therefore, Fujitsu has devised a mechanism of third party quality assurance that confirms sufficient quality from the early stage of design. This paper describes the mechanism of third-party assurance known as "Project Quality Design (PQD)" and "Application Quality Inspection (APQI)" based on an application audit.

• Software Engineering Center and Fujitsu-Related Activities

The Software Engineering Center (SEC) was established in the Information-Technology Promotion Agency (IPA) by METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) in October 2004. The SEC's missions are 1) to improve the international competitiveness of Japan's software industry and 2) to facilitate software technology development to support the achievement of international standards and develop human resources. To accomplish these missions, the SEC enhances software development capabilities for enterprise systems and embedded systems and applies the results of its activities through advanced software development projects in which the wisdom of industry, academia, and government are integrated (quote from the SEC Web page). Since the establishment of the SEC, Fujitsu, as a leading company in the software industry, has been playing a major role in these activities. This paper describes the activities of the SEC and related operations in Fujitsu, focusing on an enterprise system project related to SDAS in SEC activities.

• Practical Applications of ComponentAA Development Method

Fujitsu's ComponentAA Development Method is a development standard for Web applications that features short-term delivery and high-quality system integration. It specifies standards for the application development method for the technological elements of documentation, development techniques, and guidelines for designing and testing. To verify the effectiveness of ComponentAA Development Method, we applied it to a model project in the manufacturing industry and achieved quality improvements and person-hour reductions. These benefits were gained by facilitating customization activities such as document integration and the creation of sample descriptions and charts showing the relations between documents. In this paper, we describe the challenges in applying ComponentAA Development Method to the manufacturing industry, some effective customization methods, and the effects of using ComponentAA Development Method.

• Reconstruction of Large Systems Based on Business Data Model

Some of our customers have large mainframe systems that have become oversized and hard to maintain, and these customers now want to structurally reform their systems. However, it has been difficult for them to learn how to make this reform. This situation stimulated Fujitsu to develop the FUTURITY solution, which is based on the experience Fujitsu gained in the structural reform of KDDI Corp.'s system and involves work processes, development methodologies, and tools. FUTURITY is composed of four solutions: FUTURITY-TB, which is used to abstract a customer's business into a business data model and develop ToBe data models; FUTURITY-AI, which is used to abstract the data structure of a customer's current system and develop AsIs data models; FUTURITY-MP, which is used to compare ToBe data models with AsIs data models and develop reconstruction plans; and FUTURITY-SI, which provides methods and tools to efficiently develop a system designed on the basis of business models. This paper describes the basic system development philosophy and other details of FUTURITY.

• Adaptation of SDAS to Financial Business Solutions

Fujitsu's customers in the financial industry have restructured and expanded their systems and now need not only the reliability and quality they enjoyed the past but also require them much more quickly. Especially these days, it is necessary to use the latest technology and development methods to keep up with the constant changes in the business environment and IT techniques. To achieve this, the previously used development methods are becoming inadequate, and it is now necessary to establish and develop financial solutions that adopt SDAS. In this paper, we first explain the requirements of the solution architecture for the leasing industry and the design concept of a solution for lease system construction that covers both the business side and system side. Next, we introduce an approach that covers the design concepts on the system side. By repeatedly using the solution that adopt SDAS, we have achieved high-quality, short-term system development.

• Adaptation of Frameworks for Development of Public Office Systems

In the development of information systems for public offices, development based on the Web system is now a mainstream system development activity in terms of addressing the problem of system lifecycle costs to expanding public services to people and the ubiquitous society, although such systems have conventionally been developed from mainframes. Moreover, applications developed on the Web system must meet the requirements of low cost, short-term delivery, and high quality. The adaptation of certain frameworks has been cited given as one approach to a solution. This paper introduces the effects achieved by Fujitsu in reducing development costs and shortening the delivery of Web applications for the service systems of public offices by adapting an "individual framework" which enhances the functions of the "Interstage Application Framework Suite," a framework product that conforms to J2EE.

• Development of Business Applications by Introducing the Toyota Production System

Fujitsu Applications, Ltd. (FAP) was established in April 2004 as part of the Fujitsu Group to focus on developing business application software. For developing business application software (the basic task of FAP based on the SDAS development standard), reducing the development period and achieving high quality are essential. In December 2004, we began introducing TPS for developing a full-scale application software production phase, while studying and attempting to apply TPS for developing some business application software. This paper introduces how TPS was concretely introduced (for relatively short-term, large-scale projects involving actual business application software based on SDAS), and how daily Kaizen activities are linked to achieve expected results. Also described are the issues for achieving high productivity and high quality, as clarified through the case examples.

• Case Studies of System Architectures That Use COBOL Assets

The Common Business Oriented Language (COBOL) was developed as a programming language for business transactions. For a long time, it has been a major programming language for mission-critical systems because of its high reliability and compatibility ensured through international standards. NetCOBOL is a COBOL development environment offered by Fujitsu that supports quick construction and stable operation of mission-critical systems. It achieves this by using existing COBOL assets as well as many supporting tools and standard development styles based on technologies that comprise Fujitsu's System Development Architecture & Support facilities (SDAS). In this paper, we introduce two case studies of system architectures that use COBOL assets. The first is at Seikodo Co.,Ltd., which has built a system based on a combination of Java and COBOL, and the second is at Meitetsucom Co.,Ltd., which has built a .NET Framework-based system linked with a combination of Visual Basic and COBOL.