Abstracts of Magazine FUJITSU 2012-3 (VOL. 63, NO. 2)

Special Issue: Solution, Service Technology of New Era

• New Software Technologies, beyond the Cloud Horizon

Fujitsu announced System Development Architecture & Support facilities (SDAS), a comprehensive system development methodology, in 1987. At that time, development of new systems on mainframes for improving efficiency of business operations was at its height. Therefore, although SDAS declared itself to be system development methodology, it was rather recognized as a set of development support tools. Along with the change in the times, the role of information and communications technology (ICT) in business has changed from mere tools for efficiency improvement to the essential core capability of business operations. Meanwhile, system developments for main business operations have been completed, and 80% of organizations' ICT budget is now allocated to the operation and maintenance of hardware and software assets. A pressing challenge for the management and information system department of organizations is to face these renewed realities and to transform ICT assets into agile and flexible ones which contribute to business in a true sense. Bearing this background in mind, Fujitsu has decided to incorporate into SDAS the know-how accumulated through ICT development and operation for 25 years since its release as well as the latest technological trends. In this way, Fujitsu will reconstitute SDAS as a broad technological architecture which underpins a new way of working required for the coming decade to derive and verify new value by combining technologies and services, based on keywords such as visualization, standardization and integration. This paper presents this evolution of SDAS.

• Approach to APM Modernization―Systems Engineers in Future

Systems engineers (SEs) are now required to operate and maintain in-service systems and continue to change them according to changes in the field because the positioning of ICT in enterprises has changed. The management of enterprises expects the present ICT to not only improve efficiency and reduce costs but also strengthen competitiveness and improve business. Requirements for SEs engaged in systems have also changed. To meet these requirements, three things are important: to detect changes, streamline and optimize systems, and maintain their optimum state. Fujitsu realizes these through techniques of Application management and Portfolio Management (APM) modernization, which optimize legacy systems by three methods: mottainai (minimize waste), modanai (modernize) and motanai (outsource). Possible improvements to systems can be found in daily operation and maintenance, and the system can be streamlined by combining an accurate understanding of the actual state and optimum technology. A successor system can then be constructed based on these improvements. In addition, operation and maintenance processes that center on configuration management can be used to maintain the optimum state and allow the system to evolve. This paper describes an idea of how future SEs will be, mainly including approaches to APM modernization for realizing "continuous change according to changes in the field."

• Quality Improvement by Using Business Reference Models in ICT Planning

The purpose of implementing systems in enterprises has changed from improving efficiency of business to making a contribution to management. To organize business data from a management perspective, system implementation must be more business-driven. On the other hand, business depends on systems more than ever; as a result, the business know-how that was accumulated in business departments before is now hidden in systems more. This means ICT departments (and also ICT providers) need to manage not only ICT knowledge but also business know-how to effectively extract business requirements from business departments. In response to this situation, Fujitsu has developed business reference models for each type of industry while making the business know-how explicit knowledge. These models consist of business workflows and conceptual data models, and are not merely tools like the how-to books on the market. By utilizing the business reference models to promote mutual understanding between the client and ICT providers, it makes it easier to define business requirements and can help improve the quality and efficiency of system implementation in the ICT planning phase.

• Requirements Definition Method to Link Businesses and ICT Systems: Tri-shaping

ICT systems have become indispensable for both business management and business operation. Achieving ICT systems that can contribute to business is essential for enterprises not only to gain a competitive advantage but also to survive in business. Because of these factors, Fujitsu developed the requirements definition method Tri-shaping. This method supports requirement definition from both technological aspects and also human resource aspects (know-how). Within the processes of bringing down the requirements from the business world to the ICT world, there are various missing, incomplete, or ambiguous factors which prevent the processes from being linked correctly. Tri-shaping provides tools and know-how to connect such broken links.

• Application Framework for Innovative Software Development and Maintenance: INTARFRM

Business environments are changing more rapidly than ever, so we are required to develop and maintain ICT systems more quickly and more efficiently. Moreover, in this adverse economic situation, ICT systems need to be allowed to continuously grow while following the evolution of technology which supports systems, such as SOA and cloud. To respond to such a requirement, since 2010 Fujitsu has been delivering the application framework INTARFRM that integrates the know-how of the Fujitsu Group. INTARFRM offers a standardized method of systems development, and makes systems development and maintenance more efficient. Moreover, INTARFRM helps customers to continuously expand their ICT systems by offering a consistent method of systems development which covers the whole process from requirement definition to design, development, operation and maintenance. In this paper, we describe the characteristics of and introduce the effects of using INTARFRM. We cover the increasing utilization of this application framework that supports the life cycle of customers' software, and describe our future vision of INTARFRM.

• Fujitsu's Efforts for System Development Tests: Fujitsu Efficient Testing Framework

In the development of a customer system, a considerable amount of money is used for the testing processes. However, even if sufficient time and money are used, the system does not necessarily become a good quality one. Under these circumstances, Fujitsu has developed the Fujitsu Efficient Testing Framework which enables efficient and quality test work. Since the work procedures and documents of the test are standardized in this framework, an efficient and effective test becomes possible. Moreover, the framework allows us to perform Quality Life Cycle Management (QLCM) via the PDCA cycle of test planning, testing, evaluation, and reexamination, analyzing and evaluating the system's performance. Furthermore, it is possible to ensure higher quality over the life cycle of a system, maintaining a sufficient balance between managing time, cost, and quality. This paper clarifies the elements required to maintain and improve the quality of a system and the issues involved, and describes the functions and features of the testing framework that we developed to solve those issues.

• Approach to Agile Software Development in Fujitsu

As a means to promptly support customers' rapidly changing business, Fujitsu is working on agile software development (hereafter "agile development"). Agile development is a generic term for adaptive development techniques intended for "maximizing customers' business value" that include iterative builds from requirements with higher priority in short periods of time. As a company widely covering a variety of markets, Fujitsu, under the three themes set in relation to the current agile development, aims to study the solutions and put them into practice. Specifically, we position FJ-Agile, a model integrating the know-how nurtured through our abundant experience in system development, as Fujitsu's ideal of agile development and work for its refinement. Furthermore, this paper discusses the importance of "thinking" as a way to bring out the effect of agile development. Fujitsu intends to devote all its energy to building solid relationships of trust with customers to openly share problems as well as good points, and advance as a team toward a shared goal for sharing new excitement with customers.

• Overall Optimization Method: TRIOLE Approach

The role of ICT is becoming more important in corporate management. ICT must deal with cost reduction, global business development, and governance enhancement. In addition, disaster countermeasures and energy savings are urgent issues. ICT is required to perform more and more tasks while technologies become diversified and sophisticated. Information system departments are having trouble utilizing emerging cloud services (e.g., SaaS, PaaS, IaaS) to solve management issues. The TRIOLE Approach is a systematic method to design a picture of ICT as it should be, and solve such troubles of information system departments. It is an overall ICT optimization method of the cloud system age, based on agreements between related departments. It consists of four types of standardization and rule creation: common understandings, system classification, operation standardization, and security infrastructure design.

• TRIOLE System Configuration Model: Private Cloud Infrastructure

Cloud is convenient because it allows operators to introduce the systems they need for their business, at a low price and in a short time. However, when operators consider using a public cloud, where they only pay a fee for the services and resources they use, the service level does not meet their requirements as a business service. Hence, there are growing expectations for a private cloud that allows operators to introduce clouds held within their company. Introducing a private cloud is, in terms of building a system within a company, similar to introducing conventional systems. But operators face difficulties when they try to introduce a private cloud by following the design and construction techniques of conventional systems. This is because there are cloud-specific requirements and operational issues. In this paper we introduce TRIOLE System Configuration Model. Incorporating the technologies and experience of Fujitsu, it casts aside cloud-specific issues, and ensures private clouds are efficiently introduced.

• IT Service Management Standardization in Cloud

ICT systems with fast, quality, low-priced services that match customers' business cycles are in demand. In contrast, from the perspective of system operation and maintenance, ICT companies need to provide overall system operation as a service and make proposals on new businesses which are related to operations. How to disperse established, standardized operations supported in cloud environments to field support personnel has become a major issue. This paper shows how we established our sequence of operations and maintenance, and how we determined a model for operations and maintenance in a cloud environment. In addition, it introduces a platform WBS document of architecture which forms requirement definitions based on operation and maintenance to test processes in cloud environments as one of the integration methods. We also discuss how to utilize these models for business negotiations.

• New Technology to Support Business Innovation

Enterprises are struggling to survive because of big changes in the business environment. Currently, enterprises' expectations for business innovation are increasing because ICT is being more widely used. The new technologies that leverage Big Data, which are very important to business innovation, are about to cause a paradigm shift in ICT. Organizations need to be able to optimize management. And key to increasing their competitiveness and offering new values are (i) making adequate managerial judgments and (ii) optimizing operations by perceiving the current status and making forecasts. Organizations can create new values by organically combining optimized management and optimized operations. New values are achieved with elemental technology, and combining these elements adds more value. Fujitsu offer customers new values securely and quickly by not only developing these technologies, but also working on upgrading the solution stack that combines multiple technological elements and providing solutions for business and business interfaces. We are continuing to enhance our value and contribute to expanding business relations by promptly corresponding to changing business environments, and by updating and optimizing our solutions to live up to our customers' expectations.

• Reform of SE Work Style to Meet Requirements of Cloud Age―Activities of Cloud Architect Unit―

There are strong customer needs to hold down ICT investment for operation and maintenance of existing assets to implement a strategic approach to new businesses. To meet these needs, a new framework of ICT utilization called cloud has emerged, which means that human resources capable of optimally integrating products, solutions and services will be more essential than ever. The Fujitsu Group established Cloud Architect Unit in December 2009 in addition to the conventional individually optimized formation organized by lines of work and specialized skills. It provides a scheme for cross-functional activities in comprehensive groups such as those for business negotiation, development, operation and technical maintenance. At the Cloud Architect Office, as part of some measures for changing Fujitsu's solution-oriented business, we are driving business by gathering field systems engineers (SEs) to have them work in three ways: business negotiation, project implementation and technical maintenance. In this manner, we are developing professional human resources that will be in demand as future SEs. This paper describes the existing framework of the Fujitsu Group and presents Cloud Architect Unit, which is striving to reform the SE work style so that it can meet the requirements of the cloud age.

• Fujitsu's Concept of Reusing Existing ICT Assets

The environment surrounding information systems has significantly changed due to social structure complexities and globalization. Furthermore, the Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred on March 11, 2011 has raised many questions regarding the role of ICT. On the other hand, current information systems have an enormous amount of existing assets. The modernization of these existing assets worries many customers because the overblown and aging existing assets lack flexibility to be modified to catch up with changing business trends. Fujitsu is making various efforts for technologies that prevent enlargement and aging of existing assets, and provide long-term growth for ICT assets. Recent modernization is described in various technologies such as SOA, Rehost, Rewrite, Rebuild, and Scratch. Each of them has the objective of system modernization. This paper discusses the approaches and technological features of APM Modernization Service. This service was developed as a modernization technology that rebuilds information systems efficiently by reusing existing application assets, and provides long-term growth for such systems. It also introduces implementation examples and expected fields of applications in future expansions.

• Standard Processes for System Planning, Development, and Operation and Maintenance: SDEM

SDEM is a standard process that consists of comprehensively organized activities of information system planning, development, and operation and maintenance. SDEM provides a basis, which is a common frame, for various stakeholders including customers to build a common consensus for tasks and roles. SDEM has a history of over 30 years. It has been improved continuously according to the expansion of software and service businesses, and trends of international standard and industrial de-facto standards. SDEM has a distinctive concept for organizing activities to build a frame. In considering activities of information system planning, development, and operation and maintenance, the following two points are important: 1) think of the necessary activities from the whole picture that includes business operations behind information systems to make such systems useful for business operations 2) clarify who knows what and who can decide what, in the whole picture. SDEM has the Conceptual Category, which provides the basis for the above-mentioned two points. By providing a frame which organizes activities using two axes, that is Conceptual Category and phase, SDEM exercises ingenuity so that the whole picture of activities becomes easy to understand for all stakeholders and it becomes a basis for consensus-building among them.

• Accumulation and Reuse of Knowledge to Support Systems Engineering Activities

The importance of sharing and reusing knowledge in any corporate activity has been increasing year after year. Similarly, in systems engineering activities, sharing and reusing knowledge is a very important factor in having efficient systems development activities and high-quality system development. Though now it is common practice for companies to gather and share information on the Internet, its importance has been recognized in Fujitsu since early times and reflected in its approaches to improving systems engineering. Fujitsu has dealt with various problems in systems developing projects during its activities. Its systems engineers have given consideration to becoming efficient in high-quality system development for their customers by sharing, as know-how, problems that had been solved in past projects. This paper will introduce three typical knowledge management measures (FIND2, IKB, and SOLUTIONBANK) in Fujitsu. These contribute to improving productivity and reliability of system development by allowing people to use the know-how in systems engineering activities, offering them technical information, and allowing them to reliably reuse material at the right time.

• Knowledge Base to Support Work Styles

Fujitsu's systems engineering work style is to gather systems engineers' know-how and improve their work by practicing knowledge management. To support this work style, knowledge bases which enable people to use accumulated know-how everywhere on the Internet keep on evolving. This paper introduces three in-house knowledge bases: 1) ProjectWEB, a communication base that provides an environment for systems engineers to automatically accumulate knowledge from their day-to-day activities and to use it; 2) SE information portal, a Web portal for systems engineers and their activities that offers quick access to accumulated knowledge on the intranet; and 3) F-pedia, a tool that promotes shared awareness of words, defines common technical terms used in Fujitsu, and promotes the standardization of the usage of such terms.

• Efforts for Risk Reduction regarding Multi-vendor Products and OSS

The diverse needs of customers have meant that systems have become complex recently. One of the factors behind this is that systems configured with technology from only a single vendor are very rare. In the case of Fujitsu, the external technologies it uses can be broadly classified into multi-vendor products and open source software (OSS). The risks relating to these technologies arise due to external factors, and there are regions where Fujitsu has no direct control over such risks. To address this situation, Fujitsu has made various efforts to control risk in SI projects including multi-vendor products and OSS. This paper first discusses Fujitsu's efforts for risk control for multi-vendor products, and goes on to introduce its efforts to ensure compliance with OSS licenses.

• Standardization of Development Environments and Productivity Improvement of System Delivery with Cloud Services

Owing to the coming of the cloud era, there is stronger demand than ever for quality and productivity in system development. This is because classic, custom-made system development is expected to offer quick delivery, the same as cloud services provide. To respond to this demand, it is necessary to standardize work items and improve productivity not only for design and coding tasks but also for tasks in a wide range of development project items like development team operations such as configuration management, and environment managements such as PC and server setup. To achieve and apply such wide-range standardization to development projects, it is effective for organizations to summarize small standards and practices into a standardized development environment and to provide it to projects as a cloud service. In this paper, we discuss the effects, issues and possible future of such cloud services that offer developmental support based on our internal practices.

• Activities to Ensure Product Quality in Solution Business

Fujitsu views "quality" as being one of the most important aspects of its business, so that everyone can equally and safely enjoy the benefits brought by ICT. In order to enhance their reputation with customers, all divisions in the Fujitsu Group carry out business with quality in mind, and provide excellent quality products and services to customers. Qfinity is a fundamental activity for solving all issues within Fujitsu. And divisions in the Fujitsu Solution Group also define and carry out QMS incorporating SBN regulations, which describe principles for maintaining good quality, on top of Qfinity. Hands-on company-wide meetings that are held regularly such as the Quality Administrators Meeting and executive review meetings such as the Solution Quality Meeting, and the institution for Partners Quality Improvement (PQI) for business partners are used to verify actual countermeasures for better quality. This paper introduces various activities for sustaining good quality that take place in the Solution Business.