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Oracle Customer Hub (UCM) Business Objects Layer

The business logic layer for Oracle Customer Hub (UCM) contains object abstractions of entities and represents internal and external data. The logic layer also allows for complex entity relationships. For more information about the business objects layer and how to customize it, see Configuring Siebel Business Applications.

The business object manager consists of the Object Manager, Data Manager, and an Oracle Customer Hub (UCM) Integration instance.

Object Manager and Data Manager

The object manager and data manager layer use:

• Business objects
• Business components
• Virtual business components
• External business components

These business objects are customizable. For more information about the business objects and data objects layer, see Configuring Siebel Business Applications.

Siebel Industry EAI Architecture

Siebel Industry EAI architecture is built to work with the Siebel Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) architecture and to support XML-based messaging communication infrastructure. Different applications require integration using messaging mechanisms. Connectors must be built to support various industry standards.

Siebel Business Applications allow you to build and deploy multiple connectors. For example, the Siebel Financial Services Application has built three connectors:

• Siebel Connector for Master Data Applications
• Siebel Connector for ACORD XML
• Siebel Connector for IFX XML

  The connectors are based on the Siebel Industry EAI framework.

Figure 3 illustrates the high-level architecture of the Siebel Industry EAI and the standard connectors.

Figure 3. High-Level Architecture of Siebel Industry EAI and Standard Connectors

Siebel Connector for Master Data Applications is based on Siebel XML standards in addition to a predefined Oracle Customer Hub (UCM) envelope, headers for identifying the sending system, and associated privileges information. It is designed to address the real-time requirement by defining business processes that include both a request and a response message. Siebel Connector for Master Data Applications provides functions such as:

• Handling message headers
• Handling heterogeneous objects in the body section of an XML message
• Security checking for system registration
• Privilege checking for customer business process management
• Publishing customer information changes in both real-time mode and batch mode

Siebel Connector for Master Data Applications includes several business services. For more information on these services, see Oracle Customer Hub (UCM) Prebuilt Business Services.

Business Process Flow

Each standard integration or custom integration is based on the creation of business process flows. A business process flow controls the entire business transaction instance. Figure 4 illustrates inbound (Receive-Send) business process flow. Some of the business process flows might constitute messages published by Oracle Customer Hub (UCM), such as <InsertContactProduct>, <DeleteAccountAddress>, <UpdateContactProduct>, <UpdateHousehold>, <DeleteAccountAddressResponse>, <LookUpAccount>, <LookUpPersonalAddressByState>, and so on. These messages are included in Siebel Master Data Applications for Industry Applications.

The business process flow for each of these business process flows is largely contained within a Siebel workflow process. The workflow process is instantiated by the Business Integration Manager after receiving the inbound request from a subscribing application.

The business process flow is displayed in Figure 4.

Figure 4. Business Process Flow

Inbound Data Flow

An inbound business process flow starts with a receiver server component, such as the MQSeries or HTTP Receiver. The receiver server component runs in the background continuously waiting for messages to arrive from external applications. After receiving a Customer Relationship Management Markup Language (CRMML) message, the receiver then calls the workflow process configured to handle and process the data.

The workflow dictates the business logic behind the Siebel Connector for Master Data Applications as follows:

1. The raw XML text string passes through XML Hierarchy Converter and is converted into an XML integration object instance.
2. The UCM Dispatcher reads the XML instance and identifies the messages received according to the rule sets of the UCM Dispatcher Map. It then identifies the envelope, header, and body sections in the hierarchy nodes and sends it to the UCM Security Manager.

   NOTE:  The Dispatcher Map is shipped as part of Oracle Customer Hub (UCM). For information, see UCM Dispatcher Map Integration Objects.

3. The UCM Security Manager takes the XML instance, verifies subscribing system for registration with Oracle Customer Hub, checks the operation identified in each body section for the privileges. It then attaches any failed privilege bodies to the FailSecurityHierarchy before sending it to the UCM Converter.
4. UCM Converter takes the XML instance and processes individual sections of the instance while converting each subtree into external integration object instances before sending it to UCM Transaction Manager.
5. UCM Transaction Manager performs operations specified in the instance by invoking the services configured in its user properties. Source data is captured for insert, update, and delete operations, and history data is captured for update and delete operations.
   • If the EnableRealtimeInsert user property is set to False, then insert requests are queued in the Source Data History table.
   • Update operations invoke Oracle Customer Hub (UCM) Survivorship Engine or Oracle Customer Hub (UCM) Data Quality Manager, if enabled.
6. If UCM Publish and Subscribe service is configured for real-time publishing, then messages are sent to systems registered for the particular business objects executed.

Workflow Integration

Siebel Business Process Designer is the center of the business data flow. Workflow processes control the movement and transformation of data to and from Siebel Business Applications. You create the workflow processes, using a graphical user interface provided with Siebel Business Applications, called Siebel Business Process Designer. For information on workflows and Siebel Business Process Designer, see Siebel Business Process Framework: Workflow Guide.

Integration Objects

Integration objects are data containers used within the workflow environment. They represent the data structure of a Siebel Business Object or an external application's data object. You create integration objects with the Integration Object Builder provided in Siebel Tools. The Integration Object Builder creates Siebel Integration Objects from Siebel Business Objects, which are then used by components within Oracle Customer Hub (UCM) Integration. Supporting integration objects for Oracle Customer Hub (UCM) business processes are shipped with Oracle Customer Hub. For more information on integration objects, see Overview: Siebel Enterprise Application Integration.

Business Services

Business services execute predefined or custom actions in a workflow process. Examples of business services include the UCM Transaction Manager, the EAI Siebel Adapter, the UCM Converter, and so on. These business services act on property sets passed to them. They perform business logic operations, such as connecting to the database, connecting to external systems, or transforming one integration object into another. Many business services are provided, but you can create your own. Although you can use business services to perform many different functions, they all have a standard interface. Business services have object-like qualities, such as methods, method arguments, and user properties. These elements define how a business service can be used. Business services are defined in Siebel Tools. This guide describes those business services used to connect with external systems within an organization's application network. For more information on business services, Integration Platform Technologies: Siebel Enterprise Application Integration.

CRMML Message

Customer Relationship Management Markup Language (CRMML) is a Siebel messaging system that enables applications to exchange CRM data and call remote, business processes. CRMML allows different applications with different data models to share information or replicate data through document exchange and cross-reference objects. It also allows multiple applications to share business logic and business processes through remote procedure calls.

CRMML is an extensible XML vocabulary. CRMML specification defines a set of syntax and rules to describe how to interpret messages and how to extend messages. CRMML messages contain a simple envelope, a header section, and a body section. For more information on CRMML, see ASIs and Messages for Oracle Master Data Management Applications.

NOTE:  With the release of Siebel CRM version 8.1.1 Siebel Industry Applications, Customer Relationship Management Markup Language (CRMML) was deprecated in favor of the increased functionality of Web services. These Web services provide a more service-oriented interface to Oracle Customer Hub (UCM). It is recommended that you migrate from CRMML to these Web services as soon as is practical. CRMML will no longer be part of Siebel CRM releases as of version 8.1.1.6. If you are using CRMML in previous patch releases, such as Siebel CRM version 8.1.1.5 or earlier, then you may continue to use this functionality through August, 2012. CRMML will not be supported as of September 2012 and you will be directed to Web service-based solutions for future use. Further, CRMML is not supported for use with Siebel CRM version 8.2.x or with new features added to Oracle Customer Hub (UCM), version 8.2. For more information on Web services, see Oracle Customer Hub (UCM) and Data Governance Manager Web Services Reference.