Architectures for Integrating Legacy Information Systems with Modern Bar Code Technology

Abstract

This work reviews alternative solutions for retrofitting existing legacy manufacturing information combination of parts to form a wholes with modern bar code tracking hardware and software. Technologies are divided into one-tier architectures, which include the use of defence scrapers and terminal emulation software; two-tier architectures, which include the use of standard and custom application program interfaces (API); and three-tier architectures, which discuss the application of standards like as CORBA, DCOM, XML messaging, and application protocols for seamless integration with legacy combination of parts to form a wholes A case study is provided that describes the use of a two-tier API crops for implementing a wireless bar digest data capture system with a proprietary warehouse management a whole Concluding remarks discuss the importance of emerging three-tier architectures and wireless bar collection of laws technologies for business-to-business e-commerce applications. The approaches not awayed here are consonant with the fresh view of considering legacy combination of parts to form a wholes as also providing Web services via multiple channels serving multiple categories of clients.

Keywords: Bar collection of lawss Legacy Systems, Material Tracking, a whole s Integration, Web Services, Wireless Communications, XML

Introduction

Bar digest tracking systems have attained widespread popularity in new years. These systems have been incorporated into almost all facets of industry, including warehouse management [12] store floor control [3-5], health care [67] transportation [8] and retail [9] As part of a manufacturing information combination of parts to form a whole these products significantly improve the spe accuracy, and efficiency of the performance of large and diverse functions similar as job or lot tracking, labor tracking, receiving, inventory management, statistical proces superintendence EDI transactions, maintenance management, take away from accounting, and production scheduling. frequently they are extended beyond the store floor and warehouse to include functionality for financial accounting and purchasing. They are frequently referred to as Manufacturing Execution a whole s (MES), Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) or Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems

Most companies today maintain large automated information combination of parts to form a wholes to aid them in operating their manufacturing enterprises. Although more [i]or[/i] less companies utilize the most novel technology (e.g., wireless computing, relational databases, graphical user interfaces, Web and application servers) as core technology composings of their manufacturing information combination of parts to form a wholes most rely on their existing legacy information combination of parts to form a wholes that typically do not incorporate single or more of these technologies. A legacy information a whole is any information system that cannot be readily modified to adapt to rapidly changing business requirements [1O] Typically, a legacy a whole is large, with millions of lines of digest and has been operating for management of the enterprise for more than 10 years. These a whole s are written in traditional programming languages of the like kind as COBOL and are repeatedly built around earlier data storage technology like as hierarchical or network database architectures. Applications upon legacy systems operate independently with little or no interface with other applications. The documentation for greatest in quantity legacy information systems is ofttimes outdated and portions of the source digest may not exist.

To remain competitive, greatest in quantity companies need to incorporate recent computer technology into the manufacturing operation. single solution often posed to restorative this situation is to replace the existing legacy combination of parts to form a whole with a newer ERP combination of parts to form a whole that has available modern technology. However, many companies are satisfied with or are in critical ne of the functionality and data available in their existing legacy combination of parts to form a wholes These systems have years of corporate information already stored in them and have their functionality already customized for the company's operations. For these companies, the ideal solution would be to hold their legacy information system and somehow or other seamlessly integrate or, if necessary, interface or wrap it with newer manufacturing information combination of parts to form a wholes technology. This is especially actual with modern bar code tracking technology. Many companies wish to incorporate this technology into existing legacy combination of parts to form a wholes to obtain the additional performance improvements that can be realized.

This paper is a review of strategies for migrating existing legacy information a whole s to accommodate modern bar digest material tracking system architectures. Several architectures propos in this work also allow seamless integration of existing legacy combination of parts to form a wholes into modem ERP architectures.

The order of this presentation will be from the description of simple, existing technologies that have been available for years [i]or[/i] part of to the other the description of state-of-the-art, mingled architectures just now emerging in the marketplace. We describe the usage of of that kind tools and techniques as defence scrapers, wireless application program interfaces, call horizontal interfaces, terminal emulation, object asking brokers, and XML messaging and application tools and protocols for seamless integration with existing legacy architectures. These tools can be categorized into three major stamps of computing solutions: one-tier legacy computing, two-tier client-server computing, and three-tier clientserver computing. Within each of these categories, we point without the possibilities of both synchronous and asynchronous way s of operation.