research platform architecture

Thoughts on a Research Platform Architecture

Does Research need an SAP?

Many enterprises run on SAP

SAP Platform Architecture

Business Applications

Foundational Components

bu

ilt o

n t

op

of

(delivers business value)

(simplifies business applications &simplifies integration)

R&D does not run on SAP!

SAP doesn’t have R&D business applications!

SAP is too bloody expensive!

Development’s SAP is Oracle

Oracle Platform Architecture

Business Applications

Foundational Components

(delivers business value)

(simplifies business applications &simplifies integration)

bu

ilt o

n t

op

of

Research does not run on Oracle (business apps + AIA)!

Oracle doesn’t have Research business applications!

Oracle is too bloody expensive!

Research doesn’t have an SAP

What would an SAP for Research look like?

Notice the foundational components of SAP and Oracle

are similar

WebLogic Application Server

Oracle Database

These components are available through open source

The open source versions in some cases are better than

COTS!

Apache Tomcat is more than sufficient for Research needs

(or even Microsoft IIS)

* The referenced open source products are not an endorsement, but just to demonstrate options are available.

Apache ActiveMQ is one of the best JMS providers.

RabbitMQ is a more technology agnostic messaging broker and scales better than

COTS options.

Full ESBs also available through open source.

* The referenced open source products are not an endorsement, but just to demonstrate options are available.

JBoss Drools provides a unified and integrated

platform for Rules, Workflow, Event Processing,

and Scheduling

* The referenced open source products are not an endorsement, but just to demonstrate options are available.

Eclipse BIRT reports can be delivered stand-

alone or embedded in business applications

* The referenced open source products are not an endorsement, but just to demonstrate options are available.

Let’s put it together…

Process Integration

Information Integration

Research Platform Architecture

Business Applications

Foundational Components

(delivers business value)

(simplifies business applications &simplifies integration)

bu

ilt o

n t

op

of

Application Server(Tomcat, JBoss, IIS)

Process Management(Drools)

Integration(RabbitMQ, Apache Mule)

Master Data Management(Lightweight implementation as defined by Pistoia)

Business Intelligence(Eclipse BIRT)

Scientific Applications

Vendor A Vendor B Vendor C

What does this give you?

BioPharma

Academia

Vendors

“An integrated platform allows me to focus on innovation instead of interoperability issues.”

“Horizontal capabilities are available to me. I can focus my energies on building scientific applications and not IT componentry.”

“I’m familiar with open source and love the price.”

But wait, there’s more…

There are business components that can be abstracted out as

well.

Such as generic inventory management

<application>

Biologics Inventory at Site X

This…

<application>

Biologics Inventory at Site Y

<application>

Biologics Inventory at Site Z

<application>

Small Molecule Central Inventory

<application>

Small Molecule Local Inventory

<application>

Small Molecule Reagent Inventory

<application>

Mouse Inventory

<application>

Other Animal Inventory

<application>

Cell Lines Inventory

and so on and so on!

This is what you have in your portfolio

<application>

Global Material Inventory

… becomes this!

Here’s the stack then.

Process Integration

Information Integration

Research Platform Architecture

Business Applications

Foundational Components

(delivers business value)

(simplifies business applications &simplifies integration)

bu

ilt o

n t

op

of

Application Server(Tomcat, IIS)

Process Management(Drools)

Integration(RabbitMQ, Apache Mule)

Master Data Management(Lightweight implementation as defined by Pistoia)

Business Intelligence(Eclipse BIRT)

Scientific Applications

Vendor A Vendor B Vendor C

Business Components

Inventory Management

others…

Let’s use Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELN) as an example

of what it might mean in practice

Suppose you want to integrate your reagent ordering system

<application>

ELN

<application>

Reagent Ordering System

?

By default, we perform tight brittle integrations. Boo!

<application>

ELN

<application>

Reagent Ordering System

RPC interface

Better is to leverage messaging for loose coupled integration.

<application>

ELN

<application>

Reagent Ordering System

Integration(RabbitMQ, Apache Mule)

XML/JSON message(possibility for data interchange standard)

Suppose you want to initiate a workflow from the ELN.

By default, we have uncoordinated workflow with little insight into

process metrics and optimization.

<application>

ELN

<application>

Compound Registration

<application>

Compound Distribution

<application>

Screening Assays

Alternatively, ELN inappropriately takes on process management responsibility.

Better is to leverage tooling to support process management.

<application>

ELN

<application>

Compound Registration

<application>

Compound Distribution

<application>

Screening Assays

Process Management(Drools)

• centralized workflow definition and management• centralization of business rules• process metrics

Suppose you want to generate compliance reports

By default, ELNs try to bundle generic reporting capabilities into

their product.

<application>

ELN

Business Intelligence

ELNs shouldn’t have generic reporting responsibilities. Vendors

shouldn’t attempt to build this themselves.

Better is to leverage a reporting platform.

<application>

ELN<report>

Compliance Report

Business Intelligence(Eclipse BIRT)

generate

embeddedreport in ELN

query

Suppose you want to query experiment data in a federated

ELN environment

Today there is no solution.

<application>

ELN<application>

ELNdisconnected

But we can enable this in a consistent way.

<application>

ELN<application>

ELN

Master Data Management(Lightweight implementation as defined by Pistoia)

query query

query

Imagine the possibilities if Research had an integrated

platform!