IBM Software Group

Maximo Integration Basics

Maximo Webcast Series

© 2007 IBM Corporation

®

Frank Vanderham, PhD – Ontracks Consulting

April 30, 2008

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Outline

• The benefits of integration – why and when integrate?

• Technologies used in system integration

• The Maximo Enterprise Adapter (MEA)

• Best practices – the Integration Project

• Q&A• Q&A

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Why Integrate?

• Maximo is part of your company’s “landscape” of applications

• Not one system provides (today) all functionality to conduct

business

• While the applications are different, the data they need is NOT

Financial Fuel GaugesFinancial

System / ERP

Fuel Gauges

Inventory

Reordering

Condition

Monitoring

Reliability

Centered

Maintenance (RCM)

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Enterprise Asset Management Maturity Levels

-Reliability-Condition-Predictive

-All BusinessProcesses-Service LevelAgreements-Service Management

Level 5

-One SystemAll Processes-Asset & ServicesManagement-Enterprise WideBusiness Alignment

Maturity

Value

Level 2

Reactive

-Work Mgmt-Preventive-Spares parts Level 3

Proactive

-Predictive

Level 1Chaotic

-Fire fighting-Run to fail

Level 4

ServiceOriented

EnterpriseValue

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Benefits of Integration – automated or not

• Maximize your existing, previously made investments

• Keep best-of-breed applications

• Advance your EAM Maturity Level

• However…

Mind the following key principles:

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Key Principles to System Integration

• Avoid manual data re-entry

– SOX, CSOX

• Keep within each system’s key functionality, don’t stretch

– Interface, don’t Assimilate

• Understand Maximo’s breadth of functionality• Understand Maximo’s breadth of functionality

– Migrate where possible

• Decide which system “owns” what data

• Keep It Simple

System Integration Technologies

• We will review a number of “three-letter” and “four-letter” words

• For a given project, you may only need one technology

• We will review the out-of-the-box MEA shortly

HDA

ODBC

TCP/IP

SOAP

WSDL

OPC

DCOM

XML

XSD

HDA

Java

.NET

SQLAPI

Class

NICRMI

HTTP

JDBC

A brief primer in System Integration

System BB’s

StorageUI

??

Physical Connection

System AUI A’s Storage

(UI = User Interface)

Physical ConnectionSerialEthernet Network(USB, etc.)

Protocol layers – the “language” spoken

System BB’s

StorageUI

?? Network Communication (TCP/IP)

Application Communication

System AUI A’s Storage

Application CommunicationApplication Programming Interface (API)

“Socket” APIs (proprietary)Microsoft COM/DCOMHTTP

Procedure Call layers – the “conversation” spoken

System BB’s

StorageUI

!! Network Communication (TCP/IP)

Application Communication

System AUI A’s Storage

Application Communication

Request /

Response

Message

Remote Procedure CallWeb Services Client / Server

OPC Client / ServerODBC / JDBC

Web Services

• Ethernet and USB have standardized the way machines are

physically connected

• Web Services has standardized the “language” AND the

“conversation” machines have to communicate

• Maximo is fully Web Services-enabled• Maximo is fully Web Services-enabled

• Web Services is the standard for business system integration

Real-time systems: OPC

• Web Services are typically not available for real-time system

integration

• Real-time systems are notoriously proprietary and slow to adopt

changing standards

• OPC is now the de-facto standard for real-time data • OPC is now the de-facto standard for real-time data

communication

• Most process control software systems support OPC

– Data historians (OSI PI, Honeywell PHD, Aspentech IP.21, etc.)

– Vibration Analysis

– PLC / DCS

Maximo Enterprise Adapter (MEA)

• Opens up Maximo to the outside world

• Supports external systems read + write

– Web Services

– Interface Tables

– Flat / XML Files

– JMS Queues / EJB

• Provides very basic to complex integration features

• Allows pre- and post-processing of data before sending/receiving

Maximo MEA Out-of-the-Box Capabilities

• For the following examples:

– No programming required

– All configuration done with standard Maximo Web application

• Integration using files (comma separated, XML)

– Inbound: provides bulk-loading of data capability into Maximo

• Integration using Interface Tables

– Low cost, 1st pass upgrade option from older versions of Maximo using

database tables

File-based Integration with the MEA - Outbound

External System1. User

approves WO 2. MEA processes WO and generates

file

File with 3. External

MaximoFile with

WO Information

3. ExternalSystem picks up

new file

File-based Integration with the MEA - Inbound

External System3. MEA

processes file and generates WO records

File with

1. ExternalSystem

2. User performs Data

Load in Maximo

MaximoFile with

WO Information

System generates new

file

You can use this method to bulk-load data into Maximo

Interface Tables with the MEA - Outbound

External System1. User

approves WO

2. MEA processes WO and generates

row(s) in MXWO_IFACE

table 5. ExternalSystem reads

Maximo4. External

System polls MXOUT_INTER

_TRANS

3. MEA Generates new

row for TRANSID in

MXOUT_INTER_TRANS table

System reads MXWO_IFACE

Maximo tables are never used directly!

Interface Tables with the MEA - Inbound

External System4. MEA reads

MXWO_IFACE and generates WO Record(s)

1. ExternalSystem writes to MXWO_IFACE

Maximo

2. External System writes TRANSID to

MXIN_INTER_TRANS table

3. MEA polls MXIN_INTER_TRANS

for new TRANSID

MXWO_IFACE table

Maximo tables are never written to directly!

Why not write to Maximo tables directly?

• Not supported

• Not upgradeable

• Re-implementing Maximo business logic

MEA Terminology

Maximo External System

Outbound

InboundNotifyQuery

NotifyResponse

DB Tables

Business

Objects

Integration

Objects

Interfaces

WORKORDER Table

Work OrderLocationJob Plan

<Workorder />

Processing, Sending / Receiving

External

Systems

Files, Web Services, JMS Queues

Let’s demonstrate…

Best Practices - the Integration Project (1/2)

• Decide which system is the master record or “owner” of the data

• Avoid “middle-man” solutions such as data warehouses

– Data replication must be minimized or (preferably) eliminated

• Keep transactions down to single “request – response”

– Avoid “chattering”– Avoid “chattering”

• Plan and document your integration project

– Identify and document all systems

– Identify and document business processes between those systems

• Don’t integrate end-of-life applications, migrate them

– Maximo may be able to replace their functionality without customization

• Keep it Simple!

– Create and complete separate projects for different systems

Best Practices - the Integration Project (2/2)

• Set up a proper environment with three systems

– Develop

– Test

– Production

• Train the team on the technologies used

– Maximo MEA

– Java

– Web Services, XML, WSDL

Thank you for your attendance.Are you looking for information or assistance on Maximo Integration?

Maximo Integration Workshop - $3,995

This three day, on-site workshop covers:

• Hands-on Training• Hands-on Training

• Your Target system(s) evaluation

• Assessment of Requirements and Feasibility

• Project Plan

OR: a customized solution to match your requirements.

Contact Ontracks at info@ontracksconsulting.com or +1 (780) 916-3639