E-LT Integration to Heterogeneous Data Information for SMEs Networking based on E-HUB Gui-xian Zhou 1, Qing-sheng Xie 2 and Yao Hu 3 1. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, SouthWest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China 2. Key Lab of Modern Manufacturing Technology, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China 3. Key Lab of Modern Manufacturing Technology, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China [email protected];2. [email protected];[email protected] Abstract Data integration across heterogeneous systems is a key issue for successful enterprise application systems development. This paper studies the theoretics and methods about the E-HUB platform. Analyzes the necessity of data integration in transportation, and the methods and technology of it are summarized and compared also. Then the E-LT and Oracle data integrator structure are analyzed. With the help of OracleDI associated with E-HUB platform, a new method to the modeling for integrated simulation of heterogeneous systems for SMEs is provided. Based on E-HUB, the SMEs can solve their complex engineering tasks and participate in projects far exceeding their individual capabilities. 1. Introduction Today's business environment is more competitive than ever. Today’s enterprises are under a great deal of pressure to adjust rapidly to changing business dimensions and dynamics and, at the same time, do more with fewer resources. In today’s complex manufacturing environment companies are trying to respond to market demands and changes in the supply chain by providing demand visibility directly to the manufacturing floor through plant-wide systems integration. Flexible integration of resources and engineering collaboration of self-governed SMEs is expected to facilitate the strengthening of the competitive position of SMEs in their struggle for the future through acquisition of a critical mass in terms of necessary skills, capabilities and capacities[1]. The recent split of self-proclaimed "BSPs" (Business Service Providers) from the ranks of "ASPs" (Application Service Providers) highlights the divergence in value propositions and market positioning that net-hosted service providers now bring to the market. As business and IT professionals struggle to craft flexible-state-of-the-art e-business strategies, ASPs and BSPs along with E-Hubs-net-based vertical market trading hubs such as Chemdex or Metalsite - are all candidates for filling part of the need. Few if any are capable of delivering all the functions necessary to quickly transform a major existing enterprise into a fully functioning e-business. Nervewire's own scenario-based analysis of the ASP market indicates that the initial ASP offers of "standardized, one-size fits all template applications" lack appeal for increasing numbers of customers. Offered on a stand-alone basis as an outsourced alternative to traditional IT computing solutions, they are a non-compelling value proposition. What gets e-business managers and their IT advisers to take notice is the ability to solve business problems quickly, using scalable, reliable, cost-effective IT resources. ASPs can provide quick, affordable access to IT infrastructure and operational expertise but they rarely address business workflow or inter-company market exchange requirements. BSPs address business process issues and offer the opportunity to outsource whole business functions. E-hubs provide secure trading environments to link with external buyers and suppliers. ASPs sell to IT, BSPs sell to functional business managers and E-Hubs sell to marketing and procurement organizations[2]. Unfortunately, all these systems and services need to share data and be accessed via a unified interface if the customer is truly going to re-invent the way it does business. However, the above mentioned efforts would not provide desired sustainable effect. E-Hubs: are neutral Internet-based intermediaries that focus on specific industry verticals or specific business processes, host electronic marketplaces, and use various market-making mechanisms to mediate any-to-any transactions among businesses. E-Hubs create value by: (1) Aggregating demand and supply (2) Increasing marketplace liquidity (3) Reducing transaction costs The E-Hubs will be configurable by offering transparent collaboration templates to each of these systems. The E-Hubs will also support adequate forms of process and knowledge sharing, provide SME back-office engineering tool support (pure play E-HUB function) and foster trust building, contract management and marketing relationships. Particular attention will be given to the business development of the E-Hubs entity. The E-Hubs Fourth International Conference on Natural Computation978-0-7695-3304-9/08 $25.00 © 2008 IEEEDOI 212Fourth International Conference on Natural Computation978-0-7695-3304-9/08 $25.00 © 2008 IEEEDOI 212Fourth International Conference on Natural Computation978-0-7695-3304-9/08 $25.00 © 2008 IEEEDOI 10.1109/ICNC.2008.77212Fourth International Conference on Natural Computation978-0-7695-3304-9/08 $25.00 © 2008 IEEEDOI 10.1109/ICNC.2008.77212business unit is hybrid in nature (supporting both Web based hosting as well as face to face training and consulting services). Standard services such as secure payment and contract management will be franchised in the prototype of the ‘best of breed” suppliers in the market. There's no denying that data is one of your company’s most important assets, and data integration constitutes the backbone of your enterprise’s IT systems. Choosing the wrong technology for data integration can cause harmful, long-lasting effects that impact not only the IT budget, but also the productivity and responsiveness of critical business divisions within your enterprise. With so many years invested in the older data integration technology base, it is easy to overlook some of the nagging and persistent problems that it created. These problematic issues include the following: (1)The “hub-and-spoke” architecture, still used by many data integration environments, is costly to implement and often becomes a bottleneck that slows down the overall IT systems. (2) Many data integration projects are still treated as independent projects, with no overall consistency, resulting in silos of integration. This is exacerbated by most integration platforms’ lack of support for multiple typologies of data latency and volume; for example, few systems support high-volume data