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Amarco case study: a banking authorization system

Services and structure

This is a "classic" study of a banking authorization system. The basic services of this system are:
  • Process and deliver authorization to its own cardholders
  • Request external authorization for alien cardholders
  • Fulfill billing and administration services

The system's objects were first defined in Amarco Repository tool. They were drawn afterwards by the Amarco Cartography tool. This page presents the services and the structure of the authorization system. Another page presents the behavior aspects.

Summary

  • external architecture
  • internal architecture
  • internal object
  • notes about reuse
  •  


    Authorization system - External Architecture

    The External architecture of the system shows the users of the system and the service points:

    ATM access system - presents the user requests for authorization
    Billing system - used to store billing information for fulfilled requests
    Administrator - controls the system
    External authorization system - processes the requests from non-local cardholders

    The picture shows also the service points (red for "server" Service Point, white for "client" Service Point):

    Authorization system - external architecture

    A better view - the same image - JPEG (70 K)

    For example, the Authorization service point could support the following services:

     

    Requested services

    Rendered services

    Request authorization  
        Authorization granted
        Authorization denied, card preserved
        Authorization denied, system unavailable
        Authorization denied, card rendered
    Request account information  
        Information present
        System unavailable

    The external architecture shows the purpose of the system. This global view tells what is the environment of the system and how the system is connected to this environment. With the service definitions you may ask prospective sellers about available products.

    Authorization system - Internal Architecture

    The internal architecture shows the component objects. The service points that were visible in the external architecture view are now mapped on the component objects. We can see now also other objects and service points that were not visible before.

    Authorization system - internal architecture

    A better view - the same image - JPEG (111 K).

    This picture is easy to understand, even by non-technical oriented managers! The information is organized in objects. It is possible to assign the objects to various people or organizations, to be taken in charge. It is clear which services concern each object, how the objects connect and communicate. The picture tells the whole story. At the same time there is rigor in this organization representation. All communications between the components take place only through service points, and we know which services belong to which service points.

    NOTE: The relationship that is depicted is not confined to technical domain. An enterprise is organized like that!

    Internal object - authorization network

    The internal objects that make the structure of the authorization system are seen as external architectures. Each one can be divided in the component parts. For example, the authorization network object may contain a conversational network.

    Authorization network - internal architecture

    A better view - the same image - JPEG (100 K)

    The conversational network may be divided at its turn in component parts etc.

    Notes about reuse

    It is interesting to note that the conversational network object is not dependent on the authorization network. If there is another project, like a messaging system, the conversational network object can be reused.

    I think it is clear that the reuse concerns the specifications, the service definition and the paperwork that was needed to specify what a conversational network is like. It may lead to the reuse of the implementation of the conversational system, but this is not compulsory. What is reused is the know-how about the object, and this know-how can be applied to any technology!

    This page presents the services and the structure of the authorization system. Another page presents the behavior aspects.