1.1 Architecture

Web 2.0 Connect is a platform-independent API layer for Operations Center.  Client applications use the HTTP protocol to submit queries to one of the Web 2.0 Connect APIs and in response, receive a response in XML or JavaScript Object Notation (JSON).

Web 2.0 Connect can be used with any programming language that provides asynchronous support for the HTTP protocol and processing of XML documents or JSON streams.

Developers can use development tools of their choice. The supported protocols include REST-style URI access using XML or JSON formats, classic SOAP access (with XML-Schema/XSD), GWT RPC and AMF (Action Media Format) RPC.  Each of these protocols can be mixed and matched according to needs.  As an example, a Flex-based application might utilize REST/XML and AMF RPC.  A GWT application might use REST/JSON and GWT/RPC.

Web 2.0 Connect provides an expandable layer based on new environments used by Rich Internet Applications developers. Web2Connect provides middleware Web services access for browser-based applications.  The Web services are provided in a variety of protocols and supply access to the Operations Center data model.

The data model access includes querying element information, element relationships, parent/child relationships, element properties, element alarms, and element time series data (for charting).  In addition, element operations are supported, as well as element and relationship creates, updates, and removes.

Figure 1-1 Web 2.0 Connect Architecture

Integrated session management is provided in the dashboard Web application architecture. A developer writing a portlet can avoid performing any reauthentication and can focus on data access. Thus, when a portlet is rendered in a browser, it expects that prior authentication and session establishment with the dashboard server has occurred, leaving the developer to only focus on the query APIs required for reporting.

Conversely, a stand-alone application must start with the construction of a session with the backend, and must also log out when the application closes.  The session management layer allows subsequent method calls to Web 2.0 Connect to avoid re-logins with credentials (as a classic SOAP application requires).