XML and Web Services Individual Assignment

1. Individual Assignment:

1.1 Learning Outcomes:

On conclusion students should be able to:

LO1: Design an effective and valid data schema suitable for storing and transporting
information across the distributed and service oriented environment (C6, PLO3).
LO2: Integrate web services into a service oriented application using the valid data
schema as information transport (A4, PLO6).
LO3: Defend the choices made in determining the use of web services and data schema in
an application based on current web standards (A4, PLO8).

2. Assignment Requirements:

2.1. Web Client & Service System

Using any Web Client and Service technology, develop a web application having both
web client dashboard as well as Web Service based data exchange mechanisms using any
remote data access (REST / SOAP Service etc.) frameworks. You are required to get an
approval of your system idea from the module lecturer before you proceed for the
development work.

The application is to be developed using service oriented architecture accommodating

below components.

 The presentation tier will be a web application developed using any client /
server framework
- Presentation tier will be aggregating data from service orchestration layer
for web dashboard related workflows.
- Presentation tier may utilize any web request & payload mechanisms for
communication with orchestration layer.
 The service orchestration layer will be a data aggregation service combining data
from multiple backing services
- Service orchestration will primarily be redirecting calls to backend
services.
- No data cache / request transformation to be performed on service
orchestration layer.
 The backend services will be responsible for data access from their respected
local XML / Non XML data repositories
- Appropriate data access management will be provided through DOM for
XML data repositories.
- Appropriate data access management will be provided through
relational/non-relational data access frameworks for Non-XML data
repositories.
XML and Web Services Individual Assignment

- Data Schema / Validation rules will be accommodated for data

repositories.

3. Assignment Deliverables:

The deliverables consist of a design document, source code, and deployable

modules/application. The design document should describe the system architecture,
components, and customized component frameworks. The deliverables as Web
Application / Web Service projects are to be submitted to the Admin (burned on a
CD) on or before the project due date. Your design documents should include the
following content:
 A cover page and Table of contents (with page numbering).
 Design of web components with a brief description of how the web application /
Service technologies are used.
 Web page design, including wireframes.
 Design of service orchestration tier with a brief description of how the backing
services are aggregated.
 Design of backing services & their data tier access APIs
 Overview of your application and a brief description of the system architecture
and interconnection among the tiers.
 Data Tier design, with description of each Schema / Entity.
 References

3.1. Knowledge/Presentation

 A poster presentation highlighting end to end interaction flows

 Able to provide all information and / or answer all questions with regards to the
components of the project including service integrations, service contracts & test
cases.
 Answers questions accurately and confidently.

3.2. Suggested Development Scope:

A sample coursework assignment scenario is given below but said scenario is just for
your guidance. You do not need to stick rigidly to this scenario.

You are required to work individually for this coursework assignment.

3.2.1. Sample Assignment Scenario

Online travel agencies and services provide a straightforward means for travellers to
manage and book their itineraries from the convenience of their homes. As online
traveling services becomes more sophisticated, it becomes increasingly possible to
avoid visiting brick and mortar travel agencies even for more complex traveling
needs. However, clients often must visit a multitude of travel related web sites in
order to check recent developments in prices, convenience of connections,
synchronize flights with airport transport etc.
XML and Web Services Individual Assignment

This assignment specification requires you to put together a scenario involving a set
of Web services to serve a travel company. The company intends to offer to people
the ability to book complete vacation packages: plane/train/bus tickets, hotels, car
rental, excursions, etc. Service providers (airlines, bus companies, hotel chains, etc)
will be providing Web services to query their offerings and perform reservations.

Due to the loosely coupled-nature of Web services, the travel agent won’t need to
have a priori agreements with service providers. This will allow the travel company to
have access to more services, offering more options to its customers and therefore
generating more business for themselves. For this version of the usage scenario, you
will limit yourself to booking of vacation packages. You will also assume that
cancellation is not possible once a package has been purchased.

3.2.2. Stakeholders / Interests

Travel Agent: Provides a system to provide the user with options for his/her vacation;
earns money by charging fees for each package bought.

Service Providers: Sell their services by making them available widely.

Credit Card Company: Enables customers to use their credit cards in a very large
number of cases and makes profit with each monetary transaction

Consumer: Book vacation easily by choosing among a large variety of offers.

Only the consumer in the scenario is a human being. The travel agent service, airline
& hotel that the travel agent is interacting with, are machines.

3.2.3. Actors & Goals

Consumer: Best combination of services and prices for his/her needs.

Travel agent: Customer satisfaction, sell packages.
Service Providers: Sell services.

3.2.4. Use Cases

The following use cases provide an overview of the scenario detailing vacation
packages.

 Composing a vacation package

 Booking a chosen vacation package
 Introducing a new hotel Web service

Note: Refer to Appendix-A for details on above use cases.

3.2.5. Interaction Flows

3.2.5.1. User requests availabilities about some travel dates

XML and Web Services Individual Assignment

Goal / Context

The user provides a destination and some dates to the travel agent service. The
travel agent service inquires airlines about deals and presents them to the user.

Steps

a) The user is presented with a form to fill in order to provide the travel agent
service with details about dates of his/her travel and the destination.
b) The user submits the information to the service in order to get a list of flights
corresponding to his/her schedule.
c) For each airline found, the travel agent service requests a list of flights
accommodating the user.
d) The travel agent service presents the results of the queries to the user letting
him/her choose the best option

Extensions

If no flight can be found, the user should be presented with an error.

3.2.5.2. User requests chooses flight and looks for hotels

Goal / Context

The user has been presented with options for flights to go to his/her destination.
The user chooses a preferred flight. The service puts the seats on hold, and goes
on with proposing lodging options to the user.

Steps

a) The user communicates his/her choice for the flight.

b) The travel agent service requests the chosen airline to put the flight on hold.
c) The airline returns a confirmation number with an expiry date.
d) The travel agent service finds a list of hotels.
e) For each hotel found, the travel agent service requests accommodation options
for the period.
f) The travel agent service looks for payment services available, and builds a list
of options for the user.
g) The travel agent service presents the results of the queries to the user letting
him choose the best options, along with the payment options offered.

Extensions

If the seats are not available anymore, the travel agent service presents the user
with an error message and the user is presented with an updated list of available
flights to choose from.
XML and Web Services Individual Assignment

3.2.5.3. User books hotel room and flight

Goal / Context

The user has been presented with options for hotels to go to his/her destination
and a means of payment. The user chooses a hotel option. The travel agent service
contacts payment service for payment authorization. The service books the hotel
and confirms the flight, using the payment authorization from the payment
service.

Steps

a) The user communicates his/her accommodation choice to the travel agent

service.
b) The travel agent service contacts the payment service that the user chose to
confirm payment. The response indicates success with an authorization
number.
c) The travel agent service books the hotel room for the chosen hotel service.
d) The travel agent service confirms the flight reservation with request sent to
airline service to buy the ticket(s) on hold previously.
e) The travel agent service provides the user with various confirmation numbers
and wishes the user a good vacation.

Extensions

 If the payment service doesn’t confirm the validity of the user’s payment
option, the user should be presented with an error.
 If the hotel room cannot be booked, the user should be presented with an
error and should get to choose from an updated list of options
 If the flight reservation cannot be confirmed, the hotel room reservation
should be cancelled and the user should be presented with an error and
start the reservation process again

APPENDIX A – USE CASES

Overview
XML and Web Services Individual Assignment

i. Use Case - Composing a vacation package

ii. Use Case - Booking a chosen vacation package

XML and Web Services Individual Assignment

iii. Use Case – Introducing a new hotel web service

XML and Web Services Individual Assignment