The process model illustrated in Figure 1 is an overview of the ZTP installation process. Note that the graphic includes an Envisioning phase, during which initial thinking and planning about a project occur. That phase ends with the scope of the project defined. This guide does not include information about the project Envisioning phase because this preliminary planning will have already taken place. This guide begins with the Planning phase. ZTP PlatformAt a high level, as shown in Figure 2, the ZTP engine acts as a process coordinator and performs data monitoring, logging, workflow, and authorization services. ZTP is implemented as a BizTalk 2004 Human Workflow Services application and is composed of the following components: | • | A BizTalk 2004 server that manages the provisioning process and maintains the transaction state of each request. | | • | ZTP HWS Action building blocks that perform configuration, transaction logging, audit trail, billing, and other services. |
ZTP interprets high-level XML requests from the user interface by referring to BizTalk Human Workflow Services Actions and expanding them into tasks that can be completed synchronously or asynchronously by specific ZTP building blocks. ZTP also maintains state, performs logging, maintains audit trails, and supports policy-based administration. ZTP provides a configuration description of a specific application or device and uses XML as the intermediary language to ensure that all elements speak to each other and that the task will be accomplished in the sequence required. ZTP requests can be generated by an application, an end-user using a Web-enabled UI such as Windows SharePoint Services, or a system administrator through a customized user interface. These requests are based on SOAP/XML and therefore can be easily read and understood by the administrator. Requests can be dynamically generated to enable increased flexibility, and the ability of the ZTP to accept repeated data elements enables batch input. ZTP maintains contextual information and the transaction state. It enlists the provisioning transaction with Data Translation Coordination (DTC), which enables providers using DTC-compliant resources (such as Microsoft SQL Server 2000 or Microsoft MSMQ) to use their transactional capabilities. Process coordination also enlists with the DTC and handles DTC two-phase calls. ZTP also supports delegation so that specific administrator-assigned task privileges can be queued and accomplished without system administrator intervention, and it supports a pipeline of tasks that can be executed synchronously or asynchronously. ZTP ComponentsZTP uses each server product to provide the high level of baseline functionality needed to enable the advanced services offered by ZTP. They are integrated together in such a way as to form the logical components of ZTP. The following list describes the components of ZTP: | • | The User Self Service Portal (USSP). This Windows SharePoint Services based user interface (UI) provides a baseline level manner to leverage the underlying capabilities of ZTP. The USSP provides both an interface for administrators as well as a security flow-through context to allow specific requests to be originated by end-users on behalf of their Web sites or email accounts. Administrators and partners can use the USSP as a base for their final solution or simply as a vehicle through which they can gain a better understanding of the capabilities of ZTP. | | • | Pre-Configured Zero Touch Services. Pre-Configured Activity flows are elements of standardized provisioning logic that define a set of tasks, which must be accomplished as part of a provisioning request. These Pre-Configured Activity Flows are composed of Zero Touch Building Block HWS Actions so in such a manner that they can be easily modified to work in disparate customer environments. An example would be, “Do A then do B, then do C, and then do D.” Higher-level applications, administrators, and UIs can call Pre-Configured Actions to help translate their business logic into Zero Touch Building Blocks. These Pre-Configured Activity Flows are accessed through the Human Workflow Web Services Interface which expands the flows and steps through the process of executing each specific ZTP component orchestration via BizTalk Server. | | • | Zero Touch Building Block Actions. Zero Touch Building Blocks are defined pieces of reusable logic that can be easily used to compose additional ZTP services. Each building block is actually a BizTalk 2004 Human Workflow Services action constructed in a manner that allows it to be easily used by the ZTP engine. The following is a list of the base building blocks provided by ZTP: | • | Approval. The Approval building block is responsible for getting approval and routing information for the service requested by the end user. It utilizes the BizTalk Business Rules engine to drive the parameters of the requested service through the business logic defined by administrators. | | • | Billing. Totals the associated costs of each action in the activity flow, totals it, and writes it to the billing table in the ZTP database. Billing is based on configurable BizTalk business rule policies that allow administrator to easily modify how billing is calculated. | | • | Audit. Writes parameter information to the Audit table in the ZTP database or the security log depending on the configuration setup by provisioning administrators. | | • | RunScript. The RunScript action runs the script specified in the parameters passed in during creation and monitors and reports results on the script execution. | | • | Validate. The Validate action runs a BizTalk business rule against the complete Zero Touch Activity flow to check that the parameters for the activity flow fall within organizational norms. | | • | Completion Alert. The completion alert action sends the results of the complete activity flow to the user(s) who initiated the activity flow via email. |
| | • | The ZTP Service Utility. A COM+ Service Component that combined with the Zero Touch Web Parts maintains a browser based user interface. A user defines and controls the workflow process. It presents the provisioning steps, extracts defaults from the services catalog, and allows the user to override defaults and make the appropriate selections from lists of options for input to account creation, resource definitions, and software (builds and packages). It presents back to the user the state of the provisioning process and allows the user to confirm or undo particular steps. | | • | Zero Touch Administrator Portal. Allows authorized users to make changes to existing services as well as implement new services. |
ZTP ArchitectureThe ZTP platform relies heavily on new capabilities of the Microsoft platform and E-Business suite to provide a comprehensive provisioning platform for customers and partners. The following server products used, and Figure 3 shows how ZTP combines these products in to the solution: | • | Windows Server 2003 | | • | Windows Authorization Manager | | • | BizTalk Server 2004 | | • | SQL Server 2000 |
To enable further customization and extension of ZTP to other services and platforms, Microsoft will also make available a set of development tools and documented interfaces as a part of a software development kit (SDK).
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