OMS Architecture

The OMS architecture is based on the Microsoft Application Model.  It is a logical three tier architecture consisting of user services, business services and data services.

User services provide an application with its interface¹. Both user and application (programmatic) interfaces are defined as user services.  The OMS user services consist of traditional user interface objects (e.g., windows, forms, dialog boxes) and local business objects.  These local business objects contain validation and processing methods that can be implemented locally on a single instance of an object.  In addition, these local business objects wrapper access to business services.

Business services implement business rules and procedures.  They are the application logic that control sequencing, and enforcement of business rules and the transactional integrity of the operations they perform².  In OMS, business services will be implemented as components (OLE Automation Servers or ActiveX components).  In addition, workflow is being designed as part of the business services layer because it implements business rules and provides integrity of the workflow objects.

Data services provide for the manipulation of data³. They maintain the availability and integrity of persistent data.  Data services isolate user and business services from the underlying persistent data storage.  In OMS data services will be implemented as a combination of  ORACLE database views and OLE Automation services.

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¹ Microsoft Solutions Framework CD-ROM, 1996,Microsoft Corporation.
² Ibid.
³ Ibid.