When designing an integration or interface between multiple enterprise systems, for example, but not limited to, a Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations or Dynamics 365 Business Central ERP and an E-Commerce channel for a web-shop, the following architectural pillars must be considered to ensure the design covers the various aspects of a robust and secure intgeration.

• Synchronization flow: Specify if uni-directional or bi-directional
• For Uni-directional flows: Specify synchronization direction
  
• For Bi-directional flows: Specify master datasource
• Synchronization Type: Specify if batch processing, direct action or tirggered by an event
• Time type: real-time, delayed updates
• Synchronization trigger type (applicable for non-batch): synchronous (blocking), asynchronous (non-blocking)
• Synchronization frequency (applicable for batches): hourly, daily per minute and time of day or day of month etc
• Synchronisation parallelism: Specify if single thread or multiple threads per synchronisation event
• Synchronisation data processing time and time-outs: Typical processing times and time-outs
• Any middleware used: This can be SQL Server agent, BizTalk, LogicApps, Retail CDX, Flow, CDS Data Integrator, etc and any associated licensing costs
• Data mapping / transformation strategy: How will data model elements such as dates, currencies, enums etc from one system be maped to that of another system
• Synchronization authentication: How will the synchronisation data and tools be protected from unathorised access
• Synchronization authorisation: How will users and integrating tools be segregated to only the data they should able to view, edit, update and delete
• Synchronization config storage: Where are the parametersfor the synchronisation stored? In one of the integrated applications such as the ERP, in a text file, in the middleware
• Synchronization config format: How is configuration data stored? As database data, as XML, as JSON?
• Synchronization config maintenance: How is setup exported and inmorted between different instances of the application such as a test and a production environment.
• Logging strategy: How can Power users monitor the synchronisation and view any errors or warning which are raised?
• Error handling and “re-try” strategy: How are errors handled? Is there a full or parital roll-back? Are failed records marked to be re-tried? How many times does a re-try happen?
• Performance considerations: Such as: e.g. Synchronous flows over low bandwidth or high latency networks -or- endpoint is experiencing high work-load

At Bluefort we have the necessary expertise to design the best integrations for your line of business applications based on the above pillars and industry-accepted best practices.

If you would like to learn more on how we can help you with system integrations do not hesitate to contact us on: info@bluefort.com.mt