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Executive Summary................................................................................................................................... 03
Business Challenges....................................................................................................................... 04
Development Challenges................................................................................................................ 05
Reducing Mobile Application Development Life Cycle Time using Oracle MAF........................................ 10
Conclusion................................................................................................................................................. 25
About Us.................................................................................................................................................... 26
The popularity of mobile applications can be seen in every aspect of the enterprise. Enterprise mobility
solutions, and as a service, are increasingly gaining prominence. There are several factors which is
influencing this growth. As per industry experts and leading market research firms:
By 2017, 50% of employers will require employees to supply their own device for work purposes
(BYOD)
By 2020, the Global Enterprise Mobility market opportunity has been pegged at $140 billion
Going with these numbers, the technology landscape is driving the entire mobile eco-system towards
enabling mobility for organizations, across industry verticals. Right from retail, healthcare, financial
services, manufacturing, logistics, construction, telecommunication and even real-estate are aligning
their business strategy with mobility roadmap.
There are many approaches to choosing the right mobile application framework and tools for building the
mobile applications.
This paper, specifically, explains extending Oracle Applications on Mobile using Oracle Mobile
Application Framework (MAF) & Oracle Mobile Security. It addresses the framework, approach,
architecture options to extend Oracle applications on mobile, why one should avoid heterogeneous
mobile platforms within their IT landscape, how Oracle MAF can reduce the mobile app development life
cycle time and the enhanced security features available in Oracle MAF.
The paper, also, describes some of the key learning and benefits achieved using Oracle MAF, to
implement several enterprise mobile applications by RapidValue Solutions.
Developing mobile applications is not easy, as there are several parameters to be considered, such as
business and development challenges.
Business Challenges
Secure Corporate Information and Enterprise Systems: The CIOs would like to ensure that the mobile
adoption does not make changes to the current security infrastructure and policy implementations. They
would like to extend the current security methods. Also, they would like to decouple the authorization and
authentication from the enterprise backend systems.
High Performance and Transactions: The mobile application platform and architecture should be able to
scale-up according to the transaction volumes. In the present age, several transactions will hit in the form
of just queries, there will be users simply checking the products without actually purchasing one.
Therefore, the mobile application platform should be able to handle high volumes. Also, the platform
should have the ability to support concurrent applications, simultaneously.
Integration: One of the major concerns is, how can the enterprise data and applications be exposed,
using the existing tools and the technologies for integrating with mobile.
Skilled Resources: The CIOs would like to have a platform for development which utilizes popular
technologies like Java and available skill sets in the company, so that they can utilize the existing IT team
for making changes and maintenance.
Aggressive Timelines: On an average most organizations would like to develop 25 applications and add
many new features to the application in a year. The time lines became aggressive from months to weeks.
Therefore, the mobile application platform should have the ability to support quick development using
declarative frameworks and pre-built components.
Aggressive
Integration
Timelines
• Integration with other
Systems
• Faster response time
• Mobile Integration High
• Higher Volume of
Performance
& Scalability Transactions
• High Availability
Development Challenges
Build & Integrate Complex Backend Functionality: The developers would like to focus on front-end
functionality and UI coding. Almost 50% of their work is involved in writing code for APIs, developing
backend functions like GPS, push notifications, chat etc. They prefer a development framework that will
ease the complexity of device backend feature and provides quick integration capability, security features
and other functions like chat, GPS etc.
Some of the other challenges include multiple devices support and availability of wide-range of Integrated
Development Environment (IDE).
Build Complex
Back end
• 50% of Time goes into Functions
coding Backend
Functions
• Time for Writing Security
Features
There are multiple mobile application development options available, such as Mobile Web App (HTML5,
JavaScript), Native mobile apps (iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry), Cross-platform (PhoneGap,
Appcelerator, IBM Worklight, RhoMobile and Adobe AIR) and Mobile apps (iOS, Android) using Oracle
MAF.
Developing Mobile Application can be a made easy, if you choose the right mobile application framework.
8 weeks of
development were tedious.
Many support engineers
couldn’t communicate in
properly, and the final app
couldn’t be launched
because of its bugs. All I And this is how
I know that trying to
got for spending effort & I tried to build a
code or Program
everything myself money was a terrible app. Mobile
would be a disaster App…using
Oracle MAF
Develop
Manage Integrate
Deploy Secure
Develop – Developers should use MAF to build mobile applications using HTML5/Java/CSS3
environment i.e. to build cross-platform mobile applications. Since, Java and HTML5 are popular
technologies, the organizations can leverage the existing IT skill sets. You can build mobile apps for iOS
/Android phones and tablets using a single source code. The applications can leverage the device
features like camera, GPS, contacts etc. using the in-built Cordova. Also, developer should build offline
capabilities using local SQLite database.
Integrate – Integration of corporate data and applications with external systems has been a major concern
for organizations adopting mobility. Use Oracle FMW components for seamless integration of enterprise
data and applications with mobile devices. Oracle SOA suite and OSB can be used for exposing
enterprise data as web services and REST API’s. The Web services and APIs can be created out of the
existing systems without causing any change to the IT infrastructure using FMW components like SOA
suite, OSB and adapters.
Secure - Oracle MAF supports in-built security framework which can leverage the security and access
features in Oracle Mobile Security components like OAM. MAF provides a unique Login authentication
with EBS SDK for Java. Existing enterprise backend system authentication and authorizations can be
federated or re-used using MAF without changing. MAF also supports multiple in-built security frame
works like Mobile and Social, OAuth 2.0 and HTTPS. MAF can integrate easily with OAM / OID and use
backend roles and privileges for secure authorizations.
Deploy - The MAF applications are deployed on a robust web logic server to manage large volume of
transactions. It ensures high availability and scalability.
Manage – Allows management of fraudulent activities, logins, device finger printing etc.
02
A Whitepaper by RapidValue Solutions 07
Benefits of Oracle Mobile Application Framework (MAF)
Oracle MAF addresses all the critical challenges and provides a cost-effective solution with quick
deployment.
1. Single Platform – It handles end-to-end life cycle for enterprise mobility solutions
2. Hybrid Framework – It supports developing Android and iOS applications with Single Source
Code
4. Speeds up UI development
d. The platform enables accessing device features such as camera, contacts, GPS etc.
using in-built Cordova plug-in
f. It supports development of applications that can work in offline mode by using local
SQLite database
While extending Oracle applications, it is best and wise to use components from the Oracle stack. Oracle
Mobile Platform now provides end-to-end infrastructure to develop, integrate, secure and manage your
mobile applications. Oracle MAF provides in-built capabilities and configuration options to leverage the
Oracle Fusion Middleware (FMW) stack of components which will ensure faster development time and
lesser coding. All these integration and security can be implemented without even writing a single line of
code. Let’s analyze how major Oracle components can eliminate the need of heterogeneous systems and
applications.
Development – This is the crux and the major foundation of this whitepaper. Oracle MAF can be the best
mobile application development platform that can provide a cross-platform framework for developing iOS
and Android mobile applications. MAF includes pre-built configuration to enable Oracle Mobile Security
and is compatible with Oracle FMW components which means lesser coding and quicker
implementation of security. We can avoid using other cross-platform frameworks when we have MAF
Integration – Oracle provides Oracle Service Bus (OSB) and other FMW adapters. There is no need to
look for other Enterprise Service Bus (ESB). OSB is a proven integration and routing mechanism, which
also provides facility to implement Oracle web service security.
Security – Oracle FMW is rich in security components and is out-of-box compatible with MAF. Oracle EBS
SDK for Java (JAAS Login) can be configured using MAF default HTTP basic authentication. MAF
includes pre-built feature for implementing app containerization and security using OMSS (Oracle Mobile
Security Suite). This is an extension of Oracle Identity Management (OIM) security that provides role
based access to enterprise mobile applications. This helps developers to use this for MDM/ MAM and
there is no need to use any third-party solution. We can implement risk based login using Oracle MAF.
Oracle API gateway is an great tool that can provide first level defense security by implementing at the
HTTP servers and between the firewalls. It provides the first check for API control and monitoring.
Monitoring - Oracle MAF also provides consoles for API monitoring, detecting fraudulent activities, user
activities etc. This eases the complexities of building a separate admin or web interface for monitoring and
managing the mobile applications.
Oracle MAF includes several features and functionality which accelerates the implementation process.
Some of the features provided, and configuration required to go-to-market quickly are:
1. Drag and Drop Components – It allows developers to create task flows and create task flow
views
2. Re-usable Components – It can be created and stored in the library for other projects
3. Declarative Components
Configuration – 1: Create task flows for views using MAF task flow components
Create Default AMX page view layout component (e.g. Do you need Header, footer, primary
buttons etc.)
Configuration – 6: Generate the List View Code – without writing a single line of code
OMSS is an enterprise mobile security suite that is placed on top of Oracle Identity Management (OIM)
and Access Management (OAM) platforms. It is an extension of OID (Oracle Internet Directory)/OIM
platforms. This is a MDM/MAM suite from Oracle that extends corporate security by providing client side
‘App Containerization’ for iOS/Android apps. OMSS avoids the problems of personal apps being
monitored and managed by corporate policies in the BYOD scenario. It creates a separate
corporate app container which whitelists the app authentications and authorizations using OAM/OID
services. It also has an optional PIM (Personal Information Manager) applications for securing emails,
contacts, tasks etc. and synchronizing with corporate exchange servers.
It provides application containerization and isolates enterprise apps from personal apps
It extends Oracle Access Manager and IDM services for role based authentications and
authorizations
It provides Oracle secure workspace with “Oracle Mail Manager” tools for PIM apps such as email,
contacts, calendar, tasks etc.
It provides Oracle mobile security admin console for remote wipe, locking apps, controlling access
and monitoring
MAF version 2.0.1 + includes default support for app containerization using OMSS. This is
currently available only for iOS apps of MAF
With MAF 2.0.1, securing MAF application with OMSS is as simple as clicking a check box in the
Deployment Profile Dialog Box, and the deployment process automatically generates the iOS binary (ipa
file), wraps the binary with Oracle Secure Workspace container and signs the application with the
distribution certificates and provisioning profiles. MAF and OMSS consist of internal compatibility in-built.
MAF by itself provides tight integration with OMSS. It is enabled by selecting the check box while
deploying the application
SSO Integration
(Kerberos)
OMSS
Containerized App
OMSS Admin
Console
DMZ
OID
OAM
Oracle Secure
Mail/ PIM Manager
Oracle Mobile
Security Access
App Server
Tunnel
OWSM
Enterprise
System
OSM/ESB
Personal App
Note: OID - Oracle Internet Directory, OAM - Oracle Access Manager, OWSM - Oracle Web Service
Manager, OSB - Oracle Service Bus, ESB - Enterprise Service Bus
For displaying order status For sorting orders For sorting orders
progression according to Today, Week, according to Today, Week,
Month time period Month time period
Train component was
available in ADF faces but MAF does not have a tab MAF does not have a tab
not in MAF view component by default view component by default
Used MAF List View
Custom Train components Used MAF tables and
are created from start by Command buttons, along Component and
replicating the components with CSS Command buttons along
from the ADF faces with CSS
Used Java logic for listing
Used MAF panel group the orders according to the Also used Java logic for
layout and MAF tables time period displaying the leave data
components, along with
CSS for creating the train
This section illustrates some of the applications developed by RapidValue Solutions using Oracle MAF.
The application allows field service technicians to view daily tasks lists, schedule customer appointments,
view customer/ product & service details, real-time reporting of charges, optimize customer visits, based
on location through maps, etc., while on the move.
The Inventory & PO receipt management application ensures that the store managers (in retail) and
enterprises are well aware of the status of the goods that are being obtained and also, which are being
sold/ shipped. The application has various privileges which have been allotted to each of the users. The
users can access PO, Line items, create and place orders, scan barcodes, check order status, look up for
SKU’s etc.
The procurement mobile application helps to streamline your workflow and business processes. The
procurement management application enables users to create and view PO, manage purchase
requisitions, check order status, add line items, view receipts etc., from anywhere, and in a secure
manner.
The expense management application helps employees, who are travelling and not often near their
desktop, to submit travel related expenses for reimbursements through the mobile. The employees can
also scan and upload receipts and documents from the mobile application. It also facilitates the managers
to approve the expense report, using the mobile application.
Oracle MAF is Oracle’s strategic platform for cross-platform mobile application development. MAF can be
used to develop iOS and Android mobile, as well as tablet applications using a single source code.
The declarative components and quick integration mechanisms help developers to quickly develop mobile
applications. The development framework along with Oracle Mobile Service Integration and Oracle Mobile
Security provides a comprehensive mobile suite for extending enterprise systems to mobile, without
compromising on security. Enterprises can extend their corporate security strategy using the Oracle
Mobile Suite.
This paper was presented by RapidValue Solutions, Rajesh Padinjaremadam, President & CEO
and Abhijit Ramachandran, Product Manager – Oracle Mobility at Collaborate 15 Conference in
Las Vegas, USA.
If you need more information, you can please write to the author, Abhijit Ramachandran at
abhijitrc@rapidvaluesolutions.com
RapidValue has a team of domain experts and mobility consultants to help you build innovative
and comprehensive mobile applications for your enterprise. If you need guidance on building
your first mobile application, please write to contactus@rapidvaluesolutions.com, we’ll be happy
to hear from you.
www.rapidvaluesolutions.com www.rapidvaluesolutions.com/blog
+1 877.643.1850 contactus@rapidvaluesolutions.com