Technology
The
UNCTAD Programme has worked on Internet related technologies and
reliable state-of-the-art IT tools to design the AsycudaWorld system. A
comparative study of available technologies (development platforms,
libraries, software components) was performed. The selection of new
technologies was done in respect of the fundamentals of the Programme
strategy and following the paramount principle that the selected tools
have to allow the development of ASYCUDAWorld extensions, taking full
advantage of the new available technologies and the Internet
environment.
Some of these criteria are listed below:
- Internet based ;
- Independent of RDBMS;
- Independent of hardware platform(s);
- Independent of operating system(s);
- Resilience to telecom breakdown;
- Scalability;
- Built-in security features;
- Product
entry cost (programmers training);Availability of specific features:
multilingual, document ownership management, audit facilities etc.
The Programme has selected an integrated set of components, which is the basis of the new generation of ASYCUDA products.
In
addition, the Programme believes that the next technology that will
radically change the business [and Customs] world is the emergence of
wireless devices. The AsycudaWorld platform includes therefore the
support of these new “Internet appliances”. In that respect, the
Programme is currently working on the definition of functionalities to
be made available through such advanced technology.
Features
|
Written in Java |
The ASYCUDAWorld systems are written entirely in Java, run
locally or collaboratively, networked through Internet |
|
n-tier architecture |
The ASYCUDAWorld general architecture is a state of the art
n-tier system composed of modular products. Final user products
are e-Document applications. The first tier is the [Web-based or
Desktop] client with messaging to and from the, the middle, or
second set of application tiers, and messaging via JDBC/ODBC to
and from the database or other server process i.e. the third set
of database tiers |
|
Business rules and logic on client and/or server |
ASYCUDAWorld application logic and business rules can reside
in all tiers. Developers can program the logic into the Java
client or/and into the Java server and use service calls from
the server to client or from the client to server |
|
Runs on top of any Database |
Oracle, Informix, Sybase, Interbase, SQLServer anywhere there is a JDBC v3.0 bridge/driver available. |
|
Runs on any OS equipped with a Java Virtual Machine |
Linux, Solaris, AIX, HP/UX, Windows XP/NT, Mac or anywhere there is a Java Virtual Machine. |
| Clustering |
ASYCUDAWorld allows
cluster solutions targeting high availability environments.
Clustering is the use of multiple computers, multiple storage
devices, and redundant interconnections, to form what appears to
users as a single highly available system. Cluster computing can
be used for load balancing as well as for high availability |
Technology Benefits
|
ASYCUDA ++ |
ASYCUDAWorld |
Benefits |
|
3.1 Architecture |
|
Client-server |
Internet client-server n-tier, 100% Web-based |
Scalability only limited by the hardware (servers &
telecoms) available for the implementation of the system |
|
3.2 Server Platform |
|
OS Unix servers C Unix engines, ORACLE / INFORMIX RDMBS |
100% JAVA enabled OS independent servers (Unix, Windows,
Apple …) Database independent (ORACLE, INFORMIX, Sybase, DB2,
SQL Server…) |
Full operating system and database/cross-platform
independence. Cost and scalability advantages. |
|
3.3 Client Platform |
|
PCs under Microsoft Windows 9x, 2k, XP… Object Oriented
Pascal module, local database |
Any devices (PCs, PDAs, Mobile Phones, Tablet PCs …)
Ultra-thin (for mobile devices), thin (with major Web Browsers)
and thick clients (stand-alone clients) Linux, Windows, Apple… |
Capability of supporting a wide range of devices, anytime and
anywhere. Major functional, cost and scalability advantages. |
|
3.4 User Interface |
|
Ergonomics screens (WYSIWYG, character based) |
Ergonomics screens (WYSIWYG, graphical, real document
feeling) Multi-media Desktop persistence |
Bridging the gap between physical and electronic documents
(paperless environment) Major functional and operational
advantages, particularly in the customs enforcement area.
Ergonomic advantages. |
|
3.5 Communication |
|
TCP/IP protocol |
Web, Internet & Intranet |
Full telecommunication infrastructure independence. Cost
advantages. |
|
3.6 Data exchange |
|
EDIFACT |
EDIFACT, XML |
Fully open system and data exchange capabilities |
|
Cooperative sub-systems (A++ Gates) |
Document Object Model |
Major scalability advantages. |
|
3.7 Security |
|
User authentication (group, name and password) |
User authentication (group, name and password) |
User’s access restricted to the functions of its group
profile. Full and complete audit history. |
|
Symmetrical encryption |
Asymmetrical encryption |
High-level of security. |
|
Built-in security features (PKI), electronic signature etc |
Several levels and types of encryption algorithms available. |
|
3.8 Specific |
|
Multi-language/alphabet (user-interface) |
Multi-language/alphabet (user-interface & data) Unicode |
Fully configurable system, according to each country |
|
Historic data management (Tariff, control tables … |
E-documents Resilience to telecom breakdown Documents
ownership management Full tracking of document changes Audit
facilities |
Major ergonomic and operational advantages Full and |
Architecture
The ASYCUDAWorld platform complies with the following overall
requirements:
- Internet based
- Independent of RDBMS
- Independent of hardware platforms
- Resilience to telecom breakdowns
- Scalability
- Built-in security features
- Product entry cost (programmers training)
- Availability of specific features: multilingual, document ownership management, audit facilities etc.
The
Programme selected the Java technology and derived products. The key
technical buzzwords are Java SDK 1.4, SWING GUI, JDBC, SSL, HTML, XML,
PKI etc, and various off-the-shelve technical components and object
libraries.
The platform is based on a sophisticated
technical architecture that does away with the need to maintain
permanent connections with a national server – something that is
particularly important for countries with unreliable telecommunications
. Where telecommunications are more reliable, the traditional Web
approach can be used. The ASYCUDAWorld platform also exploits the
potential of mobile Internet access devices.
ASYCUDAWorld
can work with all major RDBMS (including Oracle, Sybase, DB2, Informix,
SQL Server etc) and most of the operating systems (such as Linux,
Solaris, HP-UX, AIX and MS/Windows). The platform’s use of XML
(extensible mark-up language) allows the exchange of any document
inside and outside the system, between Customs Administrations and
traders and between Customs Administrations in different countries. It
is “Java-native”, meaning that it was designed as an open standard to
be used with Java and that countries can thus modify or extend the
application without requesting assistance from UNCTAD. And it is fully
compatible with ASYCUDA++, ensuring a smooth transition to e-Customs
for user countries.
It implements the concept of
‘e-documents’ that, once plugged into the ASYCUDAWorld platform,
reflect in the IT world the paper documents used currently and
implement the required business processes. The great advantage of this
approach is that since e-documents are ubiquitous and invisible, it
opens a wealth of new functionality: ASYCUDAWorld platform is therefore
ideal for promoting business process reform and e-government.
The
selected technology will be particularly useful to countries where poor
fixed-line telecommunications are a major problem for e-government
applications. It is however powerful enough to accommodate the
operational and managerial needs of Customs operations in any
industrialized country as well.
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