Forum Discussion
Business Integration
Business Integration
Hi,
We have built a rules engine which validates a limited amount of rules around a web application. The main problem is that the existing rule engine is not supporting the extensibility. We decided to go for a rule engine product like Blaze Advisor to use in our business. Kindly tell me how the existing business rules can be integrated into the blaze. Does blaze support to load the rules from external buckets such as database, other rules engine etc.
If Blaze supports all these, what would be the Strategy and RoadMap to implement the existing rules into the Blaze Advisor's repository.
We urgently require this because the timeline is very less to implement the new rules. Waiting eagerly for a reply.
Thanks,
Anil
6 Replies
Hi Anil,
Can you provide some more details about the Rules Engine you have developed.
1. What platform is it built on?
2. How does it store Rules?
3. Do you want to replace the existing Rules Engine ?
Thanks,
Swapnil Wale
Consultant
Hi Swapnil,
The rules are built using java platform and uses XML to store the rules.
Yes, we want to replace the rule engine that provides robust interfaces for Business susers to modify the rules in real time.
Thanks,
Anil
If I may ask how many rules do you want to move to Blaze Advisor? I need this info so that I can suggest the right approach.
I am assuming you want to move only your Rules and no other functionality supported by your current Rules Engine. Is this assumption correct?
Thanks,
Swapnil Wale
Consultant
FICO
Hi Swapnil,
As of now, I have 60 rules bulit in the application and we want the rule engine to extend it to support atleast 1000 rules built later. As of now the movement will be only for 60 rules.
Yes I want the rules to be moved.
Thanks,
Anil
Hi Anil,
Blaze Advisor has a rich set of API which will allow you to create Rules. You will have to write custom code to read your XML files and create Rules in Blaze. But again Blaze Advisor has its own Structured Rules Language so you will have to find a way to convert your existing syntax into SRL. Which I feel may get a little complicated.
Since you want to migrate 60 Rules my suggestion is to recreate them in Blaze Advisor because to create the Rules using API you will still have to create a Object Model, Ruleflow and if you want your Rules to be modifiable by the end users you will have to use templates. And even before that you will have to do Rules Harvesting.
Once you have all this your end users can create as many rules as they want using RMA. RMA is a web-based interface which Blaze Advisor provides for Rules Maintenance. And Blaze Advisor has Deployment Wizard which can help you deploy your Rules Service.
Thanks,
Swapnil Wale
Consultant
FICO
- I wouldn't bother with writing a utility to migrate as few as 60 rules from your own custom format into Blaze. Simply recode them in Blaze language (it will take less time) and use its repository from that point on to store and version your rules. It is in XML format and can be configured to be persisted in a file system, in a database, in LDAP or in a 3rd party version control system such as CVS and ClearCase. And yes, it can store thousands of rules, no problem.
