Common Components
Common components are software or technical systems that are created once and reused many times in different services or business contexts. They could be applications, data, integration, a network, security products, hosting. They are building blocks, typically mapped to a business or technical capability, which can be used to deliver modular services or systems of a higher order.
Key characteristics
Common components can be of any size but they all share the same characteristics:
- They are designed according to common standards, principles and patterns, with independent quality assurance to ensure the principles and patterns have been applied.
- They are designed and developed in a modular, scalable and resilient way to support ease of reuse and reliability.
- They are mapped to a specific business or technical capability/service. This enables easy search and prevents duplication.
- They are treated as an asset and therefore require asset lifecycle management – support wrap, continuous improvement, enhancement or replacement.
- They are standalone but interoperable with other common components, such that change to one does not cause a ripple effect change to others.
- test
Why should we use common components?
The adoption of common components can bring significant benefits to DfE. Some of these benefits are:
- Speed to market – reuse can save time to build, test and deliver services. We should not have to build services from scratch every time.
- Reduced costs – the more we can reuse, the more we can save through reduced technical diversity or duplication, enabling us to focus our efforts on the differentiating or innovative aspects of the service.
- Lower risk – building to common standards and through lifecycle management lowers the risk of failure.
What’s available?
| Domain | Component | Owner | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| End User Compute | Outlook and Teams | Leanna Green | Live |
| Telephony and Skype | Leanna Green | Live | |
| Mobile telephony | Leanna Green | Live | |
| Hosting | Cloud Infrastructure Platform (CIP) | Saghir Akbar | Live |
| Security & networks | DfE Sign-in | Leanna Green | Live |
| Core network | Jon Gilbert | Live | |
| Service Management | Service desk toolset | Leanna Green | Live |
| Integration | Enterprise API Management (EAPIM) | Saghir Akbar | Beta |
| Information & data | SharePoint | Harj Bilan | Live |
| Enterprise Data and Analytics Platform (EDAP) | Harj Bilan | Live | |
| Data collection | Harj Bilan | Live | |
| Postcode lookup | Harj Bilan | Discovery | |
| Geospatial / maps | Harj Bilan | Discovery | |
| Applications | Shared Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform | Saghir Akbar | Beta |
| 360 customer view | Saghir Akbar | Alpha | |
| Marketing Automation platform | tbc | Discovery | |
| Robotic Process Automation (RPA) platform | tbc | Alpha |
(Note. the following sections are placeholders, content to be developed)
1. DfE Sign-in
DfE Sign-in is the new way for users to access DfE online services and has now replaced Secure Access.
Documentation
- Links to tech docs, onboarding info
Support
- Questions regarding adoption and use
- Where to go if there’s a problem
Roadmap
- Who’s already using this component - see ‘Services accessed using DfE Sign-in’
- What’s being onboarded
Further guidance
- Who creates / maintains this content (support email)
2. Enterprise API Management platform
The enterprise integration and API management platform provides a single place to host and manage APIs.
The solution offers a range of features that make it easy to publish APIs and share data, including automated on-boarding, tested global policy controls, portal customisation, identity and access management support, and flexible subscription management.
Key platform features include:
- Developer portal that enables developers to quickly find and reuse existing APIs – making it easy to exchange data between systems.
- Templates that introduce a standard way of publishing APIs.
- API Gateway that manages security policies and access management.
- Integration middleware APIs to share data between multiple systems.
- Central support reduces the cost of maintaining APIs.
EAPIM has been developed using Microsoft Azure’s API gateway, and the solution is deployed within the new CIP hosting platform.
Documentation
Read the Operating Model for more information about the solution design, security, availability, support and governance. If you need access to this document contact Matt Morgan.
Support
The service is supported internally by a central team within CIPS.
To report an issue with the service, contact the service desk; the team are available from 08:00 – 22:00 hrs Monday to Friday, excluding English public holidays.
Roadmap
Over the next 18 months, the ETS team are evolving the solution in three key areas:
• Implementing enhancements to the API platform and integration middleware
• Driving adoption On-boarding more APIs onto the platform
Promoting re-use of integration middleware
• Convergence
Platform capability and adoption roadmaps converge on DFEAAP (Single Access point from multiple client channels (internal/external) Mobile, Web and Desktop
Further guidance Contact Sarfraz Malik to find out more about this solution.
Further guidance
For more information on common components or to discuss adding your component to the repository, contact the Architecture team