Systems Integration
ODS designs and implements cross-platform custom applications and enhances legacy applications for commercial, public, and federal clients.
Legacy systems developers are well aware of the phenomenon known as stove piping, where systems function according to their environment, but not necessarily in tandem with other components or initiatives in the same ecosystem. ODS has significant experience working with the limitations legacy applications can present. This experience, coupled with years of experience implementing modern software and hardware ecosystems, qualifies us as masters in the field of systems integration.
We have worked across all versions of every modern and legacy operating system and continue to expand our knowledge with each new iteration of old or newly released systems. This enables us to fully manage and deploy every type of systems integration initiative, allowing us to increase overall value to the customer.
All too often organizations fail to properly test software integration. As a result of this failure, entire programs, systems, and subsystems can fail to interact properly. When this occurs, astronomical costs can be associated, as well as catastrophic data and system failure. In order to prevent this, it is essential for all software and hardware modules to be tested and integrated before deploying them to a live environment. Once this is done the entirety of any system and its related programs should then be tested.
In the event systems have not been properly reviewed, errors will almost certainly be found. Correcting these errors is often extremely difficult. This is due to the fact that any errors found must first be isolated in order to be corrected. Once the time-consuming process of identifying and then isolating an error has been carried out, a new error will often appear as soon as the old error has been corrected. This creates an endless loop where as soon as one error is corrected, another appears.
To correct this, systems can be integrated one component or element at a time. This is known as incremental integration. As a general rule, errors found at this stage will often be due to environment-specific variables or problems. More often than not these problems will be memory related. However, there can be other causes. Unfortunately, in certain situations, it is impractical to use this method of testing, as environmental variables may outweigh the advantages of on-site incremental testing.
One of the most common problems encountered in large-scale software and hardware deployment has to do with an incomplete understanding on the part of the client and/or vendor as to the differences between Software Software Integration Testing (SSIT), and Hardware Software Integration Testing (HSIT).
Many times, systems and components will be purchased that have not been tested to work together, but have been tested to work within particular environments, or with certain programs. When this happens, the likelihood of large-scale or catastrophic system failure or random errors resulting in data loss can be extremely high. Because of this, it is almost always advisable to employ an organization like ODS, specialized in software integration, to perform a review of any purchase for compatibility before funds are committed.
