Product Overview

What is the BIS² suite of applications?

The BIS² Super Graphics data visualization toolset (called vizExplorer) enables users to understand and take action on their data in a new way. Users can see a multitude of data points simultaneously to understand patterns, identify meaningful relationships, and gain new insights which were not previously possible.

The vizExplorer toolset is delivered by way of industry solutions such as gameViz™, telViz™, insuranceViz™, makeViz™ and retailViz™ to name a few.

The vizExplorer toolset consists of three core parts:

vizExplorer - vizExplorer is a client side Adobe® Flash® browser based application. It allows business and technical users to search, view and interact with the BIS² Super Graphics. It also allows users to create charts, drill down to the data, and select customer lists. Users can also create their own additional Super Graphics with new measures, restrictions and time periods for further analysis. vizExplorer creates a mash-up of the rendered image and the context map. The context map can be Google Maps™ or another context map. An organization can use BIS²’s vizExplorer product, or alternatively they can use the vizProcessor product with their own front-end mash-up application or portal.

vizProcessor - vizProcessor is the server side application of JAVA™ components. The server side design is suitable for installation in organizations ranging from small companies to mega-corporations. vizProcessor manages the processing of the Super Graphics, and makes them available to an end user via a front end user application. The application uses J2EE technology with USEful™ and RESTful interfaces, and is deployed on IBM WebSphere® Application Services or JBoss EAP. vizProcessor makes Visual Documents, typically by constructing a data request to a database and then rendering an image (i.e. the Super Graphic). vizProcessor can be used with vizExplorer (BIS²’s front end user application), or with an organization’s own front-end mash-up application or portal.

vizMaker - vizMaker is an Adobe® Flash® browser based Web 2.0 data visualization building tool. It contains a rich drag-and-drop environment that enables the rapid development and configuration of Super Graphics. vizMaker enables advanced users to update the Super Graphics and keep pace with the ever changing business environment, and ever changing business needs. vizMaker gives an organization essentially full control over what and how information is displayed in the Super Graphics. This includes adding with relative ease, additional tables and fields, new business metrics, and new Super Graphics. It even allows additional databases (of the same or different types) to be added to the system. vizMaker utilizes templates and wizards that allow rapid deployment of well-designed Super Graphics. vizMaker generates the requests that are managed by vizProcessor.

What is the logical architecture of the applications?

The logical architecture is divided into components based upon functionality and where each component is run. The following logical architecture diagram shows the major components within each layer, and identifies the interfaces that are exposed between the layers.

The key components are:

vizExplorer – This is the client layer containing the client user components. This includes the HTTP browser (e.g. Internet Explorer®, Firefox) and the Adobe® Flash® plug-in application. vizExplorer is a mash-up, meaning it is responsible for bringing together both the Google Maps™ and the vizProcessor server application.

vizMaker – This is also a client layer containing the client configuration components. This includes the HTTP browser (e.g. Internet Explorer®, Firefox) and the Adobe® Flash® plug-in application. vizMaker allows advanced users to update the various configuration elements associated with Visual Documents.

vizProcessor– This application consists of two layers:

Presentation Layer (Object Depot(s) and Rendering Engine) – The presentation layer consists of a RESTful interface to provide access to vizExplorer and vizMaker and associated resources that drive the content shown to the user. This layer is written in Java™ (J2EE™) and runs as a software service. These services provide the entire interface between the business logic, rendering engine, and the outside world. It has no knowledge of the context map used to display its images. It also has no knowledge, except authorization, of who is calling its features.
Business Layer (RESTful server) – The business layer components represent the core of the system. These components respond to instructions from the RESTful layer and produce Visual Documents. The components also have the knowledge on how to interface to the backend relational database.

Data (Database(s)) – The data layer is used by the business layer. The business layer is responsible for translating the Visual Document requests (from RESTful) into the data requests written in structured query language, SQL.

How do the applications actually work?

vizExplorer pulls information from both the vizProcessor and the context map (e.g. Google Maps™). The technical term for this kind of application is a mashup.

Organizations can use vizExplorer (BIS²’s client side Adobe® Flash® application) or they can write their own applications to draw information from the RESTful server - these applications are also likely to be mash-ups.

In the above diagram the Flash client makes an HTTP (web) based request. The RESTful server responds with an XML package. This XML might, for example, be a dataset or a GIF image. In the diagram the mash-up effect is shown where the Flash client requests a Google Map™ (or other context map) which responds with the required map.

Where are the applications installed?

vizProcessor is suitable for implementation within an organization's own environment. vizExplorer, the client side Adobe® Flash® application, runs on a user’s web browser accessing the RESTful server using HTTP. This use of HTTP enables broad deployment, for example it enables support of a virtual private network (VPN).

How does a user access vizExplorer?

A user accesses vizExplorer via the web or an organization may wish to use its own mash-up.

How does vizExplorer interface with Google Maps™?

The Google Maps™ interface is held entirely within vizExplorer and is provided as a mash-up. No organizational data is transmitted externally to Google Maps™, the data is simply displayed as a mash-up on top of the Google Map.

Will the product run with other BI tools?

Yes, the product has been designed to work with most other BI tools. The RESTful and USEful interfaces allow vizExplorer to call other BI tools and for other BI tools that have an open architecture, to call via the RESTful interface. Alternatively, an organization may wish to combine another BI tool as a mash-up.

The product has been designed to work with:

IBM® Cognos®
BusinessObjects™
Oracle®
MicroStrategy®

The products RESTful and USEful interface allows it to work with other applications in addition to those listed above.

Which databases will vizProcessor run against?

vizProcessor connects to a database using JDBC and uses ANSI compliant SQL. As such it is designed to work against SQL databases including:

Teradata®
IBM® DB/2
Netezza
Oracle®
Sybase®
Microsoft® SQL Server

...back to top

"This is the first time we have been able to look at things like this."

System Requirements