Full download B2B Integration Gunjan Samtani pdf docx

Visit https://ebookgate.
com to download the full version and

explore more ebooks
B2B Integration Gunjan Samtani
_____ Click the link below to download _____

https://ebookgate.com/product/b2b-integration-gunjan-
samtani/
Explore and download more ebooks at ebookgate.com

Here are some recommended products that might interest you.
You can download now and explore!
Organizing Marketing and Sales Mastering Contemporary B2B

Challenges 1st Edition Per Andersson
https://ebookgate.com/product/organizing-marketing-and-sales-
mastering-contemporary-b2b-challenges-1st-edition-per-andersson/
ebookgate.com
Building B2B Applications with XML A Resource Guide 1st

Edition Michael Fitzgerald
https://ebookgate.com/product/building-b2b-applications-with-xml-a-
resource-guide-1st-edition-michael-fitzgerald/
ebookgate.com
B2B and Beyond New Business Models Built on Trust 1st

Edition Harry B. Demaio
https://ebookgate.com/product/b2b-and-beyond-new-business-models-
built-on-trust-1st-edition-harry-b-demaio/
ebookgate.com
Developing B2B Social Communities KEYS TO GROWTH

INNOVATION AND CUSTOMER LOYALTY 1st Edition Margaret
Brooks
https://ebookgate.com/product/developing-b2b-social-communities-keys-
to-growth-innovation-and-customer-loyalty-1st-edition-margaret-brooks/
ebookgate.com
Continuous Integration in NET Marcin Kawalerowicz
https://ebookgate.com/product/continuous-integration-in-net-marcin-
kawalerowicz/
ebookgate.com
The Politics of Arab Integration Giacomo Luciani
https://ebookgate.com/product/the-politics-of-arab-integration-
giacomo-luciani/
ebookgate.com
Regional Monetary Integration 1st Edition Peter B. Kenen
https://ebookgate.com/product/regional-monetary-integration-1st-
edition-peter-b-kenen/
ebookgate.com
Intelligence Integration in Distributed Knowledge

Management Dariusz Krol
https://ebookgate.com/product/intelligence-integration-in-distributed-
knowledge-management-dariusz-krol/
ebookgate.com
Pinch Analysis and Process Integration Second Edition A

User Guide on Process Integration for the Efficient Use of
Energy Ian C. Kemp
https://ebookgate.com/product/pinch-analysis-and-process-integration-
second-edition-a-user-guide-on-process-integration-for-the-efficient-
use-of-energy-ian-c-kemp/
ebookgate.com
Gunjan Samtani
editors
Marcus Hcaley
1
1 Shyam Samtani
.«.•.«!
^,J/MiiW«S«|
'01101100
nioioimuc;./! M! 'llOlOioilOIlOL
JlOOO)
1011 -J fOllPOl
B2B Integration
A Practical Guide to
Collaborative E-commerce
Imperial College Press
B2B Integration
This page is intentionally left blank
B2B Integration
Gunjan Samtani
Divisional Vice President
Information Technology Group UBS PaineWebber
editors
Marcus Healey & Shyam Samtani

Published by
57 Shelton Street
Covent Garden
London WC2H 9HE
Distributed by
World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.
P O Box 128, Farrer Road, Singapore 912805
USA office: Suite 202, 1060 Main Street, River Edge, NJ 07661
UK office: 57 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9HE
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
B2B INTEGRATON: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO COLLABORATIVE E-COMMERCE

Copyright © 2002 by Imperial College Press
All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval
system now known or to be invented, without written permission from the Publisher.
For photocopying of material in this volume, please pay a copying fee through the Copyright
Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. In this case permission to
photocopy is not required from the publisher.
ISBN 1-86094-323-3
ISBN 1-86094-326-8 (pbk)
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Printed in Singapore by U t o P r i n t
Dedications
I would like to dedicate my work to my parents — Dr. Shyam Samtani

and Kaushlya Samtani, my parents-in-law — the late Ashok Sadhwani
and Neeta Sadhwani and my loving wife Dimple. Thank you for your
prayers, encouragement, love and care, I could not have made it without
you all. It is great to know I am where I belong.
V
Acknowledgements
The journey from mental conception to ultimate execution in black and

white is arduous, hurdled with various set backs. At such moments,
one's kith and kin inspire and encourage; colleagues cooperate and
sometimes collaborate; friends motivate and lend helping hands. I am
indeed fortunate enough to have such a galaxy of well wishers to whom
I owe my gratitude.
I express my sincere thanks to Mrs. Dimple Samtani, my spouse,
who ran errands for me, gathering material, formatting the chapters,
designing the graphics and showing remarkable patience while I was
busy authoring the book.
I owe my gratitude to my parents Dr. Shyam Samtani and Mrs. Kaushi
Samtani, who came all the way from India to help and inspire me when
I worked both ends of the clock. My dad, who is himself a professor of
English Literature and has worked as an editor and author of several
publications, was of immense help in language editing of the book.
I thank Dr. Marcus Healey for his seasoned suggestions, experienced
contribution and guidance that have gone into the shaping of this book.
I thank Mr. Evan Schwartzman and Mr. Kenneth Tamburello, my
dear colleagues, with whom I frequently discussed the lay out, contents
of and approach to the book. They were ready with ideas and insightful
comments when I was sometimes low.
I can hardly overemphasize the role of Mr. Aran Sharma, Mr. Abhay
Singh and Mr. Soumya Mawane whose invaluable graphics and images
substantiate the points made by me in the book. I owe my thanks to all
of them for their time and efforts.
I am indebted to Ms. Geetha Nair of Imperial College Press and
Mr. Loo King Boon of World Scientific for publishing this book. Without
their cooperation the book could not have gone to print and thereby to
the readers.
vu
About the Author
Gunjan Samtani is Divisional Vice President, Information Technology

at UBS PaineWebber, one of the world's leading financial services
firms. Prior to joining UBS PaineWebber, Gunjan was Associate Director,
Global Information Technology, Bear Stearns and Company, the 4th
largest U.S. brokerage and financial firm with more than $30 billion in
assets. In this capacity, he was responsible in pioneering, managing and
directing several critical, multi-million dollar business applications. Prior
to Bear Stearns, Gunjan worked as a Senior Business Analyst with
Amdahl (a Fujitsu Company), one of the largest companies of the world
specializing in integrated computing solutions. At Amdahl, Gunjan was
responsible for managing the design and delivery of multiple projects for
financial industry. Before joining Amdahl, Gunjan was working as Senior
Systems Analyst and Webmaster at New Jersey Technical Assistance
Program. Gunjan has also worked as an interim CIO of India's first online
investment portal EquityMaster.com and Personalfn.com.
Gunjan brings together a very strong technical and business experience
in various industries. He has several years of experience in the man-
agement, design, architecture, and implementation of large-scale EAI and
B2B integration projects. Gunjan has an M.S. in Computer Science, M.S.
in Management Information Systems and M.S. in Computational Finance
from Carnegie Melon University (on-going). He has been involved in
business and technical writing for several years and is the author of
more than 100 articles and research publications in the field of finance
and technology. He has also presented papers and given guest lectures
at several national and international conferences. His email address is
gsamtani@ubspw.com.
IX
Preface
Changing Business Landscape

In the present day digital economy, business values and competitive
advantages lie beyond the boundaries of the enterprise, focusing on the
relationships with business partners. The changing business landscape
not only affects how enterprises conduct business with their suppliers,
customers, distributors and other trading partners, but also how they
must manage their businesses internally.
Collaborative e-commerce, which is the wave of the future, requires
dynamic creation of trading relationships with new partners, public and
private business process automation and increased adaptability and
flexibility delivered by open architecture based integration middleware.
In order to truly automate external trading partner interactions, the
back-end internal business systems of the enterprises need to be
seamlessly integrated into the same process.
Transforming an organization to compete in this environment man-
dates enterprise application integration (EAI) and business-to-business
integration (B2Bi). They are the pervasive enablers of most current
business strategies, such as collaborative e-commerce, collaborative
networks, supply chain management (SCM) and customer relationship
management (CRM) across multiple channels of delivery, including
wireless devices and the Internet.
B2Bi strategy should be laid out and executed in such a way so as
to: have an integrated, real-time application-to-application, system-to-
system interaction with all the existing and new trading partners;
eliminate all manual steps in business processes; conduct secure and
real-time commerce transactions over the Internet; have the flexibility
to accommodate the different mode of interactions of each partner; and,
finally, have the ability to adapt to change — quickly and easily in this
XI
xii B2B Integration — A Practical Guide to Collaborative E-commerce
dynamic age of B2B collaborative e-commerce. This is what B2Bi is all

about — the end-to-end automation and integration of cross-organization
business processes, data, applications and systems.
Description of the Book

B2B Integration (B2Bi) provides a comprehensive guide to the key
elements of successful B2B integration and collaborative e-commerce
by highlighting business needs, technologies and development strategies.
It clarifies and demystifies the intricate dependencies among all the
components of B2Bi, including integration patterns, enterprise application
integration (EAI), business process management (BPM), internet security,
extensible markup language (XML), XML standards, Web services,
middleware technologies and integration brokers. The book includes
future technologies that will have a significant impact on B2Bi archi-
tectures, such as intelligent software agents, wireless technologies and
peer-to-peer (P2P) computing. Furthermore, it includes in-depth dis-
cussion of B2Bi-enabled applications such as supply chain management,
e-procurement, e-marketplaces and collaborative networks. Finally, the
book provides a suitable framework for the design, development and
implementation of B2B integration, along with several real world case
studies. This framework is based on the latest XML standards defined
in the B2B domain, such as RosettaNet, ebXML and Web services, to
support cross-organization business processes, data, applications and
systems.
In crux, the book provides practical guidelines to companies so as to
rapidly implement a successful B2Bi strategy and prepare them for the
next wave of B2B integration and collaborative e-commerce.
Why This Book?

There are several books on the shelves, which cover just one or the
other aspect of B2Bi. But I dare say there are none that discuss all the
technical and business components, tools and frameworks of B2Bi
and illustrate how to conceptualize and implement a successful B2B
integration solution, all in one single binding.
Preface xiii
In this book, I ventured to take a unique and systematic approach of

combining the technical and business aspects of all the components of
B2B integration. I have endeavored to show where and how the individual
components link with one another and in the whole chain of B2Bi.
The book covers a mix of business management and technology
trend issues, presented with examples, general conclusions and recom-
mendations. The book discusses how companies can speak the same
language when doing business with companies spread around the globe.
It presents business integration models, which would enable companies
to integrate their enterprise systems with digital markets and strategic
business partners. It also prompts one to "imagine the future" through
an in-depth analysis of possible scenarios for future business-to-business
integration models.
Who Should Read This Book?

This book will be useful for business executives, MBA students, IT
managers and programmers looking for a clear, detailed explanation of
the whole landscape of B2B integration, insightful review of the current
technologies being used in B2Bi and knowledge of the future trends in
B2Bi domain. It will be equally appealing to the senior management in
the industrial-age companies, Internet services companies and entrepren-
eurs who are heading for B2Bi, which is still largely undefined and
cryptic. This book will be useful to CIOs and decision-makers keen to
improve productivity using B2Bi, while building upon prior investments,
and prepare them for the next wave of collaborative e-commerce.
In short, this book is useful to everyone who is seeking a clear
understanding of how to leverage the convergence of IT with business
processes to attain the much sought-after strategic advantage, greater
revenue, greater profit and more-competitive market positioning.
How is This Book Organized?

This book is modeled on an architectural design, laying the foundation
first and then building the structure with distinct elevation features.
xiv B2B Integration — A Practical Guide to Collaborative E-commerce
The organization of chapters is as follows:
Chapter 1 — Introduction
This chapter introduces the subject of B2Bi and collaborative e-commerce,
providing a roadmap for a successful B2Bi implementation. It covers
the key features required in a B2Bi solution and its return on investment
(ROI).
Chapter 2 — Components, Benefits, Challenges and

Applications of B2B Integration
This chapter provides an overview of all the major components of
B2Bi. It discusses the benefits enterprises would reap and the obstacles
they may be confronted with during the process of implementation of
B2Bi. Furthermore, it introduces some of the most important B2Bi-
enabled applications to the readers.
Chapter 3 — Integration Patterns

This chapter explains the different types of B2B integration patterns:
data oriented integration (data replication; extract, load and transform
solution; data warehousing; and data federations), portal oriented
integration, direct application integration (API, RPC processes) and
business process oriented integration (closed and open processes). It
discusses the right B2Bi implementation pattern for individual companies.
Chapter 4 — Enterprise Application Integration (EAI)

This chapter describes the integration of internal systems, such as
legacy applications, CRM, SCM and ERP, which constitute the backbone
of B2Bi implementation. It also provides an introduction of the leading
commercial EAI brokers and convergence and divergence of EAI and
B2BL
Preface xv
Chapter 5 — Business Process Management (BPM)

This chapter discusses the fundamentals of business process management
(BPM) as they relate to B2Bi. It provides an in-depth discussion on
process modeling, workflows, workflow management and leading BPM
software solutions.
Chapter 6 — Extensible Markup Language (XML)

This chapter provides an introduction to extensible markup language
(XML) and its components. It also discusses the traditional mode of
communication electronic data interchange (EDI), its coexistence with
XML and features of XML/EDI servers.
Chapter 7 — XML Standards For E-business

This chapter is devoted to the description of different XML standards
that enable XML-based, cross-organization business process integration.
It covers RosettaNet, ebXML, cXML, SOAP and BizTalk with elaborate
examples.
Chapter 8 — Middleware Technologies

This chapter reveals all the major middleware technologies, using which
B2Bi solutions are implemented. It specifically discusses TP monitors,
message oriented middleware (JMS, MQSeries) and distributed objects
and components (J2EE, COM+, CORBA).
Chapter 9 — Integration Brokers

This chapter explains all the components, architectures and services of
integration brokers. It also introduces all the major commercial integration
brokers enabling B2Bi from BEA Systems, IBM, Vitria and webMethods.
xvi B2B Integration — A Practical Guide to Collaborative E-commerce
Chapter 10 — Internet Security

This chapter dwells upon the security aspects of B2Bi. It explains the
different types of security solutions for B2B transactions over the
Internet, along with real world case studies.
Chapter 11 — Web Services

This chapter brings in the latest concept in the B2B world — Web
services. It explains the subject with supporting technologies — UDDI,
WSDL, WSFL and SOA with adequate examples.
Chapter 12 — Wireless Technologies

This chapter focuses on the explosive growth of wireless technologies
for B2B e-commerce and its impact on B2Bi architectures. It also
details technologies such as WAP, WML and WMLScript, along with
explanations of security aspects involved in mobile systems.
Chapter 13 — Software Agents

This chapter describes the fundamentals of software agents and how
they automate the manual processes that are involved today in B2B
e-commerce.
Chapter 14 — Supply Chain Management (SCM)

This chapter deals with the fundamentals of supply chain management
(SCM), e-procurement, e-logistics, SCM systems and how SCM enables
collaborative e-commerce.
Chapter 15 — E-marketplaces and

Collaborative Networks
This chapter brings under focal analysis the different types of B2B
e-marketplaces along with services offered by them. It discusses the
integration challenges that crop up while participating in e-marketplaces.
Preface xvii
It also introduces the need, concepts and examples of collaborative

networks.
Chapter 16 — B2B to P2P Evolution

This chapter deals with the evolution of peer-to-peer-based applications
and architectures that would play a prominent role for B2Bi in the future.
Features of the Book

Some of the key features of the book include:
Key concepts
Each chapter begins with a discussion of the key concepts related to the
subject under study. Readers will find this very useful as it introduces
the ensuing chapters.
Discussion of leading software solutions

The book provides in-depth coverage of the latest commercial softwares
available in the market. This will acquaint readers with the developments
in the software industry as far as B2B integration solutions are concerned.
It will also be extremely helpful to the decision-makers to have a
review of various solutions for B2Bi out there.
Case studies
There are several real world case studies cited in each chapter. They
have been chosen very carefully to illustrate practical usage of the
concepts under focus.
Graphics/Images
The book contains a lot of relevant images, which provide a pictorial
view of the text concerned. Readers will find the images very illustrative
and useful in grasping the theory presented therein.
xviii B2B Integration — A Practical Guide to Collaborative E-commerce
Acronyms
The book contains acronyms of technical and business terms that are
relevant to the subject of B2B integration.
References/Bibliography
The book acknowledges various sources used by giving references and
a bibliography. This will help readers to plumb the originals if they so
desire.
Editors and Contributors

I consider myself extremely fortunate in having got the invaluable
support and able guidance of several persons from different walks of
life. They are distinguished professionals who have carved a niche for
themselves in their respective fields. Undoubtedly, their contribution
has embellished this book. It is my privilege to give hereunder a pen
portrait of these contributors.
Dr. Marcus Healey

Dr. Marcus J. Healey is the Strategy Consultant for InfoFirst Inc., USA.
Before joining InfoFirst, Dr. Healey was the Director of Engineering
Implementation at Mobilocity, Inc., U.S., a thought leader in wireless
services. Prior to Mobilocity, Dr. Healey was a Project Engineer at
Organic, Inc., a prominent web integrator in New York City. While at
Organic, Marcus managed client projects from an implementation
perspective and acted as a technical liaison to the Strategic Services and
Business Development groups. Prior to Organic, Dr. Healey was a
Program Director and Adjunct Professor at the New lersey Institute
of Technology where he pioneered the Envirolnformatics program as
the Director of the New Jersey Program for Information Ecology and
Sustainability.
Dr. Healey has six years of direct IT experience, possesses multiple
MS degrees in science and engineering, an MBA and a Ph.D. He brings
a diverse technical and business background, broad public and private
Preface xix
sector experience and extensive editing skills. He is the primary author

of one book in Environmental Science (Pollution Prevention Opportunity
Assessments, John Wiley & Sons © 1998) and one of four co-authors
on a soon to be published book (Information Mining on the World Wide
Web, Kluwer Publishers © 2001). Dr. Healey is the author of over fifty
publications and presentations in the fields of Environmental Science
and Information Technology.
Dr. Shyam Samtani

Dr. Shyam Samtani is presently Head of the Department, P.G. Department
of English, Indore Christian College, Indore (India). He is also on the
visiting faculty of Devi Ahilaya University, Indore. He has been in the
teaching profession for the last 35 years. During this period he has
supervised scores of dissertations both at M.A. and M.Phil levels. He
has presented papers at various national seminars and also published
many research papers and supervised Ph.D candidates. He has co-
authored books for use by university students. He has also been a
Resource Person for the Refreshers/Orientation courses conducted by
different universities. Dr. Shyam Samtani has done the language editing
of this book.
Pawan Samtani
Pawan Samtani has over eleven years of IT, MIS and Finance experience.
He has extensive experience in different industries like E-commerce
Consulting, Oil and Gas, Manufacturing and Finance. He is currently
working as Country Operations Manager, India, with Oracle Corporation,
overlooking the implementation of various multi-million dollar projects.
Prior to joining Oracle, Pawan was the Senior Vice President with
Petrogas LLC where he was overseeing the implementations of Ariba
e-Marketplace and Oracle Financials in several offices of the company
all around the world. His responsibilities include project management,
strategic planning and supervising finance operations.
Prior to Petrogas, he was working as a Senior Consultant with
Whittman Hart, U.S., supervising several SAP implementations world
over. He has worked with Premira Fashions Limited, Onida Finance
xx B2B Integration — A Practical Guide to Collaborative E-commerce
Limited, Analysis Finance Limited and M. Mehta & Company, Chartered

Accountants, in various capacities.
He has extensive experience with the re-engineering of business
practices for various departments. He also specializes in implementing
and customizing ERP packages to integrate with the business process,
workflow and existing IT applications of the company. He possesses in-
depth knowledge of data modeling and database schema designing,
supply chain management, logistics systems and their integration with
e-commerce. He has worked with reputed concerns in different parts of
the world (United States of America, India and The Middle East) with
different business practices and cultures.
He is an Associate Member of Chartered Accountants of India. He
also has an MBA from Baruch College, New York, U.S.
Kenneth Tamburello
Ken Tamburello is a Senior Consultant Specialist at Bluesphere (an
EDS company), U.S., the industry's largest interactive integrator and
e-business consulting firm. Ken is the e.Design and e.Marketing delivery
manager for the New York Metro region, responsible for delivering
solutions in the areas of Enterprise Application Integration (EAI),
workflow automation, security and enterprise portals.
Prior to Bluesphere, Ken was an Associate Director at Bear Stearns
& Co., NY, where he was responsible for the delivery, support and
enhancement of a mission-critical, multi-million dollar Web-based account
portfolio database system. Prior to Bear Stearns, Ken was a freelance
consultant designing and developing client-server solutions.
Ken has over 6 years IT experience, having worked in the past with
PowerBuilder, Sybase, Oracle, UNIX, Java, UML and database design and
modeling. He received his MS in Engineering from Stevens Institute of
Technology, U.S., and his BS in Engineering from Rutgers University, U.S.
Deepak Bajaj
Dr. Deepak Bajaj is the Course Coordinator of Project Management at
the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). Dr. Bajaj served as Director
of the Project Management Program prior to his present role.
Preface xxi
Dr. Bajaj has fifteen years of combined experience in contracting,

consulting and academia. Dr. Bajaj has a PhD in the area of strategic
risk management and the topic of 'The Development of a Risk Averse
Business Strategy in the Procurement of Constructed Facilities' and a
Masters in Construction Management. He brings a diverse technical,
research and business background. He has published extensively in the
area of project risk management and has been author and co-author of
book chapters in the past. He has been editor of the AIQS Refereed
Journal and referee to a number of journals in the area of project
management and economics. Dr. Bajaj is the author of over forty
publications and presentations in the field of project management, risk
management and information technology in the construction industry.
Dimple Sadhwani
Dimple Sadhwani is Senior Software Engineer at Island ECN based in
New Work, USA. Prior to joining Island, Dimple worked as a Senior
E-commerce Consultant with BusinessEdge Solutions, a next-generation
consulting firm providing industry-specific e-business solutions. She was
a project manager for several eCRM, B2B integration and EAI projects.
Prior to that she worked with Citicorp Information Technology Industries
Ltd. (CITIL), based in New Jersey, USA, and Bombay, India. She has a
Bachelors in Computer Science from VJTI, Bombay. She has worked
on and evaluated the latest tools and solutions in the B2B, EAI and
Internet security fields.
Not the Final Word

Justice can hardly be done to such an elaborate subject with all its
dimensions and ramifications, on an intensive or extensive scale, in a
book of this length. It would require more than one volume to cover the
subject exhaustively. The endeavor is to acquaint the readers with the
concepts in a nutshell in one place without having to wander about to
different sources for various topics related to B2Bi.
I wish I could promise you a book perfect in every way. There are
bound to be some errors, omissions and typographical errors. I am open
xxii B2B Integration — A Practical Guide to Collaborative E-commerce
to corrections and modifications. I shall appreciate critical opinions and

objective suggestions from the esteemed knowledgeable readers, which
would shed light my future undertakings. The suggestions can be sent
to me via e-mail at:
gunjan_samtani@yahoo.com or gsamtani@ubspainewebber.com
I will respond immediately. Well, that's it for now. I would like to

welcome you to the exciting world of B2B integration. Good luck!
Gunjan Samtani
New Jersey, USA

April 2002
Contents
Dedications v
Acknowledgements vii
About the Author ix
Preface xi
Part I The Big Picture 1
Chapter 1 Introduction 3
1.1. Evolution of Next Generation Enterprises 4
1.2. New Rules of Engagement 4
1.3. B2B E-Commerce 5
1.3.1. What is B2B e-commerce? 5
1.3.2. B2B vs. B2C: Differing strategies 6
1.3.3. Explosive growth in B2B
e-commerce 6
1.3.4. What is collaborative e-commerce? 8
1.4. B2B Integration (B2Bi) 9
1.4.1. Integration: The top priority 10
1.4.2. A daunting effort 12
1.4.3. Getting beyond the starting line 13
1.4.4. Selecting the right B2Bi solution 17
1.5. What is the Return on Investment (ROI) on
B2Bi? 20
1.6. Conclusion 23
Chapter 2 Components, Benefits, Challenges and
Applications of B2B Integration 24
2.1. The Word is Out 25
2.2. B2Bi Components 25
xxiv B2B Integration — A Practical Guide to Collaborative E-commerce
2.2.1. Integration patterns 25

2.2.2. Enterprise Application Integration
(EAI) 26
2.2.3. Business Process Management
(BPM) 27
2.2.4. Extensible Markup Language
(XML) 27
2.2.5. XML standards for e-business 29
2.2.6. Web services 29
2.2.7. Middleware technologies 30
2.2.8. Integration brokers 30
2.2.9. Internet security 30
2.2.10. Wireless technologies 31
2.2.11. Software agents 32
2.3. Benefits of B2B Integration 32
2.3.1. Dynamic business relationships 32
2.3.2. Real-time information 33
2.3.3. Lower transaction costs 33
2.3.4. Participation in online
marketplaces 34
2.3.5. Streamline business operations 34
2.3.6. XML-based integration 34
2.3.7. Increased customer service and
retention 34
2.3.8. Opportunity to re-architect
internal systems 35
2.4. B2Bi Challenges 35
2.4.1. Internal application integration 36
2.4.2. Disparate internal corporate data 37
2.4.3. System heterogeneity 38
2.4.4. Data security 38
2.4.5. Transaction integrity 38
2.4.6. Internal business process
management 39
2.4.7. Inter-enterprise business process
integration 39
2.4.8. Internal resistance 39
Contents xxv
2.4.9. Standards and industry issues 40

2.4.10. Distributed control 40
2.4.11. Performance and scalability 40
2.4.12. Expensive 41
2.4.13. 24/7 availability of the system 41
2.5. B2Bi-Enabled Applications 41
2.5.1. Supply Chain Management (SCM) 41
2.5.2. E-marketplaces and collaborative
networks 42
2.6. Conclusion 43
Part II Established Integration Components 45
Chapter 3 Integration Patterns 47
3.1. Types of Integration 48
3.2. Data Oriented B2B Integration 49
3.2.1. Data replication 50
3.2.2. Extract, Transform and Load
(ETL) solution 54
3.2.3. Data warehouses and data marts 59
3.2.4. Multi-database server 60
3.2.5. XML and databases 65
3.2.6. Data oriented integration and B2Bi 67
3.3. Portal Oriented Integration 68
3.3.1. Types of portals 69
3.3.2. Components of a portal server
platform 70
3.3.3. Portal oriented integration and
B2Bi 74
3.4. Application Oriented Integration 74
3.4.1. Application Programming
Interfaces (APIs) 75
3.4.2. Remote Procedure Calls (RPCs) 82
3.4.3. Application oriented integration
and B2Bi 88
3.5. Business Process Integration (BPI) 89
3.5.1. Business process integration
patterns 89
xxvi B2B Integration — A Practical Guide to Collaborative E-commerce
3.5.2. Business process integration

and B2Bi 91
3.6. Which Approach to Use for Your B2Bi
Implementation? 93
3.6.1. Agreement among the trading
partners 93
3.6.2. Your integration goals 93
3.7. Conclusion 95
Chapter 4 Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) 96
4.1. Today's Enterprise 97
4.2. What is EAI? 97
4.3. Where Did Things Go Wrong? 98
4.4. Benefits of EAI 100
4.4.1. A word of caution 101
4.5. Types of EAI 102
4.5.1. User interface integration
(Refacing) 102
4.5.2. Data integration 103
4.5.3. Function or method integration 103
4.5.4. Business process integration 104
4.6. Types of Enterprise Systems 105
4.6.1. Legacy systems 105
4.6.2. Client/server systems 106
4.6.3. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) 106
4.6.4. Customer Relationship
Management (CRM) 111
4.6.5. eCRM 113
4.6.6. CRM and EAI 115
4.6.7. Supply Chain Management (SCM) 115
4.7. Leading EAI Solutions 115
4.7.1. BEA eLink 115
4.7.2. TIBCO ActiveEnterprise 116
4.7.3. IBM — WebSphere MQ integrator 118
4.8. Convergence of EAI and B2Bi 121
4.9. Divergence of EAI and B2Bi 122
4.10. Conclusion 123
Contents xxvii
Chapter 5 Business Process Management (BPM) 125

5.1. Existence of 'Organization Silos' 126
5.2. Fundamentals of BPM 126
5.2.1. Business processes 126
5.2.2. Participants 130
5.2.3. Activities 130
5.2.4. Business transactions 130
5.2.5. What is BPM? 132
5.2.6. Workflow 133
5.2.7. Roadmap to BPM 134
5.3. BPM Systems 139
5.3.1. BEA WebLogic integration 142
5.3.2. Vitria BusinessWare 143
5.3.3. Extricity B2B Alliance Manager 144
5.4. Universal Language for BPM 147
5.4.1. Business Process Management
Initiative (BPMI) 148
5.4.2. XLANG 149
5.5. Standard Business Processes 149
5.6. Conclusion 150
Chapter 6 Extensible Markup Language (XML) 152
6.1. The Need for a Universal Language 153
6.2. What is Electronic Data Interchange
(EDI)? 154
6.2.1. How does it work? 154
6.2.2. Limitations of traditional EDI 155
6.3. What's Wrong with the First Language of
the Internet — HTML? 157
6.4. XML: The Universal Language of Data
Interchange 158
6.4.1. The power to know 159
6.4.2. What is XML? 160
6.4.3. XML: A derivative of SGML 161
6.4.4. Sample XML files 161
6.4.5. XML strengths 163
6.4.6. XML limitations 166
xxviii B2B Integration — A Practical Guide to Collaborative E-commerce
6.4.7. XML namespaces 167

6.4.8. Brief introduction to the
components of XML 168
6.4.9. Advantages of XML over
traditional EDI 174
6.5. XSL — Extensible Stylesheet Language 175
6.6. Coexistence of XML and EDI 178
6.6.1. EDI is here to stay 178
6.6.2. EDI based on XML 179
6.6.3. Characteristics of XML/EDI 180
6.6.4. Benefits of XML/EDI over
traditional batch EDI 181
6.6.5. Key features of XML/EDI server 182
6.7. Conclusion 186
Chapter 7 XML Standards for E-business 187
7.1. Standards Imperative for B2B Application
Integration 188
7.2. RosettaNet's Solution 189
7.2.1. What is RosettaNet? 189
7.2.2. Components of RosettaNet's
e-business solution 190
7.2.3. Benefits of using RosettaNet
solution 196
7.2.4. RosettaNet embraced by software
vendors 197
7.2.5. What's the ROI (Return on
Investment) in implementing
RosettaNet solution? 198
7.3. FpML — Financial Products Markup
Language 200
7.3.1. What is FpML? 200
7.3.2. Benefits of FpML 200
7.4. Commerce XML (cXML) 202
7.5. Electronic Business XML (ebXML) 204
7.6. Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) 205
7.6.1. SOAP messages 205
Contents xxix
7.7. BizTalk Framework 207

7.7.1. Components of the BizTalk
Framework 207
7.7.2. The envelope 208
7.8. Conclusion 212
Chapter 8 Middleware Technologies 213
8.1. What is Middleware? 214
8.2. Transaction Processing (TP) Monitors 216
8.2.1. How they work? 217
8.2.2. Benefits of TP monitors 218
8.3. Message Oriented Middleware (MOM) 219
8.3.1. Why use message queues? 221
8.3.2. Types of communication 222
8.3.3. MOM frameworks 224
8.3.4. MOM middleware 226
8.4. Distributed Objects and Components 231
8.4.1. Distributed components 233
8.4.2. Distributed object frameworks 234
8.4.3. OMA — CORBA 3 235
8.4.4. Windows DNA — COM+ 239
8.4.5. J2EE — EJB 244
8.4.6. J2EE application servers 249
8.5. Conclusion 253
Chapter 9 Integration Brokers 254
9.1. Introduction 255
9.1.1. Integration brokers enable
(best-of-breed) BOB approach 256
9.2. Architecture of Integration Brokers 256
9.2.1. Hub-and-spoke architecture 256
9.2.2. Message bus architecture 257
9.2.3. Multi-hub architecture 258
9.3. Components of Integration Brokers 259
9.3.1. Messaging services 260
9.3.2. Application adapters 262
9.3.3. Data transformation component 264
9.3.4. Workflow manager 266
xxx B2B Integration — A Practical Guide to Collaborative E-commerce
9.3.5. Metadata repository 266

9.3.6. Administration tool 266
9.4. Services of Integration Brokers 267
9.4.1. Enable all types of integration 267
9.4.2. Web services 268
9.4.3. Interoperability 268
9.4.4. Open architecture 268
9.4.5. Support for all communication
protocols 268
9.4.6. Directory services 269
9.4.7. Trading partner management and
personalization 269
9.4.8. Security 270
9.4.9. Scalability 270
9.4.10. Transactional integrity 270
9.4.11. Integration broker connectivity 271
9.5. Selecting an Integration Broker for Your
Company 273
9.6. Leading Integration Brokers 274
9.6.1. Microsoft BizTalk Server Suite 274
9.6.2. SeeBeyond eBusiness Integration
Suite 278
9.6.3. webMethods B2B platform 279
9.6.4. BEA WebLogic integration 283
9.6.5. ROI on integration brokers 285
9.7 Conclusion 285
Chapter 10 Internet Security 287
10.1. Internet Security (E-Security) Critical
for B2Bi 288
10.2. B2Bi — Makes a Company Highly
Vulnerable to Security Risks 289
10.2.1. Complex nature of applications 289
10.2.2. Anonymous relationships in B2B
e-commerce 289
10.2.3. Software undergoing frequent
change 289
10.2.4. Human factor involved 290
Contents xxxi
10.3. Employees and Other Insiders Pose the

Biggest Threat 290
10.4. E-Security Strategy 291
10.5. Basic Security Services in B2Bi 291
10.5.1. The strength of the chain is as
strong as its weakest link 292
10.6. Key Concepts in E-Security Solutions 293
10.6.1. Cryptography 293
10.6.2. Private key encryption 294
10.6.3. Public key encryption 295
10.6.4. Best of both worlds — The digital
envelope 296
10.6.5. Digital signature 296
10.6.6. Digital certificates and role of
Certificate Authorities (CAs) 300
10.6.7. Using SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)
to establish secure sessions 301
10.7. Shielding an Organization from the
Outside World 302
10.7.1. Firewalls 302
10.7.2. Functions performed by firewalls 303
10.7.3. Types of firewalls 304
10.7.4. Considerations in choosing a
firewall 306
10.7.5. Enterprise firewall appliance 306
10.7.6. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) 308
10.7.7. Check Point's VPN solution 310
10.8. B2Bi and E-Security 311
10.8.1. Revamp your security 311
10.8.2. B2Bi software 312
10.8.3. Security features in the leading
B2B integration servers 313
10.8.4. E-security tailored to XML 314
10.9. Secure Payments Over the Internet 315
10.9.1. Need for trusted third party entities 316
10.10. Security Trends for the Future 317
xxxii B2B Integration — A Practical Guide to Collaborative E-commerce
Part III Evolving Integration Components 323

Chapter 11 Web Services 325
11.1. Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) 326
11.1.1. Components and operations
of SOA 326
11.2. What are Web Services? 327
11.2.1. Application of SOA-based
framework to B2Bi 328
11.3. Essential Features of a Web Services
Environment 329
11.4. Universal Description, Discovery and
Integration (UDDI) 330
11.4.1. What is UDDI? 330
11.4.2. UDDI built on SOAP 331
11.4.3. UDDI data structure 331
11.4.4. UDDI APIs 333
11.5. Web Services Description Language
(WSDL) 333
11.5.1. WSDL schema 334
11.5.2. WSDL and UDDI 334
11.6. Web Services Flow Language (WSFL) 335
11.7. Putting Everything Together 335
11.8. Essential Features of a Web Services
Framework 336
11.9. Security Requirements for Web Services 337
11.9.1. Authentication 338
11.9.2. Authorization 338
11.9.3. Data protection 338
11.9.4. Non-repudiation 338
11.10. Where to Start? 339
11.10.1. Leverage existing assets 339
11.10.2. Build an internal repository for
web services 340
11.10.3. Bottom line 340
11.11. Web Services Networks 340
Contents xxxiii
Chapter 12 Wireless Technologies 342

12.2. The Wireless Internet Today 344
12.2.1. Definition and growth 344
12.2.2. Mobile benefits 345
12.3. Wireless Application Architecture and
Components 347
12.3.1. Wireless Access Protocol (WAP) 350
12.3.2. Wireless Markup Language
(WML) 351
12.3.3. WMLScript 352
12.4. Wireless Security Issues 353
12.4.1. Security of mobile systems 353
12.4.2. Security issues in WAP 355
12.4.3. Generic mobile solutions 358
12.5. B2B Wireless Applications 360
12.5.1. Business uses of the mobile
Internet 360
12.5.2. B2B wireless portals 362
12.5.3. On-demand trading 363
12.5.4. Business-to-Employee (B2E)
connections 363
12.5.5. B2B, B2C, B2E and wireless 365
12.6. Enterprise Integration Issues for
M-commerce 366
12.7. Leading M-commerce Solution Providers 369
12.7.1. BEA WebLogic m-commerce
solution 369
12.7.2. IBM's WebSphere everyplace
suite 372
12.8. To be or not to be... Wireless: Pertinent
Strategic Considerations 372
12.8.1. Goal and business definition 372
12.8.2. Formulation of technology
strategy 374
xxxiv B2B Integration — A Practical Guide to Collaborative E-commerce
Chapter 13 Software Agents 381

13.1. Software Agents Enabling the Formation
of Virtual Organizations 382
13.2. What are Intelligent Software Agents? 382
13.3. What are Agent Systems? 384
13.4. Agent Classification 384
13.5. Agents and Autonomy 387
13.6. Multi-Agent Environment 387
13.6.1. The 3 Cs of prime importance 388
13.6.2. Advantages of a multi-agent
environment 388
13.6.3. Disadvantages of a multi-agent
environment 388
13.7. Agents and Negotiation 389
13.7.1. Types of negotiation strategies 390
13.7.2. Not revealing negotiation strategy
paramount 390
13.8. Agents and Mobility 391
13.8.1. Benefits of using mobile agents 391
13.8.2. Potential risks involved in use
of mobile agents 392
13.9. Agents' Role in B2B E-Commerce
and B2Bi 393
13.9.1. Information gathering and filtering 394
13.9.2. Uncovering quality sales prospects 395
13.9.3. Value chain integration 395
13.9.4. Optimization of business processes
in light of B2Bi 396
13.9.5. Efficient e-marketplaces 397
13.9.6. Maintaining customer relationships 399
13.9.7. Effective e-procurement 399
13.9.8. Integration with legacy systems 400
13.9.9. Enable privacy in B2B transactions 400
13.10. Need for a Universal Language 402
13.10.1. XNS: A dictionary and address
book for web agents 404
Contents xxxv
Part IV B2Bi-Enabled Applications 407

Chapter 14 Supply Chain Management (SCM) 409
14.2. Fundamentals of Supply Chain
Management 410
14.2.1. A few definitions of SCM 410
14.2.2. What is a supply chain? 411
14.2.3. A typical business process flow
in a supply chain 412
14.2.4. Activities in a supply chain 413
14.3. Legacy Supply Chain 415
14.3.1. Push-based supply network 415
14.3.2. What's wrong in a legacy supply
chain? 416
14.4. B2Bi-Enabled Supply Chain 417
14.4.1. Principles of SCM 418
14.4.2. Pull-based supply network 419
14.4.3. ROI in moving from pull-based
to push-based supply network 420
14.4.4. Features of B2Bi-enabled supply
chain 420
14.5. Supply Chain Planning and Execution 422
14.5.1. Supply Chain Planning (SCP) 422
14.5.2. Supply Chain Execution (SCE) 423
14.5.3. E-procurement — The
transformation of corporate
purchasing 424
14.5.4. E-logistics: Integrating warehouses,
distribution centers and customer
interaction processes 427
14.6. SCM Challenges 428
14.6.1. Synchronization in supply chain 428
14.6.2. Building trust through supply
chain 428
14.6.3. Operational stability 428
14.6.4. Inertia for change 429
xxxvi B2B Integration — A Practical Guide to Collaborative E-commerce
14.6.5. Supply chain complexity 429

14.6.6. Managing supply chain for short
lifecycle products 429
14.6.7. Integration challenge within the
organization 429
14.6.8. Integration challenge with supply
chain partners 430
14.6.9. Inter-company business process
synchronization 430
14.7. SCM Techniques 430
14.7.1. Vendor Managed Inventory
(VMI) 431
14.7.2. Just-in-Time (JIT) 431
14.7.3. Collaborative Planning,
Forecasting and Replenishment
(CPFR) 431
14.8. SCM Systems 434
Chapter 15 E-Marketplaces and Collaborative Networks 438
15.1. What are E-Marketplaces? 439
15.2. Basics of B2B E-Marketplaces 440
15.2.1. Pre e-marketplace era 440
15.2.2. E-marketplace era 440
15.2.3. Classification of e-marketplaces 441
15.2.4. Market makers 444
15.2.5. Dynamic trading through B2B
e-marketplaces 444
15.2.6. Governance of e-marketplaces 445
15.2.7. Benefits of B2B e-marketplaces 445
15.2.8. Which e-marketplace to join? 449
15.2.9. B2B e-marketplaces services 453
15.3. How E-Marketplaces Fit into a Company's
B2Bi Plans 457
15.3.1. Catalog publishing 457
15.3.2. Receiving and processing orders 458
15.3.3. Data transformation 459
Contents xxxvii
15.3.4. Integrating credit, financing and

collection system with ERP 460
15.4. Emergence of B2B Collaborative Networks 460
15.4.1. Just another point of connection 460
15.4.2. Lack of support for collaborative
commerce 462
15.4.3. B2B collaborative networks 462
PartV Conclusion 467
Chapter 16 B2B to P2P Evolution 469
16.1. Why Peer-to-Peer? 470
16.1.1. Let your imagination run wild 470
16.1.2. What is P2P? 471
16.1.3. What is a peer group? 471
16.1.4. Features of a P2P application 471
16.2. Leading P2P Protocols 473
16.2.1. Jabber 473
16.2.2. Juxtapose — JXTA 474
16.3. Examples of P2P Applications 477
16.3.1. NextPage — NXT 3 477
16.3.2. FirstPeer — Professional servant 478
16.3.3. Groove networks — Groove 1.0 478
16.3.4. Gnuetella 478
16.3.5. Applied MetaComputing —
Legion 478
16.4. Benefits of P2P-Based Applications in
B2B Integration 479
16.4.1. Collaboration 479
16.4.2. Enhanced performance 479
16.4.3. Intelligent agents 481
16.4.4. P2P marketplaces 481
16.4.5. Information discovery using
search engines 483
16.4.6. Eliminate the need for cataloging
in multiple formats 483
xxxviii B2B Integration — A Practical Guide to Collaborative E-commerce
16.5. But the Road is Winding 484

16.5.1. Network bandwidth 484
16.5.2. Security 484
16.5.3. Complex architectures and
difficult maintenance 485
Acronyms 487
Appendix
A. PIP2A1: Distribute New Product Information 493
B. UDDI Technical White Paper 519
Bibliography 531
Index 541
Part I
The Big Picture
i
Chapter \
Introduction
The focus of this chapter

With B2B integration, collaborative e-commerce will truly come to life
— moving from the phase of revolutionary idea to becoming a common
aspect of business operations.
In this chapter, we will introduce the subject of B2B collaborative
e-commerce, differences between B2B and B2C, concepts of B2B
integration, formulation of B2Bi strategy, the roadmap to a successful
B2B integration strategy and implementation, features of a good B2B
integration solution and return on investment on B2Bi implementation.
3
4 B2B Integration — A Practical Guide to Collaborative E-commerce
1.1. Evolution of Next Generation Enterprises

The Center for Research in Electronic Commerce (CREC), at the
University of Texas-Austin recently conducted a large study to assess
collaborative e-business value in small, medium and large companies
across the U.S. and Europe. The study, which included leading man-
ufacturers, retailers, distributors and wholesalers, identified a strong
link between e-business drivers such as system integration, customer
and supplier oriented processes, financial indicators and operational
excellence measures. It reveals that many companies have either not
engaged in B2B collaborative e-commerce or just started to move
towards it. The study indicates that most companies have only scratched
the surface of e-business and have yet to realize the gains in efficiency
and productivity that can be achieved through using the Internet.
But a few companies are going through a phase of Internet revolution
in terms of restructuring their business processes, providing real-time
customer service, integrating their internal applications and supply chain.
They are increasing their profitability through digitization and integration
of business processes — especially in business-to-business transactions.
They are flexible, adaptable and eager to change, and have an unpre-
cedented global market access of 24/7/365. They are utilizing their
investments in e-business initiatives to achieve operational excellence.
These are a new class of companies, known as Next Generation
Enterprises (NGEs) that will dominate tomorrow's markets.
Companies that are not participating in this revolution may not
remain competitive and profitable in the future. Becoming the next
generation enterprise is not a matter of choice anymore. No modern
business, regardless of its size, can survive without digitizing business.
Your company can join the race, or get ousted by the competition. It is
still not too late — the long-term race has just begun.
1.2. New Rules of Engagement

The e-business world is growing at an unprecedented pace. Businesses
all over the world are realizing that future survival and success are
dependent upon the collaborative commerce capabilities of the
organization and its ability to act at Internet speeds. The new dimensions
Introduction 5
of business will involve robot shopping agents, business process

coordination, business-to-business exchanges, collaborative networks,
online billing, auctions, digital cash, mass customization, markets for
trust, cyberization of markets and concepts yet to be invented. Companies
in many sectors of the economy will be forced to adapt to these new
market realities with improved information technology infrastructures
as well as automated and re-engineered business processes.
The new rules of engagement, enforced by the new online economy,
require a complete transformation of a legacy company to an e-business
driven company. Technology plays a vital role in this transition and
transformation and it is changing from a cost of doing business to a
way of doing business.
However, companies cannot, and should not abandon the classic
concepts of successful business: product, price, promotion and place —
or channel synergy — as well as customer service and fulfillment. What
is required for survival in the new economy is an appropriate balance
between established business practices and the implementation of today's
information technology. The next generation enterprises will be successful
only through the right integration of technology and business processes.
1.3. B2B E-Commerce

B2B e-commerce is being talked about everywhere. And it is not just
jargon — it is the next level in the e-business revolution, when businesses
collaborate with business partners in real-time and put management of
all their processes online — from supply chain and purchasing to
manufacturing and product development — for increased control, rapid
response, improved efficiency, global intelligence and unprecedented
cost savings. B2B e-commerce is a revolution, similar in magnitude to
the Industrial Revolution, that will fundamentally change relationships
among business partners — how they exchange information, collaborate,
communicate and close transactions.
1.3.1. What is B2B e-commerce?

B2B e-commerce is an acronym for business-to-business, a type of
e-commerce involving a transaction from one business to another via
6 B2B Integration — A Practical Guide to Collaborative E-commerce
the Internet. Thus, it occurs when systems of two or more businesses

exchange information electronically that, directly or indirectly, results
in a transaction. Multiple organizations can exchange information as
part of a single transaction. A transaction in B2B e-commerce can
involve traditional purchases and other related business activities such
as request for a quote, setup of new accounts, order management and
status information. A transaction generally is real-time, but based on the
transaction requirement, the aggregation and distribution of data across
companies may not be real-time.
B2B e-commerce can be as basic as a manufacturer putting up a
bare-bones Internet site to let distributors securely order a handful of
products, or it can be as complex as a distributor offering company-
specific pricing and content, complex product configurations and real-
time access to inventory levels for its entire product line to thousands
of customers.
1.3.2. B2B vs. B2C: Differing strategies

Table 1.1 shows the major differences between B2B and B2C.
1.3.3. Explosive growth in B2B e-commerce

Several fundamental forces have driven the explosive growth of B2B
e-commerce. Some of these forces arise from the need for global trade,
dynamic business relationships, elimination of price differences, collabo-
ration in new products development, forecasts and replenishments and
movement to market-driven economies. Though price and functionality
remain critical, customer service and value-added relation-ships have
become the new drivers of commerce and competitive advantage.
Forrester Research has estimated that in the U.S. B2B e-commerce
will grow to more than $2 trillion by 2003, about 10% of business
sales overall. According to the Gartner Group, the B2B e-commerce
marketplace will exceed $7 trillion in 2004. North America's share
will approach $2.8 trillion of market revenue; Europe will grow to
$2.3 trillion; Asia will account for $900 billion; and Latin America will
reach $124 billion.
Random documents with unrelated
content Scribd suggests to you:
The empty Oryx Skin.
"By St. Andrew! these things happen to no one but me," he cried, in
a tone so comical that any one but the immovable Mokoum would
have laughed outright. But Mokoum did not even smile. His
compressed lips and contracted brow showed him to be utterly
bewildered. With his arms crossed, he looked quickly right and left.
Suddenly he caught sight of a little red leather bag, ornamented
with arabesques, on the ground, which he picked up and examined
carefully.
"What's that?" asked Sir John.
"A Makololo's pouch," replied Mokoum.
"How did it get there?"
"The owner let it fall as he fled."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean," said Mokoum, clenching his fists, "that the Makololo was
in the oryx skin, and you have missed him."
Sir John had not time to express his astonishment, when Mokoum,
observing a movement in the distance, with all speed seized his gun
and fired.
He and Sir John hastened to the suspected spot. But the place was
empty: they could perceive by the trampled grass that some one had
just been there; but the Makololo was gone, and it was useless to
think of pursuit across the prairie.
The two hunters returned, much discomposed. The presence of a
Makololo at the cromlech, together with his disguise, not
unfrequently adopted by oryx hunters, showed that he had
systematically followed the caravan. It was not without design that
he was keeping watch upon the Europeans and their escort. The
more they advanced to the north, the greater danger there would be
of being attacked by the plunderers.
Emery was inclined to banter Sir John on his return from his holiday
without booty; but Sir John replied,—
"I hadn't a chance, William; the first oryx I hunted was dead before
I shot at him."
CHAPTER XVII.
AN UNEXPECTED BLIGHT.
After the oryx hunt the bushman had a long conversation with the
Colonel. He felt sure, he said, that they were watched and followed,
and that the only reason why they had not been attacked before was
because the Makololos wished to get them farther north, where their
hordes were larger. The question thus arose whether, in presence of
this danger, they should retrace their steps; but they were reluctant
to suffer that which nature had favoured to be interrupted by the
attacks of a few African savages. The Colonel, aware of the
importance of the question, asked the bushman to tell him all he
knew about the Makololos.
Mokoum explained that they were the most northerly branch of the
great tribe of the Bechuanas. In 1850 Dr. Livingstone, during his first
journey to the Zambesi, was received at Sesheki, the usual residence
of Sebitouani, the chief of the Makololos. This native was a man of
remarkable intelligence, and a formidable warrior. In 1824 he had
menaced the Cape frontier, and, little by little, had gained an
ascendency over the tribes of Central Africa, and had united them in
a compact group. In the year before the arrival of the Anglo-Russian
expedition the chief had died in Livingstone's arms, and his son
Sekeleton succeeded him.
At first Sekeleton was very friendly towards the Europeans who
visited the Zambesi, and Dr. Livingstone had no complaint to make.
But after the departure of the famous traveller, not only strangers
but the neighbouring tribes were harassed by Sekeleton and his
warriors. To these vexations succeeded pillage on a large scale, and
the Makololos scoured the district between Lake Ngami and the
Upper Zambesi. Consequently nothing was more dangerous than for
a caravan to venture across this region without a considerable
escort, especially when its progress had been previously known.
Such was the history given by Mokoum. He said that he thought it
right to tell the Colonel the whole truth, adding, that for his own part
(if the Colonel so wished) he should not hesitate to continue the
march.
Colonel Everest consulted with his colleagues, and it was settled that
the work, at all risks, should be continued. Something more than
half of the project was now accomplished, and, whatever happened,
the English owed it to themselves and their country not to abandon
their undertaking. The series of triangles was resumed. On the 27th
the tropic of Capricorn was passed, and on the 3rd of November,
with the completion of the forty-first triangle, a fifth degree was
added to the meridian.
For a month the survey went on rapidly, without meeting a single
natural obstacle. Mokoum, always on the alert, kept a constant look-
out at the head and flanks of the caravan, and forbade the hunters
to venture too great a distance away. No immediate danger,
however, seemed to threaten the little troop, and they were
sanguine that the bushman's fears might prove groundless. There
was no further trace of the native who, after eluding them at the
cromlech, had taken so strange a part in the oryx chase: nor did any
other aggressor appear. Still, at various intervals, the bushman
observed signs of trepidation among the Bochjesmen under his
command. The incidents of the flight from the old cromlech, and the
stratagem of the oryx hunt, could not be concealed from them, and
they were perpetually expecting an attack. A deadly antipathy
existed between tribe and tribe, and, in the event of a collision, the
defeated party could entertain no hope of mercy. The Bochjesmen
were already 300 miles from their home, and there was every
prospect of their being carried 200 more. It is true that, before
engaging them, Mokoum had been careful to inform them of the
length and difficulties of the journey, and they were not men to
shrink from fatigue; but now, when to these was added the danger
of a conflict with implacable enemies, regret was mingled with
murmuring, and dissatisfaction was exhibited with ill-humour, and
although Mokoum pretended neither to hear nor to see, he was
silently conscious of an increasing anxiety.
On the 2nd of December a circumstance occurred which still further
increased the spirit of complaint amongst this superstitious people,
and provoked them to a kind of rebellion. Since the previous evening
the weather had become dull. The atmosphere, saturated with
vapour, gave signs of being heavily charged with electric fluid. There
was every prospect of the recurrence of one of the storms which in
this tropical district are seldom otherwise than violent. During the
morning the sky became covered with sinister-looking clouds, piled
together like bales of down of contrasted colours, the yellowish hue
distinctly relieving the masses of dark grey. The sun was wan, the
heat was overpowering, and the barometer fell rapidly; the air was
so still that not a leaf fluttered.
Although the astronomers had not been unconscious of the change
of weather, they had not thought it necessary to suspend their
labours. Emery, attended by two sailors and four natives in charge of
a waggon, was sent two miles east of the meridian to establish a
post for the vertex of the next triangle. He was occupied in securing
his point of sight, when a current of cold air caused a rapid
condensation, which appeared to contribute immediately to a
development of electric matter. Instantly there fell a violent shower
of hail, and by a rare phenomenon the hailstones were luminous, so
that it seemed to be raining drops of boiling silver. The storm
increased; sparks flashed from the ground, and jets of light gleamed
from the iron settings of the waggon. Dr. Livingstone relates that he
has seen tiles broken, and horses and antelopes killed, by the
violence of these hail-storms.
Without losing a moment, Emery left his work for the purpose of
calling his men to the waggon, which would afford better shelter
than a tree. But he had hardly left the top of the hill, when a
dazzling flash, instantly followed by a peal of thunder, inflamed the
air.
Emery and two Natives struck by Lightning.
Emery was thrown down, and lay prostrate, as though he were

actually dead. The two sailors, dazzled for a moment, were not long
in rushing towards him, and were relieved to find that the
thunderbolt had spared him. He had been enveloped by the fluid,
which, collected by the compass which he held in his hand, had
been diverted in its course, so as to leave him not seriously injured.
Raised by the sailors, he soon came to himself; but he had narrowly
escaped. Two natives, twenty paces apart, lay lifeless at the foot of
the post. One had been struck by the full force of the thunderbolt,
and was a black and shattered corpse, while his clothes remained
entire; the other had been locally struck on the skull by the
destructive fluid, and had been killed at once. The three men had
been undeniably struck by a single flash. This trisection of a flash of
lightning is an unusual but not unknown occurrence, and the angular
division was very large. The Bochjesmen were at first overwhelmed
by the sudden death of their comrades, but soon, in spite of the
cries of the sailors and at the risk of being struck themselves, they
rushed back to the camp. The two sailors, having first provided for
the protection of Emery, conveyed the two dead bodies to the
waggon, and then found shelter for themselves, being sorely bruised
by the hailstones, which fell like a shower of marbles. For three
quarters of an hour the storm continued to rage; the hail then
abated so as to allow the waggon to return to camp.
The news of the death of the natives had preceded them, and had
produced a deplorable effect on the minds of the Bochjesmen, who
already looked upon the trigonometrical operations with the terror of
superstition. They assembled in secret council, and some more timid
than the rest declared they would go no farther. The rebellious
disposition began to look serious, and it took all the bushman's
influence to arrest an actual revolt. Colonel Everest offered the poor
men an increase of pay; but contentment was not to be restored
without much trouble. It was a matter of emergency; had the
natives deserted, the position of the caravan, without escort and
without drivers, would have been perilous in the extreme. At length,
however, the difficulty was overcome, and after the burial of the
natives, the camp was raised, and the little troop proceeded to the
hill where the two had met their death.
Emery felt the shock for some days: his left hand, which had held
the compass, was almost paralyzed; but after a time it recovered,
and he was able to resume his work.
For eighteen days no special incident occurred. The Makololos did
not appear, and Mokoum, though still distrustful, exhibited fewer
indications of alarm. They were not more than fifty miles from the
desert; and the karroo was still verdant, and enriched by abundant
water. They thought that neither man nor beast could want for any
thing in this region so rich in game and pasturage; but they had
reckoned without the locusts, against whose appearance there is no
security in the agricultural districts of South Africa.
On the evening of the 20th, about an hour before sunset the camp
was arranged for the night. A light northerly breeze refreshed the
atmosphere. The three Englishmen and Mokoum, resting at the foot
of a tree, discussed their plans for the future. It was arranged that
during the night the astronomers should take the altitude of some
stars, in order accurately to find their latitude. Every thing seemed
favourable for the operations; in a cloudless sky the moon was
nearly new, and the constellations might be expected to be clear and
resplendent. Great was the disappointment, therefore, when Emery,
rising and pointing to the north, said,—
"The horizon is overcast: I begin to fear our anticipations of a fine
night will hardly be verified."
A strange Cloud.
"Yes," replied Sir John, "I see a cloud is rising, and if the wind should
freshen, it might overspread the sky."
"There is not another storm coming, I hope," interposed the Colonel.
"We are in the tropics," said Emery, "and it would not be surprising;
for to-night I begin to have misgivings about our observations."
"What is your opinion, Mokoum?" asked the Colonel of the bushman.
Mokoum looked attentively towards the north. The cloud was
bounded by a long clear curve, as definite as though traced by a pair
of compasses. It marked off a section of some miles on the horizon,
and its appearance, black as smoke, seemed to excite the
apprehensions of the bushman. At times it reflected a reddish light
from the setting sun, as though it were rather a solid mass than any
collection of vapour. Without direct reply to the Colonel's appeal,
Mokoum simply said that it was strange.
In a few minutes one of the Bochjesmen announced that the horses
and cattle showed signs of agitation, and would not be driven to the
interior of the camp.
"Well, let them stay outside," said Mokoum; and in answer to the
suggestion that there would be danger from the wild beasts around,
he added significantly, "Oh, the wild beasts will be too much
occupied to pay any attention to them."
After the native had gone back, Colonel Everest turned to ask what
the bushman meant; but he had moved away, and was absorbed in
watching the advance of the cloud, of which, too accurately, he was
aware of the origin.
The dark mass approached. It hung low and appeared to be but a
few hundred feet from the ground. Mingling with the sound of the
wind was heard a peculiar rustling, which seemed to proceed from
the cloud itself. At this moment, above the cloud against the sky,
appeared thousands of black specks, fluttering up and down,
plunging in and out, and breaking the distinctness of the outline.
"What are those moving specks of black?" asked Sir John.
"They are vultures, eagles, falcons, and kites," answered Mokoum,
"from afar they have followed the cloud, and will never leave it until
it is destroyed or dispersed."
"But the cloud?"
"Is not a cloud at all," answered the bushman, extending his hand
towards the sombre mass, which by this time had spread over a
quarter of the sky. "It is a living host; to say the truth, it is a swarm
of locusts."
The hunter was not mistaken. The Europeans were about to witness
one of those terrible invasions of grasshoppers which are unhappily
too frequent, and in one night change the most fertile country into
an arid desert. These locusts, now arriving by millions, were the
"grylli devastorii" of the naturalists, and travellers have seen for a
distance of fifty miles the beach covered with piles of these insects
to the height of four feet.
"Yes," continued the bushman, "these living clouds are a true
scourge to the country, and it will be lucky if we escape without
harm."
"But we have no crops and pasturages of our own," said the Colonel;
"what have we to fear?"
"Nothing, if they merely pass over our heads; every thing, if they
settle on the country over which we must travel. They will not leave
a leaf on the trees, nor a blade of grass on the ground; and you
forget, Colonel, that if our own sustenance is secure, that of our
animals is not. What do you suppose will become of us in the middle
of a devastated district?"
The astronomers were silent for a time, and contemplated the
animated mass before them. The cries of the eagles and falcons,
who were devouring the insects by thousands, sounded above the
redoubled murmur.
"Do you think they will settle here?" said Emery.
"I fear so," answered Mokoum, "the wind carries them here direct.
The sun is setting, and the fresh evening breeze will bear them
down; should they settle on the trees, bushes, and prairies, why,
then I tell you——;" but the bushman could not finish his sentence.
In an instant the enormous cloud which overshadowed them settled
on the ground. Nothing could be seen as far as the horizon but the
thickening mass. The camp was bestrewed; waggons and tents alike
were veiled beneath the living hail. The Englishmen, moving knee-
deep in the insects, crushed them by hundreds at every step.
Although there was no lack of agencies at work for their destruction,
their aggregate defied all check. The birds, with hoarse cries, darted
down from above, and devoured them greedily; from below, the
snakes consumed them in enormous quantities; the horses,
buffaloes, mules, and dogs fed on them with great relish; and lions
and hyenas, elephants and rhinoceroses, swallowed them down by
bushels. The very Bochjesmen welcomed these "shrimps of the air"
like celestial manna; the insects even preyed on each other, but their
numbers still resisted all sources of destruction.
The bushman entreated the English to taste the dainty. Thousands
of young locusts, of a green colour, an inch to an inch and a half
long, and about as thick as a quill, were caught. Before they have
deposited their eggs, they are considered a great delicacy by
connoisseurs, and are more tender than the old insects, which are of
a yellowish tinge, and sometimes measure four inches in length.
After half an hour's boiling and seasoning with salt, pepper, and
vinegar, the bushman served up a tempting dish to the three
Englishmen. The insects, dismembered of head, legs, and skin, were
eaten just like shrimps, and were found extremely savoury. Sir John,
who ate some hundreds, recommended his people to take
advantage of the opportunity to make a large provision.
At night they were all about to seek their usual beds; but the interior
of the waggons had not escaped the invasion. It was impossible to
enter without crushing the locusts, and to sleep under such
conditions was not an agreeable prospect. Accordingly, as the night
was clear and the stars bright, the astronomers were rejoiced to
pursue their contemplated operations, and deemed it more pleasant
than burying themselves to the neck in a coverlet of locusts.
Moreover, they would not have had a moment's sleep, on account of
the howling of the beasts which were attracted by their unusual
prey.
The next day the sun rose in a clear horizon, and commenced its
course over a brilliant sky foreboding heat. A dull rustling of scales
among the locusts showed that they were about to carry their
devastations elsewhere; and towards eight o'clock the mass rose like
the unfurling of an immense veil, and obscured the sun. It grew
dusk as if night were returning, and with the freshening of the wind
the whole mass was in motion. For two hours, with a deafening
noise, the cloud passed over the darkened camp, and disappeared
beyond the western horizon.
After their departure the bushman's predictions were found to be
entirely realized. All was demolished, and the soil was brown and
bare. Every branch was stripped to utter nakedness. It was like a
sudden winter settling in the height of summer, or like the dropping
of a desert into the midst of a land of plenty. The Oriental proverb
which describes the devastating fury of the Osmanlis might justly be
applied to these locusts, "Where the Turk has passed, the grass
springs up no more."
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE DESERT.
It was indeed no better than a desert which now lay before the
travellers. When, on the 25th of December, they completed the
measurement of another degree, and reached the northern
boundary of the karroo, they found no difference between the
district they had been traversing and the new country, the real
desert, arid and scorching, over which they were now about to pass.
The animals belonging to the caravan suffered greatly from the
dearth alike of pasturage and water. The last drops of rain in the
pools had dried up, and it was an acrid soil, a mixture of clay and
sand, very unfavourable to vegetation. The waters of the rainy
season filtered quickly through the sandy strata, so that the region
was incapable of preserving for any length of time a particle of
moisture. More than once has Dr. Livingstone carried his
adventurous explorations across one of these barren districts. The
very atmosphere was so dry, that iron left in the open air did not
rust, and the distinguished traveller relates that the leaves hung
weak and shrivelled; that the mimosas remained closed by day as
well as by night; that the scarabæi, laid on the ground, expired in a
few seconds; and that the mercury in the ball of a thermometer
buried three inches in the soil rose at midday to 134° Fahrenheit.
These records which Livingstone had made were now verified by the
astronomers between the karroo and Lake Ngami. The suffering and
fatigue, especially of the animals, continually increased, and the dry
dusty grass afforded them but little nourishment. Nothing ventured
on the desert; the birds had flown beyond the Zambesi for fruit and
flowers, and the wild beasts shunned the plain which offered them
no prey. During the first fortnight in January the hunters caught
sight of a few couples of those antelopes which are able to exist
without water for several weeks. There were some oryxes like those
in whose pursuit Sir John had sustained so great a disappointment,
and there were besides, some dappled, soft-eyed caamas, which
venture beyond the green pasturages, and which are much
esteemed for the quality of their flesh.
Crossing the Desert.
To travel under that burning sun through the stifling atmosphere, to

work for days and nights in the oppressive sultriness, was fatiguing
in the extreme. The reserve of water evaporated continuously, so
they were obliged to ration themselves to a painfully limited
allowance. However, such were their zeal and courage that they
mastered all their troubles, and not a single detail of their task was
neglected. On the 25th of January they completed their seventh
degree, the number of triangles constructed having amounted to
fifty-seven.
Only a comparatively small portion of the desert had now to be
traversed, and the bushman thought that they would be able to
reach Lake Ngami before their provision was exhausted. The Colonel
and his companions thus had definite hopes, and were inspirited to
persevere. But the hired Bochjesmen, who knew nothing of any
scientific ardour, and who had been long ago reluctant to pursue
their journey, could hardly be encouraged to hold out:
unquestionably they suffered greatly, and were objects for
commiseration. Already, too, some beasts of burden, overcome by
hard work and scanty food, had been left behind, and it was to be
feared that more would fall into the same helpless condition.
Mokoum had a difficult task to perform, and as murmurs and
recriminations increased, his influence more and more lost its
weight. It became evident that the want of water would be a serious
obstacle, and that the expedition must either retrace its steps, or, at
the risk of meeting the Russians, turn to the right of the meridian, to
seek some of the villages which were known to be scattered along
Livingstone's route.
It was not long, however, before the bushman one morning came to
the Colonel, and declared himself powerless against the increasing
difficulties. The drivers, he said, refused to obey him; and there
were continued scenes of insubordination, in which all the natives
joined. The Colonel perfectly well understood the situation; but stern
to himself, he was stern to others. He refused to suspend his
operations, and declared that although he went alone, he would
continue to advance. His two companions of course agreed, and
professed themselves ready to follow him. Renewed efforts of
Mokoum persuaded the natives to venture a little farther: he felt
sure that the caravan could not be more than five or six days' march
from Lake Ngami, and once there, the animals could find pasturage
and shade, and the men an abundance of fresh water. All these
considerations he laid before the principal Bochjesmen. He showed
them that it was really best to advance northwards. If they turned to
the west, their march would be perilous, and to turn back was only
to find the karroo desolate and dry. The natives at length yielded to
his solicitations, and the almost exhausted caravan continued its
course.
Happily this vast plain was in itself favourable to all astronomical
observations, so that no delay arose from any natural obstruction.
On one occasion there sprang up a sudden hope that nature was
about to restore to them a supply of the water of which she had
been so niggardly. A lagoon, a mile or two in extent, was discovered
on the horizon. The reflection was indubitably of water, proving that
what they saw was no mirage, due to the unequal density of the
atmospheric strata. The caravan speedily turned in that direction,
and the lagoon was reached towards five in the evening. Some of
the horses broke away from their drivers, and galloped to the
longed-for water. Having smelt it, they plunged in to their chests, but
almost immediately returned to the bank. They had not drunk, and
when the Bochjesmen arrived they found themselves by the side of
a lagoon so impregnated with salt that its water could not be
touched. Disappointment was keen, it was little short of despair.
Mokoum thought that he should never induce the natives to
proceed; but fortunately the only hope was in advancing, and even
the natives were alive to the conviction that Lake Ngami was the
nearest point where water could be procured. In four days, unless
retarded by its labours, the expedition must reach the shores of the
lake.
Every day was momentous. To economize time, Colonel Everest
formed larger triangles and established fewer posts. No efforts were
spared to hurry on the progress of the survey. Notwithstanding the
application of every energy, the painful sojourn in the desert was
prolonged, and it was not until the 21st of February that the level
ground began to be rough and undulating. A mountain 500 or 600
feet high was descried about fifteen miles to the north-west. The
bushman recognized it as Mount Scorzef, and, pointing to the north,
said,—
"Lake Ngami is there."
"The Ngami! the Ngami!"

"The Ngami! the Ngami!" echoed the natives, with noisy
demonstration. They wished to hurry on in advance over the fifteen
miles, but Mokoum restrained them, asserting that the country was
infested by Makololos, and that it was important to keep together.
Colonel Everest, himself eager to reach the lake, resolved to connect
by a single triangle the station he was now occupying with Mount
Scorzef. The instruments were therefore arranged, and the angle of
the last triangle which had been already measured from the south
was measured again from the station. Mokoum, in his impatience,
only established a temporary camp; he hoped to reach the lake
before night; but he neglected none of his usual precautions, and
prudently sent out horsemen right and left to explore the
underwood. Since the oryx-chase the Makololos seemed indeed to
have abandoned their watch, still he would not incur any risk of
being taken by surprise.
Thus carefully guarded by the bushman, the astronomers
constructed their triangle. According to Emery's calculations it would
carry them nearly to the twentieth parallel, the proposed limit of
their arc. A few more triangles on the other side of Lake Ngami
would complete their eighth degree; to verify the calculations, a new
base would subsequently be measured directly on the ground, and
the great enterprise would be ended. The ardour of the astronomers
increased as they approached the fulfilment of their task.
Meanwhile there was considerable curiosity as to what the Russians
on their side had accomplished. For six months the members of the
commission had been separated, and it seemed probable to the
English that the Russians had not suffered so much from heat and
thirst, since their course had lain nearer Livingstone's route, and
therefore in less arid regions. After leaving Kolobeng they would
come across various villages to the right of their meridian, where
they could easily revictual their caravan. But still it was not unlikely
that in this less arid, though more frequented country, Matthew
Strux's little band had been more exposed to the attacks of the
plundering Makololos, and this was the more probable, since they
seemed to have abandoned the pursuit of the English caravan.
Although the Colonel, ever engrossed, had no thought to bestow on
these things, Sir John and Emery had often discussed the doings of
their former comrades. They wondered whether they would come
across them again, and whether they would find that they had
obtained the same mathematical result as themselves, and whether
the two computations of a degree in South Africa would be identical.
Emery did not cease to entertain kind memories of his friend,
knowing well that Zorn, for his part, would never forget him.
The measurement of the angles was now resumed. To obtain the
angle at the station they now occupied, they had to observe two
points of sight. One of these was formed by the conical summit of
Mount Scorzef, and the other by a sharp peak three or four miles to
the left of the meridian, whose direction was easily obtained by one
of the telescopes of the repeating circle. Mount Scorzef was much
more distant; its position would compel the observers to diverge
considerably to the right of the meridian, but on examination they
found they had no other choice. The station was therefore observed
with the second telescope of the repeating circle, and the angular
distance between Mount Scorzef and the smaller peak was obtained.
Notwithstanding the impatience of the natives, Colonel Everest, as
calmly as though he were in his own observatory, made many
successive registries from the graduated circle of his telescope, and
then, by taking the average of all his readings, he obtained a result
rigorously exact.
The day glided on, and it was not until the darkness prevented the
reading of the instruments, that the Colonel brought his observations
to an end, saying,—
"I am at your orders, Mokoum; we will start as soon as you like."
"And none too soon," replied Mokoum; "better had we accomplished
our journey by daylight."
The proposal to start met with unanimous approval, and by seven
o'clock the thirsty party were once more on the march.
Some strange foreboding seemed weighing on the mind of Mokoum,
and he urged the three Europeans to look carefully to their rifles and
to be well provided with ammunition. The night grew dark, the moon
and stars were repeatedly veiled in mist, but the atmosphere near
the ground was clear. The bushman's keen vision was ever watching
the flanks and front of the caravan, and his unwonted disquietude
could not fail to be noticed by Sir John, who was likewise on the
watch. They toiled through the weary evening, occasionally stopping
to gather together the loiterers, and at ten o'clock they were still six
miles from the lake. The animals gasped for breath in an
atmosphere so dry that the hygrometer could not have detected a
trace of moisture.
Mokoum was indefatigable in his endeavours to keep the
disorganized party close together; but, in spite of his remonstrances,
the caravan no longer presented a compact nucleus. Men and beasts
stretched out into a long file, and some oxen had sunk exhausted to
the ground. The dismounted horsemen could hardly drag themselves
along, and any stragglers could have been easily carried off by the
smallest band of natives. Mokoum went in evident anxiety from one
to another, and with word and gestures tried to rally the troop; but
his success was far from complete, and already, without his
knowledge, some of his men were missing.
By eleven o'clock the foremost waggons were hardly more than
three miles from their destination. In the gloom of night Mount
Scorzef stood out distinctly in its solitary height, like an enormous
pyramid, and the obscurity made its dimensions appear greater than
they actually were. Unless Mokoum were mistaken, Lake Ngami lay
just behind Mount Scorzef, so that the caravan must pass round its
base in order to reach the tract of fresh water by the shortest route.
The bushman, in company with the three Europeans, took the lead,
and prepared to turn to the left, when suddenly some distinct,
though distant reports, arrested their attention. They reined in their
horses, and listened with a natural anxiety. In a country where the
natives use only lances and arrows the report of European fire-arms
was rather startling. The Colonel and Sir John simultaneously asked
the bushman from whence the sound could proceed. Mokoum
asserted that he could perceive a light in the shadow at the summit
of Mount Scorzef, and that he had no doubt that the Makololos were
attacking a party of Europeans.
"Europeans!" cried Emery.
"Yes," replied Mokoum; "these reports can only be produced by
European weapons."
"But what Europeans could they be?" began Sir John.
"Be who they may," broke in the Colonel, "we must go to their
assistance."
"Yes; come on," said Emery, with no little excitement.
Before setting off for the mountain, Mokoum, for the last time, tried
to rally the small band. But when the bushman turned round the
caravan was dispersed, the horses unyoked, the waggons forsaken,
and a few scattered shadows were flying along the plain towards the
south.
"The cowards!" he cried; then turning to the English, he said, "Well,
we must go on."
The Englishmen and the bushman, gathering up all the remaining
strength of their horses, darted on to the north. After a while they
could plainly distinguish the war-cry of the Makololos. Whatever was
their number, it was evident they were making an attack on Mount
Scorzef, from the summit of which the flashes of fire continued.
Groups of men could be faintly distinguished ascending the sides.
Soon the Colonel and his companions were on the rear of the
besiegers. Abandoning their worn-out steeds, and shouting loud
enough to be heard by the besieged, they fired at the mass of
natives. The rapidity with which they re-loaded caused the Makololos
to imagine themselves assailed by a large troop. The sudden attack
surprised them, and, letting fly a shower of arrows and assagais,
they retreated. Without losing a moment, the Colonel, Sir John,
Emery, the bushman, and the sailors, never desisting from firing,
darted among the group of natives, of whose bodies no less than
fifteen soon strewed the ground.
The Makololos divided. The Europeans rushed into the gap, and,
overpowering the foremost, ascended the slope backwards. In a few
minutes they had reached the summit, which was now entirely in
darkness, the besieged having suspended their fire for fear of
injuring those who had come so opportunely to their aid.
They were the Russian astronomers. Strux, Palander, Zorn, and their
five sailors, all were there: but of all the natives belonging to their
caravan there remained but the faithful pioneer. The Bochjesmen
had been as faithless to them as they had been to the English.
The instant the Colonel appeared, Strux darted from the top of a low
wall that crowned the summit.
The English come to the relief of the Russians.
"The English!" he cried.

"Yes," replied the Colonel gravely; "but now neither Russian nor
English. Nationalities be forgotten; for mutual defence we are
kinsmen, in that we are one and all Europeans!"
CHAPTER XIX.
SCIENCE UNDAUNTED.
Noble words were those just uttered by the Colonel. In the face of
the Makololos it was no time for hesitation or discussion, and English
and Russians, forgetting their national quarrel, were now re-united
for mutual defence more firmly than ever. Emery and Zorn had
warmly greeted each other, and the others had sealed their new
alliance with a grasp of the hand.
The first care of the English was to quench their thirst. Water, drawn
from the lake, was plentiful in the Russian camp. Then, as soon as
the Makololos were quiet enough to afford some respite, the
astronomers, sheltered by a sort of casemate forming part of a
deserted fortress, talked of all that had happened since their
separation at Kolobeng.
It appeared that the same reason had brought the Russians so far to
the left of their meridian as had caused the English to turn to the
right of theirs. Mount Scorzef, halfway between the two arcs, was
the only height in that district which would serve as a station on the
banks of Lake Ngami. Each of the meridians crossed the lake, whose
opposite shores it was necessary to unite trigonometrically by a
large triangle. Naturally, therefore, the two rival expeditions met on
the only mountain which could serve their purpose.
Matthew Strux then gave some details of his operations. After
leaving Kolobeng, the Russian party had continued without
irregularity. The old meridian, which had fallen by lot to the
Russians, fell across a fertile and slightly undulated country, which
offered every facility for the formation of the triangles. Like the
English, they had suffered from the heat, but they had experienced
no hardship from the want of water. Streams were abundant, and
kept up a wholesome moisture. The horses and oxen had roamed
over an immense pasturage, across verdant prairies broken by
forests and underwood. The wild animals by night had been safely
kept at a distance by sentinels and fires, nor had any natives been
seen except those stationary in the villages in which Dr. Livingstone
had always found a hospitable reception. All through the journey the
Bochjesmen of the caravan had given no cause for complaint, nor
was it until the previous day, when the Makololos to the number of
200 or 300 had appeared on the plain, that they had shown
themselves faithless, and deserted. For thirty-six hours the
expedition had now occupied the little fortress. The Makololos had
attacked them in the evening, after plundering the waggons left at
the foot of the hill. The instruments fortunately, having been carried
into the fort, were secure. The steamboat had also escaped the
ravages of the natives; it had been immediately put together by the
sailors, and was now at anchor in a little creek of Lake Ngami,
behind the enormous rocks that formed the base of the mountain.
Mount Scorzef sloped with sudden abruptness down to the lake, and
there was no danger of an attack from that side.
Such was Matthew Strux's account. Colonel Everest, in his turn,
related the incidents of his march, the fatigues and difficulties, and
the revolt of the Bochjesmen, and it was found by comparison that
the Russians had had a less harassing journey than their rivals.
The night of the 21st passed quietly. The bushman and sailors kept
watch under the walls of the fort; the Makololos on their part did not
renew any attack, but the bivouac-fires at the foot of the mountain
proved that they had not relinquished their project. At daybreak the
Europeans left their casemate for the purpose of reconnoitring the
plain. The early morning light illumined the vast extent of country as
far as the horizon. Towards the south lay the desert, with its burnt
brown grass and barren aspect. Close under the mountain was the
circular camp, containing a swarm of 400 to 500 natives. The fires
were still alight, and some pieces of venison broiling on the hot
embers. The encampment was something more than temporary; the
Makololos were evidently determined not to abandon their prey.
Either vengeance or an instinctive thirst for blood appeared to be
prompting them, since all the valuables of both caravans, the
waggons, horses, oxen, and provisions, had fallen into their power;
or perhaps it might be that they coveted the fire-arms which the
Europeans carried, and of which they made such terrible use. The
united English and Russians held a long consultation with the
bushman, and it was felt that they could not relax their watch until
they should arrive at a definite decision. This decision must depend
on a variety of circumstances, and first of all it was necessary to
understand exactly the position of Mount Scorzef.
The mountain overlooked to the south, east, and west the vast
desert which the astronomers, having traversed it, knew extended
southwards to the karroo. In the west could be discerned the faint
outlines of the hills bordering the fertile country of the Makololos,
one of whose capitals, Maketo, lies about a hundred miles north-
west of Lake Ngami. To the north the mountain commanded a
country which was a great contrast to the arid steppes of the south.
There were water, trees, and pasturage. For a hundred miles east
and west lay the wide Lake Ngami, while from north to south its
length was not more than 30 to 40 miles. Beyond appeared a gentle,
undulated country, enriched with forests and watered by the
affluents of the Zambesi, and shut in to the extreme north by a low
chain of mountains. This wide oasis was caused by the great artery,
the Zambesi, which is to South Africa what the Danube is to Europe,
or the Amazon to South America.
The side of the mountain towards the lake, steep as it was, was not
so steep but that the sailors could accomplish an ascent and descent
by a narrow way which passed from point to point. They thus
contrived to reach the spot where the "Queen and Czar" lay hid,
and, obtaining a supply of water, enabled the little garrison to hold
out in the deserted fort as long as their provisions lasted.
The astronomers wondered why this little fort had been placed on
the top of the mountain. Mokoum, who had visited the country as
Livingstone's guide, explained that formerly the neighbourhood of
Lake Ngami was frequented by traders in ivory and ebony. The ivory
was furnished by the elephants and rhinoceroses; but the ebony
trade was but too often another name for that traffic in human
beings which is still carried on by the slave-traders in the region of
the Zambesi. A great number of prisoners are made in the wars and
pillages in the interior of the country, and these prisoners are sold as
slaves. Mount Scorzef had been a centre of encampment for the
ivory-traders, and it was there that they had been accustomed to
rest before descending the Zambesi. They had fortified their
position, to protect themselves and their slaves from depredations,
since it was not an uncommon occurrence for the prisoners to be
recaptured for fresh sale by the very men who had recently sold
them. The route of the traders was now changed; they no longer
passed the shores of the lake, and the little fort was falling into
ruins. All that remained was an enclosure in the form of the sector of
a circle, from the centre of which rose a small casemated redoubt,
pierced with loop-holes, and surmounted by a small wooden turret.
But notwithstanding the condition of ruin into which it had fallen, the
fortress offered the Europeans a welcome retreat. Behind the thick
sandstone walls, and armed with their rapidly-loading guns, they
were confident that they could keep back an army of Makololos, and,
unless their provisions and ammunition failed, they would be able to
complete their observations. At present they had plenty of
ammunition; the coffer in which it was contained had been placed
on the same waggon which carried the steamboat, and had
therefore escaped the rapacity of the natives. The great difficulty
would be the possible failure of provisions. The Colonel and Strux
made a careful inspection of the store, and found that there was
only enough to last the eighteen men for two days. After a short
breakfast, the astronomers and the bushman, leaving the sailors still
to keep watch round the walls, assembled in the redoubt to discuss
their situation.
"I cannot understand," said Mokoum, "why you are so uneasy. You
say that we have only provisions for two days; but why stay here?
Let us leave to-morrow, or even to-day. The Makololos need not
hinder us; they could not cross the lake, and in the steamboat we
may reach the northern shore in a few hours."
The astronomers looked at each other; the idea, natural as it was,
had not struck them before. Sir John was the first to speak.
"But we have not yet completed the measurement of our meridian."
"Will the Makololos have any regard for your meridian?" asked the
hunter.
"Very likely not," answered Sir John; "but we have a regard for it,
and will not leave our undertaking incomplete. I am sure my
colleagues agree with me."
"Yes," said the Colonel, speaking for all; "as long as one of us
survives, and is able to put his eye to his telescope, the survey shall
go on. If necessary, we will take our observations with our
instrument in one hand and our gun in the other, even to the last
extremity."
The energetic philosophers shouted out their resolution to proceed
at every hazard.
When it was thus decided that the survey should at all risks be
continued, the question arose as to the choice of the next station.
"Although there will be a difficulty," said Strux, "in joining Mount
Scorzef trigonometrically to a station to the north of the lake, it is
not impracticable. I have fixed on a peak in the extreme north-east,
so that the side of the triangle will cross the lake obliquely."
"Well," said the Colonel, "if the peak exists, I do not see any
difficulty."
"The only difficulty," replied Strux, "consists in the distance."
"What is the distance?"
"Over a hundred miles, and a lighted signal must be carried to the
top of the peak."
"Assuredly that can be done," said the Colonel.
"And all that time, how are we to defend ourselves against the
Makololos?" asked the bushman.
"We will manage that too."
Mokoum said that he would obey the Colonel's orders, and the
conversation ended. The whole party left the casemate, and Strux
pointed out the peak he had chosen. It was the conical peak of
Volquiria, 300 feet high, and just visible in the horizon.
Notwithstanding the distance, a powerful reflector could thence be
discerned by means of a magnifying telescope, and the curvature of
the earth's surface, which Strux had taken into account, would not
be any obstacle. The real difficulty was how the lamp should be
hoisted to the top of the mountain. The angle made at Mount
Scorzef with Mount Volquiria and the preceding station would
probably complete the measurement of the meridian, so that the
operation was all important. Zorn and Emery offered to take this
journey of a hundred miles in an unknown country, and,
accompanied by the pioneer, prepared to start.
One of the canoes of birch-bark, which are manufactured by the
natives with great dexterity, would be sufficient to carry them over
the lake. Mokoum and the pioneer descended to the shore, where
were growing some dwarf birches, and in a very short time had
accomplished their task, and prepared the canoe.
At eight o'clock in the evening the newly-constructed craft was
loaded with instruments, the apparatus for the reverberator,
provisions, arms, and ammunition. It was arranged that the
astronomers should meet again in a small creek known to both
Mokoum and the pioneer; it was also agreed that as soon as the
reverberator on Mount Volquiria should be perceived, Colonel
Everest should light a signal on Mount Scorzef, so that Emery and
Zorn, in their turn, might take the direction.
The young men took leave of their colleagues, and descended the
mountain in the obscurity of night, having been preceded by the
Welcome to our website – the ideal destination for book lovers and
knowledge seekers. With a mission to inspire endlessly, we offer a
vast collection of books, ranging from classic literary works to
specialized publications, self-development books, and children's
literature. Each book is a new journey of discovery, expanding
knowledge and enriching the soul of the reade
Our website is not just a platform for buying books, but a bridge
connecting readers to the timeless values of culture and wisdom. With
an elegant, user-friendly interface and an intelligent search system,
we are committed to providing a quick and convenient shopping
experience. Additionally, our special promotions and home delivery
services ensure that you save time and fully enjoy the joy of reading.
Let us accompany you on the journey of exploring knowledge and

personal growth!
ebookgate.com

Full download B2B Integration Gunjan Samtani pdf docx

Uploaded by

Document Informationclick to expand document informationSamtani

Document Informationclick to expand document information

Copyright:

Available Formats

Full download B2B Integration Gunjan Samtani pdf docx

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Full download B2B Integration Gunjan Samtani pdf docx

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Visit https://ebookgate.

com to download the full version and

B2B Integration Gunjan Samtani

_____ Click the link below to download _____

Explore and download more ebooks at ebookgate.com

Organizing Marketing and Sales Mastering Contemporary B2B

Building B2B Applications with XML A Resource Guide 1st

B2B and Beyond New Business Models Built on Trust 1st

Developing B2B Social Communities KEYS TO GROWTH

The Politics of Arab Integration Giacomo Luciani

Regional Monetary Integration 1st Edition Peter B. Kenen

Intelligence Integration in Distributed Knowledge

Pinch Analysis and Process Integration Second Edition A

Imperial College Press

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

B2B INTEGRATON: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO COLLABORATIVE E-COMMERCE

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

I would like to dedicate my work to my parents — Dr. Shyam Samtani

The journey from mental conception to ultimate execution in black and

Gunjan Samtani is Divisional Vice President, Information Technology

Changing Business Landscape

dynamic age of B2B collaborative e-commerce. This is what B2Bi is all

Description of the Book

Why This Book?

In this book, I ventured to take a unique and systematic approach of

Who Should Read This Book?

How is This Book Organized?

The organization of chapters is as follows:

Chapter 2 — Components, Benefits, Challenges and

Chapter 3 — Integration Patterns

Chapter 4 — Enterprise Application Integration (EAI)

Chapter 5 — Business Process Management (BPM)

Chapter 6 — Extensible Markup Language (XML)

Chapter 7 — XML Standards For E-business

Chapter 8 — Middleware Technologies

Chapter 9 — Integration Brokers

Chapter 10 — Internet Security

Chapter 11 — Web Services

Chapter 12 — Wireless Technologies

Chapter 13 — Software Agents

Chapter 14 — Supply Chain Management (SCM)

Chapter 15 — E-marketplaces and

It also introduces the need, concepts and examples of collaborative

Chapter 16 — B2B to P2P Evolution

Features of the Book

Discussion of leading software solutions

Editors and Contributors

Dr. Marcus Healey

sector experience and extensive editing skills. He is the primary author

Dr. Shyam Samtani

Limited, Analysis Finance Limited and M. Mehta & Company, Chartered

Dr. Bajaj has fifteen years of combined experience in contracting,

Not the Final Word

to corrections and modifications. I shall appreciate critical opinions and

I will respond immediately. Well, that's it for now. I would like to

New Jersey, USA

2.2.1. Integration patterns 25

2.4.9. Standards and industry issues 40

_ Click the link below to download _