Let’s begin by delving into the core principles that make microservices a perfect choice for scalable architecture. Microservices promote a modular approach where applications are broken down into small, self-contained services. Each service can be independently developed, deployed, and scaled. This decentralization leads to improved fault isolation, accelerated development cycles, and the ability to scale specific components based on demand.

Navigating the microservices maze

In this article, we’ll look at the best practices and patterns for building a scalable microservices architecture that can handle the most demanding workloads.

1. Lego blocks of microservices

• Service mesh: A service mesh is required to efficiently manage communication between microservices. This pattern employs a dedicated infrastructure layer that handles service-to-service communication, allowing developers to focus on business logic rather than communication protocols. This not only streamlines the development process, but also enhances the scalability and reliability of the overall system.

• Asynchronous communication: Asynchronous communication patterns in event-driven architectures such as Publish-Subscribe and Message Queues, enable microservices to communicate more efficiently and reduce the risk of cascading failures. By decoupling services and leveraging message queues, organizations can scale components independently while ensuring data consistency and minimizing downtime.

• Containers and orchestration: Containerization using technologies such as Docker enables easy deployment and scalability of microservices. Communication takes place between the client and the daemon in Docker’s client-server setup. The daemon oversees creating, executing, and disseminating Docker containers. Both the Docker client and daemon can run on the same machine; however, users can also connect a Docker client to a remote Docker daemon.

2. Microservice component granularity

One of the most critical aspects of building a scalable microservices architecture is defining the appropriate service boundaries. A successful approach is to consider the business capabilities and ensure that each microservice aligns with the Single Responsibility Principle. This ensures that each service is focused on a specific task, making it easier to develop, test, deploy, and scale independently. Service boundaries that are carefully considered establish the foundation for a scalable and modular architecture. Below is a sample microservices architecture of an eCommerce portal:

3. Fix fast —fault tolerance and resilience

In a distributed microservices architecture, failures are inevitable. To maintain system stability and availability, designing for fault tolerance and resilience is crucial. The Circuit Breaker pattern is a widely adopted practice, which ensures that the failure of one service doesn’t bring down the entire system. Implementing bulkheads and utilizing retries and timeout mechanisms can enhance system stability and contribute to building a robust and fault-tolerant microservices architecture.

4. Service discovery potential

As the number of microservices grows, maintaining a dynamic and responsive system becomes more challenging. Service discovery mechanisms, such as the Service Registry pattern, play a vital role in locating and managing microservices. This enables seamless load balancing, fault tolerance, and scalability as new instances of services. A well-implemented service discovery mechanism ensures that your microservices can adapt to changes in the system and continue functioning optimally.

5. Data and database design for microservices

Managing data across microservices requires careful consideration to maintain consistency and avoid data conflicts. Each service should have its dedicated database to maintain data independence. However, data consistency can become a challenge, and implementing patterns like Event Sourcing and CQRS (Command Query Responsibility Segregation) can help overcome these hurdles. Event Sourcing is a powerful pattern that records each change as an event, enabling a reliable history of all data changes. Combined with Command Query Responsibility Segregation (CQRS), where read and write operations are handled separately, this pattern ensures that your microservices can scale independently while maintaining data integrity.

6. Troubleshoot and remediate: Monitoring and observability

In a distributed microservices environment, traditional monitoring approaches may not suffice. Observability practices are critical for gaining insights into the performance and health of your microservices. Implementing distributed tracing, logging, and metrics allows you to identify bottlenecks, troubleshoot issues, and optimize performance. Monitoring tools such as Prometheus and Grafana are invaluable for keeping your microservices ecosystem in check.

7. Auto-scaling microservices horizontally

The ability to scale your microservices horizontally is a key advantage of this architecture. Horizontal scaling entails adding more instances of a service to meet increasing demand. By designing stateless microservices with self-contained requests, you can effortlessly add or remove instances as needed, maximizing the scalability benefits of microservices.

8. Securing microservices—security first

With the distributed nature of microservices, security becomes a top priority. Applying security best practices, such as API gateway authentication, role-based access control, and transport encryption (HTTPS), helps protect sensitive data and secure communications between services. Additionally, employing security best practices at the code level and during the deployment process ensures a secure microservices architecture.

9. Cross-functional agile teams

Building scalable microservices goes beyond just technology; it also involves people and processes. Organizing development teams around microservices aligns responsibilities and fosters a sense of ownership. Encouraging constant communication and collaboration among teams will lead to seamless integration of services and a better understanding of each component’s scalability requirements.

Successful tools in microservices architecture

1. Building microservices with Kafka—Event-driven architecture

Apache Kafka plays a pivotal role in facilitating seamless communication between services in the realm of microservice architecture. It empowers integration patterns such as publish-subscribe, where services can publish events to topics and others can subscribe to these events for real-time updates. Additionally, Kafka enables request-reply interactions, allowing microservices to exchange messages synchronously, bridging the gap between event-driven and traditional communication styles. Through practical implementation, microservices can leverage Kafka to build event-driven systems, where changes in one service trigger events that are consumed by others, fostering a highly responsive and loosely coupled ecosystem that thrives on real-time information exchange.

Event Sourcing and CQRS

Event Sourcing and Command-Query Responsibility Segregation (CQRS) are crucial components in event-driven architectures. Event sourcing involves persisting domain events as the primary source of truth, enabling a system to be reconstructed from events. CQRS decouples command handling (changes to data) from queries (retrieval of data), optimizing each for its purpose.

Apache Kafka provides an ideal foundation for implementing event sourcing and CQRS. Events are stored as streams in Kafka topics, creating an immutable event log that can be replayed for state reconstruction. CQRS can be realized by having separate Kafka topics for commands and queries, allowing independent scaling and optimization.

Pros of event sourcing and CQRS include auditability, accurate historical data, and scalability. However, they introduce complexity, potential for increased development effort, and challenges in data migration.

In microservices, when Kafka is employed to manage event streams, the combination promotes real-time updates and reliable data synchronization across services while demanding careful consideration of trade-offs for optimal implementation.

2. Saga pattern and distributed transactions

The Saga pattern presents a powerful solution for handling distributed transactions in microservices environments. It addresses the challenge posed by distributed transactions, where ensuring data consistency across multiple services can be complex and prone to failure.

Because distributed transactions have the potential for locking and blocking, they have an influence on system performance and availability. The Saga pattern breaks down a transaction into a series of smaller, isolated steps or “sagas,” each representing a local transaction within a microservice. These sagas are orchestrated to execute in a coordinated sequence, ensuring that if one step fails, compensating actions are triggered to maintain data integrity.

Sagas work by employing a combination of choreography and orchestration to maintain data consistency while allowing services to act independently. This approach minimizes the need for a centralized transaction manager. Benefits of the Saga pattern include improved fault tolerance, better scalability, and enhanced responsiveness in microservices architectures, making it a valuable tool in managing complex distributed transactions.

Choose Indium to build a microservices empire that lasts

Partnering with Indium Software can be a game-changer for businesses seeking to implement Microservices architecture effortlessly. With a wealth of expertise and experience in building scalable and robust microservices ecosystems, Indium Software provides end-to-end solutions tailored to the unique needs of each organization. Their skilled team of developers, architects, and DevOps specialists not only guides businesses through the entire implementation process but also ensures a seamless transition from monolithic systems to microservices. By leveraging application engineering services’ best practices and cutting-edge technologies, Indium Software empowers businesses to embrace the full potential of microservices, unlocking new levels of agility, scalability, and innovation. With Indium Software as a trusted partner, businesses can confidently embark on their microservices journey, knowing they are equipped to thrive in the dynamic digital landscape.

Final thoughts

Building a scalable microservices architecture requires a well-thought-out strategy, a thorough understanding of the best practices and patterns, and a relentless commitment to continuous improvement. By understanding the fundamental principles and best practices of DevOps services, organizations can create a truly scalable ecosystem that meets the demands of the future. Embracing a scalable microservices architecture unlocks a world of possibilities for businesses looking to innovate and grow.

The journey of building a scalable microservices architecture is challenging, but the rewards are immense. With the right approach, businesses can accelerate development cycles, adapt to changing demands, and deliver top-notch user experiences—all while staying ahead in the ever-evolving technological landscape.

The post Tips and tricks for creating a robust microservices architecture: A complete user guide appeared first on Indium.

In today’s fast-paced digital world, businesses across all industries are facing increasing pressure to modernize and digitize their operations to keep pace with customer expectations and stay competitive. However, many companies still rely heavily on legacy applications, which were designed decades ago and are no longer able to meet the demands of the modern era. This lack of technological innovation not only impacts the efficiency and productivity of these organizations but also poses significant risks to their security and compliance. In fact, according to a recent report by ResearchAndMarkets, the global market for legacy application modernization is expected to grow at a staggering rate of 16.4% during the next few years. This trend highlights the urgency with which companies need to address this issue before they fall behind their competition or risk becoming obsolete.

Source: Research and Markets

The urgent case for legacy app modernization

The era of legacy applications is coming to an end. Amidst this rapidly changing landscape, industries cannot afford to turn a blind eye to the urgent need for modernization. The consequences of neglecting legacy application modernization are dire, and the stakes are high, with operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, and competitive advantage hanging in the balance.

Research firm Forrester estimates that by 2023, 40% of companies will invest in a cloud-native-first strategy. These numbers underscore the transformative impact that legacy application modernization can have on organizations across industries.

By embracing modernization and leveraging the power of emerging technologies, organizations can unlock a world of opportunities, thrive in a rapidly evolving marketplace, and future-proof their businesses.

The landscape: Industries at crossroads

Markets and Markets forecasts that the application modernization services market is expected to grow to USD 32.8 billion at a CAGR of 16.7% by 2027.

Source: Markets and Markets

The BFSI sector, the bedrock of the global economy, is grappling with outdated core banking systems, hindering their ability to deliver seamless customer experiences and respond swiftly to market changes.

The research firm Gartner predicts that financial services companies will experience a digital capability gap that could widen. They also suggest that financial services organizations should future proof themselves to optimize costs and meet uncertainty.

Source: Markets and Markets

The technology sector itself is not immune to the problem of legacy systems. IT service providers, who are responsible for managing complex enterprise systems and delivering cutting-edge solutions, are finding themselves constrained by legacy systems that impede agility and hinder their ability to stay ahead in a fiercely competitive market. The race for digital dominance demands a shift towards modernization to leverage emerging technologies such as AI, cloud computing, and data analytics.

In the healthcare sector, outdated legacy applications can lead to compromised patient care and increased operational inefficiencies. Obsolete, inadequate systems in healthcare call for urgent modernization to improve patient outcomes, data access, and interoperability.

“Forrester forecasts that healthcare organizations will dismantle their technology adoption barriers by 2030, and 29% of evaluation and management visits will be delivered in a virtual care setting”.

Even the manufacturing industry, once a bastion of traditional practices, is feeling the pressure to transform. The reliance on outdated systems and manual processes hampers productivity and prevents companies from embracing the benefits of Industry 4.0 technologies like IoT, automation, and predictive analytics.

CBInsights reports that manufacturers are turning to technology to digitize and automate operations to stay competitive.

Without modernization, even the top global manufacturers will become victims of disrupted innovation and lag their competitors due to inadequate legacy application modernization strategies.

Source: VMware

Break free from technological limitations – Secure your place as an industry leader

In today’s ever-evolving business landscape, industries such as BFSI, IT services, healthcare, and manufacturing find themselves wrestling with a common challenge: legacy applications. These outdated systems, once the backbone of organizations, are now holding them back from achieving their full potential. As industries strive to keep up with the demands of the digital age, ignoring the need for legacy application modernization is a perilous path to tread.

Let’s look at a couple of industries, for instance:

BFSI (banking, financial services, and insurance):

The banking industry has always been susceptible to cyber threats due to its reliance on customer account information, transaction records and other sensitive data. With increased regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), there is a higher chance of fines and lawsuits if customer data gets compromised. Moreover, traditional banks face tough challenges from newer FinTech startups that offer a better user experience and faster payment processing times. For instance, legacy systems used by retail banks are causing delays for cross-border transactions due to manual reconciliation procedures and multiple layers of intermediaries that increase costs. By upgrading these systems, banks could significantly reduce costs associated with interchange fees, fraud detection, money transfer processing time, and manual labor required for settlement and reporting while simultaneously improving customer satisfaction.

Healthcare:

When considering the digitization of healthcare records and processes, one must take note of the sensitivity of patient data. Ensuring confidentiality, security, and protection against cyber threats becomes critical since any breach of personally identifiable information (PII) information may have serious legal implications. Moreover, safety concerns surround connecting medical equipment due to the potential risks to human life if hacked or malfunctions. The IoMT (Internet of Medical Things) offers unique opportunities for monitoring patients remotely and reducing hospital stays, leading to significant savings over time. Thus, the selection of appropriate technologies deserves close evaluation to guarantee safety and reliability, which are the preconditions for success in the era of telemedicine.

Thrive or wither – Go where no one has gone before

The need for application modernization arises from several factors. Legacy systems often suffer from outdated architectures that limit their ability to integrate with newer technologies. They may also lack the scalability required to handle increasing data volumes or user demands. Furthermore, maintaining these systems can be costly and time-consuming.

By embracing application modernization, businesses can unlock a multitude of benefits. They can streamline operations by automating manual processes and reduce reliance on outdated technologies. This not only improves efficiency but also frees up resources that can be allocated toward strategic initiatives.

Moreover, modernized applications enable organizations to deliver enhanced customer experiences. By leveraging advanced analytics and AI-driven insights, businesses can gain a deeper understanding of their customer’s preferences and behaviors. This allows for personalized interactions and tailored offerings that drive customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Furthermore, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have revolutionized how applications are developed and operated. AI-powered tools can analyze vast amounts of data to identify patterns, predict outcomes, automate processes, enhance security measures, and personalize user experiences. ML algorithms can continuously learn from user interactions to optimize application performance or provide intelligent recommendations.

In addition to these advantages, application modernization future-proofs organizations by ensuring they remain adaptable in an ever-changing technological landscape. By embracing emerging technologies early on, businesses can stay ahead of the curve and seize new opportunities as they arise. Application modernization is not just a choice but a necessity for organizations looking to thrive in today’s digital age. By going where no one has gone before in terms of technology adoption and transformational strategies, businesses can evolve rather than become obsolete.

Embrace modernity with Indium – Unlock new growth opportunities

When it comes to application modernization, Indium stands as a true pioneer, leading the way with its unparalleled expertise and track record of delivering highly workable solutions to clients across the globe. With a deep understanding of the challenges faced by industries in their quest for digital transformation, Indium brings forth a wealth of knowledge and experience in helping organizations embrace modernity. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies, agile methodologies, and a customer-centric approach, Indium empowers businesses to unlock new growth opportunities. Whether it’s revamping legacy systems, adopting cloud-native architectures, or embracing emerging technologies like AI and machine learning, Indium’s application modernization services provide the catalyst for organizations to propel themselves into the future and stay ahead in today’s dynamic marketplace.

Final words

The journey from dated to dynamic is not an option; it is a necessity. Industries must heed the call for legacy application modernization if they wish to stay relevant, agile, and competitive. The statistics speak volumes, highlighting the significant benefits that await those who choose to embrace modernization. It’s time for organizations across BFSI, IT services, healthcare, and manufacturing to seize the opportunity and embark on a transformative path, leaving behind the shackles of legacy systems and embracing a dynamic future. The time to act is now, and the rewards are boundless.

The post From dated to dynamic: Why companies can’t afford to ignore their legacy applications appeared first on Indium.

In this article, we’ll examine the process that Indium used to create a dynamic content builder for a learning management system as well as the outcomes.

What is LMS?

Learning management system (LMS) is a powerful and intelligent software or an application that offers a variety of features and capabilities for universities, educational institutions, administrators to plan, develop, manage, and deliver educational content, monitor student progress, and evaluate learning outcomes of the students.

This online platform helps the educational institutions and other business organizations to produce online training, distribute educational materials, assign and grade homework, and control interactions with students. Additionally, it allows students to access course materials, turn in assignments, take part in conversations, and monitor their development.

By providing specific suggestions to assist the students perform better; it aids the educators in addressing the diverse training needs of the pupils.

Some features of LMS Include

LMS allows instructors to create, organize and deliver the course content, including text, videos, quizzes, and other materials. Text, videos, quizzes, and other course materials can all be created, organized, and delivered by instructors using course creation and management function. With the help of LMS you can monitor students’ progress through a course and offer comments, grades, and other evaluations.

Forums, chat rooms, and wikis are just a few examples of the collaboration tools that LMSs frequently feature. Since most learning management systems (LMSs) are available online, both students and teachers can access course materials and take part in course activities from any location with an internet connection.

How do organizations use LMS

Learning management systems are software platforms that organizations use to create, manage, and deliver educational materials like training programs and courses to a group of students or institutions who wants a centralized platform for managing the distribution and evaluation of such content.

Universities, colleges, and schools can offer course materials, support online conversations, and evaluate student progress using an LMS. An LMS can be used to handle course delivery and student registration for organizations that offer continuing education, such as professional groups or certification agencies.

With the aid of LMS systems, businesses can launch corporate training initiatives for their employees by offering training materials and resources for professional growth. Learning management systems can also be used as an independent source by instructors and trainers who want to control the delivery and evaluation of their material if they wish to offer online courses or training programs.

Overall, LMSs are intended to facilitate the delivery and management of educational courses and training programs in a well-organized and effectual manner.

Click to learn more about legacy technology and how Application Modernization Services can help you meet changing market expectations, modernize your assets, and future-proof your legacy applications.

What are the issues with LMS based on legacy technology?

The effectiveness and usefulness of learning management systems (LMS) based on legacy technology may be hampered by a few problems. Some of these problems could be:

LMSs built using old technology may have outdated user interfaces that are challenging to use or navigate. This can be unpleasant for instructors who are attempting to run the course, and it can also make it difficult for students to locate the resources they require and finish assignments.

LMSs built on outdated technology can not be as functional as more recent ones, so there will be always limited functionality issues running around. This could make it more difficult to the user to accommodate interactive elements, multimedia materials, and other cutting-edge learning methods.

Legacy-based LMSs may not work effectively with other systems that a company uses. Data access and information sharing across platforms may become challenging as a result. It’s possible that older LMSs are less secure than more recent ones, which could make them more vulnerable to internet dangers. Furthermore, they may require more maintenance and support, which would increase costs for enterprises. They are also more security vulnerable.

In general, LMSs built on legacy technology might not be as successful or efficient as more recent systems created with cutting-edge technology and user experience in mind.

What are the needs of a modern day LMS?

Several requirements need be met by contemporary learning management systems (LMS) to be effective and efficient. The following are some essential requirements for a contemporary LMS:

The user interface of a contemporary LMS ought to be simple to use and navigate. Consistent design, easy navigation, and simple controls are all part of this. Moreover, a modern LMS must be responsive, which means it must be designed to work well across a variety of platforms, including desktop computers, tablet computers, and mobile phones.

A modern LMS should support interactive elements like quizzes, surveys, and conversations to engage students and encourage engagement. This will enable educators and students to participate actively in an interactive session, making learning more interesting and effective. A modern LMS should also support a variety of multimedia content, including videos, audio files, and photos.

Also see: An intriguing blog on: Enable Increased Revenue using Rapid Application Development

There should be a customization option available so that users can alter the system’s features according to their unique requirements. To enable data sharing and streamline procedures, a modern LMS should be able to interact with other systems that an organization uses, such as CRM or HR systems. Moreover, a contemporary LMS ought to be able to manage a big number of users and courses without encountering performance problems.

The Success Story

The client is a leading learning and development services provider with a variety of service lines. The client wished to expand their service offerings so that customers could access learning programmes with a technology-powered experience after their service lines in academic education programmes, behavior assessment programmes, and general skills training.

The customer needed a platform, or learning management system to create learning paths, curate content and courses from various providers, and support an enjoyable user experience. The main problem was to develop a versatile platform for consuming various types of material (for custom vendor needs).

Business Needs

• To design and develop a framework for content management which is SCORM Compliant.
• Build e-learning analytics module.
• Develop a professional site with a wide range of capabilities so that partners and collaborators may create and manage training, exams, and study materials.
• Allowing for customizable administration features to manage people, material, and reports centrally.

What were the issues with our client’s LMS system?

• The main difficulty was synchronizing content from the backend for front-end use and supporting a variety of course content formats without compromising the functionality of the portal.
• To ensure that the content credentials, dynamic access controls, and availability of the content are all in place and have quick and appropriate search functionality.
• Prerequisites for e-Commerce (buying and selling courses), Solr Search was implemented in order to provide real-time indexing and powerful full text search functionality.
• Enabled data security and Developed course cart and payment integrations.

How did we solve that?

• Understood the business need and created a plan to design and develop a comprehensive content management framework which is SCORM Compliant
• Developed an LMS that can easily work with various platforms and is compatible.
• Customization and branding: offered the option to modify the LMS’s design to adhere to the brand guidelines and copy rights requirements of the business.
• Course creation, performance reviews, and monitoring of content sections were all part of the management of courses that was created. To monitor progress and suggest learning routes, group-based content management and assessment management were established.
• We have built a modular structure so that LMS could connect to various third-party services, such as (Clever, Google Classroom integrations, etc.). For the benefit of all contemporary users, single sign-on and social integrations have been established.
• Usability: a user-friendly interface was developed to both the administrators who will set up and maintain the courses and the students who would be enrolled in them.
• Scalability: We gave the LMS the capacity to accommodate more users and courses in case the client wanted to scale back or raise the quantity of training courses.
• Reporting and analytics: Provided strong reporting and analytics features as It is critical to be able to monitor learner progress and evaluate the success of the training initiatives.
• Mobile compatibility: As many students would desire to attend courses on their phones, a responsive LMS that can be accessed on mobile devices was designed.
• Security: Kept all strong security mechanisms in place, including secure login, data encryption, and backup and recovery capabilities, because the security of learner data is crucial.

What were the results we delivered?

The result is a reliable, measurable, and expandable portal that completely translates requirements into a platform that satisfies the requirements of ongoing learning.

• High usability: Role-based user interface; Simple access and content navigation
• 20% more initial engagement and increased adoption throughout the first several weeks after introduction.
• There is no upkeep: The platform created was comprehensive in meeting future needs.
• Stable platform: No production-related functional issues

Regardless of where you are in your transformation path, we help make technology work for your business. Write to us at info@www.indiumsoftware.com. or give us a call at (888) 207 5969 or (800) 123 1191 for more information.

The post Innovative Approaches to Building a Dynamic Content Builder for Learning Management Systems with Full Stack Technologies appeared first on Indium.

To provide these services, healthcare providers such as doctors, nurses, medical administrators, insurance companies, government agencies, medical equipment manufacturers, and pharmaceutical companies must work together. Keeping track of all these areas and getting results when needed is a challenge for today’s healthcare providers.

Diagnostics Management Applications play an important role in assisting healthcare providers and patients to get the reports on time. Let us see how by reading the blog below.

What is Diagnostics Management Application

DMA – A Diagnostic Management Application is a software solution that aids healthcare professionals in managing the diagnostic testing procedure for their patients. DMAs are frequently used to aid in problem identification and troubleshooting, performance optimization, and downtime prevention in sectors like manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, and healthcare.

Users can often plan and monitor diagnostic tests, gather and analyze data, and produce reports and warnings using DMAs. Additionally, they might have capabilities for predictive maintenance, root cause analysis, and error tracking. To give a complete picture of the machinery and procedures, DMAs are frequently combined with other tools and systems, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and maintenance management systems.

Through proactive maintenance and the early detection of issues, a DMA’s major objective is to increase efficiency and reliability. Employing a DMA enables businesses to lower the costs related to unscheduled downtime while also enhancing the overall efficiency of their machinery and procedures.

How do organizations use Diagnostics Management Application?

To increase productivity and dependability, organizations use diagnostics management applications (DMAs) in a variety of ways, including the following:

DMAs gather data from diagnostic tests and give tools for analyzing that data to discover faults and possible difficulties. They also let users to schedule and track diagnostic tests for equipment, systems, or processes, ensuring that all relevant tests are conducted on a regular basis.

DMAs can provide reports and warnings based on the findings and analysis, assisting users in identifying and prioritizing problems. The ability to track errors and assist users in determining the source of difficulties allows companies to take corrective action and avert more problems.

Employing a DMA enables businesses to increase performance overall while enhancing the effectiveness and dependability of their machinery and operational procedures.

What are the issues with Diagnostics Management Application Based on Legacy Technologies

Modern diagnostic management software may contain more features than legacy systems, which can limit the usefulness of the system and the standard of care given to patients. It may be challenging to share patient data and coordinate care when legacy systems are unable to communicate with other systems in an efficient manner.

The user interfaces of legacy systems may frustrate healthcare personnel, which could result in overall decline in the quality of patient treatment.

Legacy systems might be more susceptible to cyber assaults due to security flaws, which could expose private patient information. It could be more challenging to manage and maintain, needing more effort and resources to keep them up and running. Higher expenses for healthcare providers may result from this.

Read this informative blog on: Top 5 Predictive Analytics Applications in Healthcare

What are the needs of a modern-day Diagnostics Management Application using Mendix?

To be effective and efficient, a modern diagnostics management application (DMA) employing Mendix a low code platform may need to adhere to several standards. A Mendix-based contemporary DMA might require the following things:

DMAs may need to be flexible and configurable to fulfil the unique needs and specifications of various businesses and sectors. They must be able to adjust their scale up or down as necessary to consider changes in the quantity of diagnostic tests being run or the size of the company.

DMAs may need to be integrated with other systems, like enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems or maintenance management systems, to provide a comprehensive perspective of equipment and operations. They should have an easy-to-use interface that is understandable even to users with limited technical skills.

To secure sensitive information and adhere to applicable regulations, the applications should be designed with data security and privacy in mind and be easily accessible from a variety of devices and allow users to access and utilize the system from anywhere.

Read on blog on: The Best Low Code Development Solution for Startups & SMBs

The Success Story

The client is a well-known expert in MRI diagnostics and offers image diagnosis services across several US locations.

What were the issues with our client’s Diagnostics Management Application?

The client’s system has a significant amount of patient data as well as other pertinent information because it is one of the busiest diagnosis centers.

This greatly complicated the process of tracking payments and delivering reports, etc. A platform is required to make talks between medical facilities and the lawyers who represent the patients easier. To manage all approvals, billing, delivery reports, and payment structure, the client wanted to create an application.

What are the business requirements?

The client required an application to achieve the following corporate objectives while facilitating simplicity and automation inside the current system.

• Develop an application that integrates delivery report, billing, and approvals and improve the case management.
• Assistance with HL7 talks for the attorney with other medical facilities.
• Scalable architecture that can accommodate the portal’s future growth and association.

How we did it

Utilizing Mendix, we created an application based on a business need that enabled the following features

• An innovative system to improve end-user usability with a strong emphasis on streamlining the approvals and invoicing process was created.
• Interaction between the application and EXA to convert HL7 files into regular files.
• Developed HL7 engine integration.
• Lowered the need for manual intervention in the approvals and denials processes, which also decreased the need for communication via FAX and email.

What are the results we have delivered?

• After the installation procedure was complete, encrypted data transfer boosted data security by 93%.
• The efficiency and productivity of the stakeholders increased as the approval and rejection processes were made simpler.
• Automated billing conversion reduced manual involvement by up to 60% when switching from paper billing to electronic billing.
• Attorneys were able to monitor and track pending payments in all the billing centers.

If you can’t find the ideal answer, we are pleased to help you make technology work for your business. For further information, contact us by email at info@www.indiumsoftware.com. or by phone at (888) 207 5969 or (800) 123 1191.

The post Developing a Diagnostics Management Application with Improved Data Security Using Mendix Solution appeared first on Indium.

It’s a tiring process for a QA team, to build and maintain the test infrastructure that is needed for Test Automation. Though we have cloud services like browser stack, sauce Labs who provide the needed virtualization, comes with their own limitations like cost, performance and security challenges.

On the other hand, Docker is a light weight platform which allows to pack your app in a container with all its required dependencies thereby setting up the Test Automation infrastructure easily, especially with open source Test automation tools like Selenium and Appium (along with their respective packages / servers), where there is no cost involved.

Quick information on Selenium, Appium and Docker Containers:

Selenium is an open source UI Test automation framework for web and web-based applications. It simulates user actions on different Web browsers and validates the functional flow of the Web application. It uses “Selenium-Grid” concept to run the test scripts in parallel distributed infrastructure to pace up the Test Automation execution speed.

Appium is an open source mobile automation tool. It supports Native, Web and Hybrid applications across platforms (Android and iOS). It uses Client-Server architecture to create a communication channel that translates the selenium scripts to device understandable commands.

A Docker image is an opensource tool that provides platform as a service. It uses virtualization at OS-level to deploy software in independent packages. These packages can be read, modified and executed with help of Containers. The advantage of containers, these are isolated from one another and bundle their own software, libraries and configuration files.

Now let’s understand on how to leverage Docker Container for a test runner, a selenium Grid, and an appium server, to construct a flexible and disposable test automation infrastructure.

Test Runner container:

Test Runner is a typical illustration of a test automation tool/ framework. In addition to test automation framework, one should consider dependent libraries and their version, platform/ environment utilities and their access. These automation solutions and their dependencies can be effectively dockerized (bundled) into a docker image.

Selenium-Grid container:

Selenium-Grid container has Selenium Hub and node servers. It allows to run test scripts in parallel and in distributed fashion where different tests can run at the same time on different machines to save execution duration. Selenium Hub is center for managing which machine your Selenium test will run on. To run a Selenium test, we have to configure the machine and browser related information. Based on the configured details the test will execute on the desired machine and browser combination.

We have to install Selenium servers over multiple machines which is a tedious job. To make this process easy, selenium provides a docker image for Selenium servers. By running Selenium servers (hub and node) in containers, it is very easy to setup and configure the Hub server and to scale up the number of node server containers.

Even more, there are a few open source projects that provide extra functions for Selenium-Grid by extending the Selenium Docker image. Zalenium is one open source project powered by Zalando. It is highly flexible and auto scalable. It has ability to spin up selenium docker containers instantly as nodes without any manual intervention.

The main objective of Zalenium is to have a disposable and flexible Selenium Infrastructure for everyone and in an automated fashion. It also has video recording feature that can be viewed using a VNC player which is live preview board.

Zalenium provides docker-selenium nodes that are created on-demand and disposes of itself after test execution without providing any commands. With this, the test cases can run very fast.

Appium container:

Let’s have a look at the software required for mobile automation setup with Appium.

• Appium
• Supported programming language and it’s runners
• Build tools like Node
• Mobile device’s dependent libraries
• Android and Java environments
• Testing framework
• Android Emulators or real devices
• iOS Simulators or real devices

Appium framework may not run as per the requirement even if there is any problem with one of the software. This will be definitely a difficult job to configure, scale, maintain and dispose.

Will bundling all these software in a single container make my work easy?

Yes, in docker Hub, there are some images such as appium which contains all of appium’s dependencies in the docker form.
The main goal is to help the user focus on writing the UI tests by leveraging the advantages of using a docker like

• Having readymade test infrastructure to deploy on demand.
• To switch between cloud platforms easily
• No need to expertise on how to install and configure the dependency tools
• Tester can primarily focus on writing tests and achieve efficiency and effectiveness in results

In Summation:

Docker can be leveraged for automation testing in addition to providing packaging and deployment support for software quality assurance services. This helps in setting up and scale out remote servers either for web UI or mobile testing, easily. By having an isolated and stable environment, where everyone can perform testing inside a container to verify the system functions at any development stage.

All containers in this infrastructure can be created on demand and destroyed when the job is done. It makes the test infrastructure more flexible and maximizes the availability of machines and devices.

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