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Learn about the development and future of MISLine, a web application that exposes student records. Discover how it solved the limitations of the previous system, gained a large user base, and increased information transparency.
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MISLine Exposing Student Records Paul Walk January 2004
Contents • MISLine version 1 • MISLine version 2 • current development • future development
ContextUniversity of North London, 1999 • SITS Student Record System (SRS) • locally installed ‘thick’ client required • steadily increasing number of users
The Problem • limit of <100 concurrent client connections • maintaining locally installed client (upgrades) • complexity of client (training, support)
Proposal • form cross-team project • MIS Team • knowledge of SITS database • SQL/Oracle development skills • understanding of user-requirements • Intranet Services Team • web application development skills and infrastructure • expertise with web-database solutions • SQL skills • develop read-only web-interface for SRS • call the new web application ‘MISLine’
Solution • Oracle – custom tables and views added to SITS Database • database connection-pooling • ColdFusion – server side scripting • HTML 3.2 • Javascript (mainly for input validation)
Outcome • responsive, intuitive web application • large user-base requiring no support • very positive feedback • increased information transparency - exposed lack of accuracy in data • even users who needed to use the thick client adopted MISLine for some tasks
ContextLondon Metropolitan University, 2002 • merger of University of North London with London Guildhall University to form London Metropolitan University • two ‘campuses’: North and City • SITS used by both legacy institutions • MISLine for North Campus records only
New Problems • SITS databases merged, but not completely • no equivalent of MISLine for City Campus • issues with existing MISLine: • hundreds of unidentified users using generic departmental accounts - no auditing • unsecured browser connections • not designed to be redeployed • becoming dated (HTML 3.2)
Proposal • form cross-team, cross-campus project • develop new MISLine for City Campus • reuse tables/views/SQL from existing MISLine • develop new business logic components in Java to expose student records as XML • develop new presentation layer to transform XML into XHTML • Introduce user and role-based authentication and authorisation. • call the new web application ‘MISLine 2’
Solution • Oracle – existing custom tables and views added to SITS Database • Clustered J2EE web application: • Javabeans components producing XML • JSP + Jakarta tag libraries • Stylesheets (XSL and CSS) • Java Authentication & Authorisation Services (JAAS) • LDAP based authentication and authorisation • Clustered & load-balanced Tomcat servers • Apache & SSL
Software • Server Products: • Redhat Linux 9 • Apache web server v2.0 • Tomcat application server v4.1 • JSP Standard Tag Library (JSTL) v1.1 • Open SSL v0.9 • Openldap v2.1 • Development tools and libraries: • Java JDK 1.4 • Eclipse IDE v2.1 • JEdit v4.2 • Mozilla v1.4 • JDOM v0.9 • Extensive use of open-source software. Everything listed here is free!
MISLine2 Screenshot <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <istPortlet title="Students Taking DF311 2003/4 SEM1" helpURI="" recordCount=“6"> <portletBody> <record> <statuscode><![CDATA[EE]]></statuscode> <statustitle><![CDATA[ENROLLED]]></statustitle> <surname><![CDATA[BARDEN]]></surname> <forename><![CDATA[RICHARD]]></forename> <studentid><![CDATA[M111499/1]]></studentid> <coursecode><![CDATA[U/DDE/A]]></coursecode> <coursetitle><![CDATA[BA FURNITURE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY]]></coursetitle> <routecode><![CDATA[ADDE]]></routecode> <routetitle><![CDATA[Furniture Design & Technology]]></routetitle> </record> </portletBody> </istPortlet>
XML Record <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <istPortlet title="Students Taking DF311 2003/4 SEM1" helpURI="" recordCount="2"> <portletBody> <record> <statuscode><![CDATA[EE]]></statuscode> <statustitle><![CDATA[ENROLLED]]></statustitle> <surname><![CDATA[BARDEN]]></surname> <forename><![CDATA[RICHARD]]></forename> <studentid><![CDATA[M111499/1]]></studentid> <coursecode><![CDATA[U/DDE/A]]></coursecode> <coursetitle><![CDATA[BA FURNITURE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY]]></coursetitle> <routecode><![CDATA[ADDE]]></routecode> <routetitle><![CDATA[Furniture Design & Technology]]></routetitle> </record> </portletBody> </istPortlet>
Outcome • launched Dec 2003 after extensive beta-testing • feedback so far very positive • has proven the viability of: • JAAS & LDAP for user/role-based authentication & authorisation • clustering & load-balancing Tomcat servers • XML & XSLT in web-applications - performance • some spinoffs: • java/xml components reused to propogate new student user-accounts from SRS to various systems (e.g. library system, WebCT, email system).
Current Developments • reusing Javabean components to form JSR168 portlets to allow students to see their own records in a student portal. • redeploying Javabean components with a Web Services layer, providing: • Web Services for Remote Portlets (WSRP) portlets • components in a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)
Future Developments • re-use Javabeans for IMS Enterprise transactions to form core components for an MLE. Some preliminary development work done with linking SRS to WebCT using IMS API. • re-use MISLine 2 framework with other datasources. Plans to use this approach to provide student/staff access to timetables & room booking information in CMIS system.
Ideal Future • Vendors provide Web Services for their products, so we don’t have to. • MIS Vendors adopt standards, especially IMS.
