WebCT & Blackboard

Bob Alcorn, Senior Architect

About Forward-Looking Statements

» We may make statements regarding our product development and service offering initiatives, including the content of future product upgrades, updates or functionality in development.  While such statements represent our current intentions, they may be modified, delayed or abandoned without prior notice and there is no assurance that such offering, upgrades, updates or functionality will become available unless and until they have been made generally available to our customers.

Session Overview

» Have you heard about this merger thing?» Vast potential of users and systems… on

different islands of functionality

» Some background on Blackboard Vista™ vs. Academic Suite™ and current development

» Guide to the architecture roadmap

It’s all Java, right? Can’t be that hard.

So, What’s the Big Deal?

Right…

» Windows and Linux are both written in C and x86 assembly. What’s the big deal?

» Oracle and SQL Server both support ANSI-92 SQL? What’s the big deal?

» .NET and Java both support SOAP. What’s the big deal?» …etc.

» Compatibility is (obviously) deeper than technology» But technology isn’t even the hardest part – it’s the

functional mapping

Academic Suite™ Structural View

Academic Suite

Content System Caliper

Core Framework – Security, Persistence, Navigation, Layout, Logging, Metadata

Operating Units

Constituent

Learning System

Assessment Projects

Standards, Objectives,

Goals

Gradebook

Assessment

Assignment

Course Content

Xythos

Start Page/Tab/Modules

Reporting

Customization

Evaluation Portfolios

Portfolios

Web File System

LO Catalog

Course Management

Templates

Attribute Management

… and more… and more

Tools, Services, and Frameworks

Tools

FrameworksServices

Metadata Framework

Extension Framework

Logging

Bundle Management

Persistence FrameworkAccess Control

Session Management

Course Management

JSPs

Struts Actions

Manager Classes

Discussion Board

JSPs

Struts Actions

Manager Classes

Gradebook

JSPs

Struts Actions

Manager Classes

Template Manager

JSPs

Struts Actions

Manager Classes

Loaders PersistersNavitem

Framework

Custom Tag Infrastructure

Vista Architecture Overview

Reconciling Different Worlds

» Access Control Models» Vista™ – Hierarchical model that includes context-specific

permissions and ACLs» Academic Suite™ – flexible roles, with domains

» Deployment» Academic Suite™ – heterogeneous technology stack

» Apache, Perl, Java, IIS, .NET» Java/Servlet technology

» Vista™ – technology requirements» WebLogic, SQL Server 2005» JEE architecture – EJB, JMS

Reconciling Different Worlds

» Administrative and Organization Principles» Vista™ - Institutions/LC Hierarchy » Academic Suite™ – rule-based Domain Manager

» Learning Object Management» Vista™ – intrinsic, extensible model» Academic Suite™ – licensed component (Content

System™), different use cases» Web-based File Management

The Roadmap

» Integration with Blackboard Community System™» “Project Arch” – release TBD

» Common APIs» Enable a new class of Building Blocks and PowerLinks

» Integration beyond Blackboard Community System™» Evolving interoperability toward the full Academic Suite –

Content System, Caliper

» “Next Generation”» Visionary teaching and learning tools» Broader vision of Enterprise Architecture within Education

You Are Here…

» Project Arch is currently in development» Community System™ integration with Vista

» Community System 7.2 (the Caliper/Outcomes system codebase)

» Vista 4.x, Campus Edition 6.x» Themes

» Preserve investment in integration infrastructure» Time to market» Client continuity – Arch cannot disrupt existing commitments

» High-Level features» Single Sign On and session management» Portal module interaction to aggregate Vista institutions» Common data integration

Project Arch

» Data Integration» Vista Institutions will serve as data sources for

data integration to Community System» Integration to Community System via Snapshot» Institution roles will be assigned to map

Community System tabs

Project Arch

» Portal Integration» Assignment of institution roles to integrated

users, based on the Vista institution» Automatic construction of tabs and modules that

aggregate data from targeted institutions» Creation of new module types to communicate

with Vista channels

Project Arch

» Authentication» Community System™ is the front-end, but

authentication will be delegated back to Vista™» Preserves existing investment in authentication

integration» Integration for full lifecycle – including session

timeouts

Project Arch – Deployment Configuration

Application Server Application Server

Database Server

Vista DBLS DB

AS Vista

Next Step: Common APIs

» First step is API for integration between Blackboard Community System and Vista» These APIs will be private in first version

» Next step is to evaluate Building Block/PowerLink touch points

» Generalization of use cases in the Arch framework» Specific transactions (launch, query, SSO)» API encapsulation of transactions for multiple technology

bindings» General, LS components

» 1 – N Community System™ Learning System™

API Challenges

» Technology mismatch» Deployment Models

» Building Blocks uses a drop-in container model» Building Blocks is less rigorous about differentiating

between “public” and “private” APIs» Vista has a drop-in model, but constrained to specific,

programmatic operations

» Technology Bindings» B2 does not have a comprehensive Web Service

strategy» Vista’s public APIs are Web Service based

API Directions

» Align with the emerging Enterprise Architectures» Multi-Tier

» Application tier integrations» Data tier integrations

» Outcomes System – reporting, warehouse integration

» Most likely will not be an evolution of existing Building Blocks/PowerLinks infrastructure» Incompatibilities in basic models» Integration architecture vs. functional architecture» Incremental improvement will continue to happen, but is a

different class of problem

Technical Directions

» SOA» Define the core services that comprise the e-Learning

infrastructure» Align with the broader initiatives – Beyond, Outcomes, etc

» Tools Interoperability Framework» Foundation of core behaviors (launch, report)» Requires extension

» 1.0 Guidelines limited to useful, but basic operations» Full richness of Community System™ to various learning

system interactions will need to encompass a much wider range of operations and rich data types

» Why not WSRP?» Semantic interfaces make the most sense – WSRP is an API

for returning markup fragments

TIF - High-Level Design

The “Wish List”

» Short-term» Identity, authentication, session» Launch operations (TIF launch and outcomes)» Course lists

» Long-term» Repository – discovery, provisioning» Outcomes – objectives/measurement, reporting» Beyond Initiative

“Next Generation”

» Bring the best capabilities of both platforms» Breadth, Depth

» Expand the interaction model to drive a richer client experience» Technology dimension – AJAX, etc.» Social dimension – student-centric interactions,

“architecture of participation”» The vision is deeper than LS

» Outcomes» Community » Beyond

Questions?