it system for cimss, iisc
DESCRIPTION
IT System for CIMSS, IISc. By the IT Subcommittee of the CIMSS Project Jayant Haritsa (SERC) R. Krishnamurthy (SERC) Anurag Kumar (ECE, Convener) V. Kumaran (Chem. Engg.) Y.N. Srikanth (CSA) V. Vinay (CSA). IT System Functions. System users faculty, admin officers, and case workers - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
September 1, 1998 IT System for CIMSS, IISc 1
IT System for CIMSS, IISc
• By the IT Subcommittee of the CIMSS Project– Jayant Haritsa (SERC)– R. Krishnamurthy (SERC)– Anurag Kumar (ECE, Convener)– V. Kumaran (Chem. Engg.)– Y.N. Srikanth (CSA)– V. Vinay (CSA)
September 1, 1998 IT System for CIMSS, IISc 2
IT System Functions
• System users– faculty, admin officers, and case workers
• Document preparation, movement, storage, access and manipulation
• Implementation of office workflow– e.g., indent “flows” from faculty to chairman to purchase to audit,
…etc.– authentication, annotation, and signatures at each step– tracking of workflows
• The “IT System” is the platform on which these functions are implemented
September 1, 1998 IT System for CIMSS, IISc 3
Design Considerations
• Client independence– variety of hardware and operating systems on campus– system should not be client dependent
• Difficult to maintain security and integrity of multiple servers in multiple locations– power supply, air-conditioning, cleanliness, etc.
• Work should not actually flow to the clients– messy to recover from client crash– harder to track status of work
• Aim for completely paperless system
September 1, 1998 IT System for CIMSS, IISc 4
Design Decisions
• Web based client server interaction– clients only need a web browser – plug -ins needed for digital signatures, and document upload
• Central server– with redundant hardware and storage– in a well prepared site
• All data and work-in-progress resides in data-base in central server– workflow implemented by manipulating references to the
documents
September 1, 1998 IT System for CIMSS, IISc 5
CIMSS Network Architecture
client
Scannerand
fax modem
Typical dept. LAN
clientScanner
andfax modem
Typical admin workstation
Server LANfirewall
Admin LAN
CIMSS central server
Campus network backbone(optical fibre)
Exi
stin
g sy
stem
sP
ropo
sed
syst
ems
Server LAN
September 1, 1998 IT System for CIMSS, IISc 6
CIMSS Central Server
UNIX operating system
Web server with security
features
Secure socketlayer
TCP/IP
Workflow software
and databasemanagement
system
CIMSS server LAN
Redundant disks
with C
IMS
S database
Server machine
to/from campus LAN
Off-the-shelfproprietary
StandardUNIX
system
Programmable/configurableapplication software
September 1, 1998 IT System for CIMSS, IISc 7
Virtual Workflow
CIMSScentralserver
Work does not“flow” between
server and clients;only references change
in data-base
forms
forms
forms
Requests, and data entry
Requests, and data entry
Requests, d
ata entryFaculty member
Admin officer
Case worker
September 1, 1998 IT System for CIMSS, IISc 8
Layers of Security
firewall
secure socketlayer
secure socketlayer
authenticated login; secret keysession security, with key aging
web browserwith
authenticationplugin
web serverwith public key
certificate server
digital signatures
blocksunauthorised
packets
campus network
client central server
fingerprint-basedsecurity for
console access
September 1, 1998 IT System for CIMSS, IISc 9
Product Selection (Hardware)
• Central CIMSS server– SUN Ultra Sparc 450, with Solaris (UNIX)– redundant disk drives (RAID)– redundant power supply, ethernet controller, disk controller
• Firewall– Cisco PIX– proprietary hardware and operating system– high performance
• Clients– PCs with Windows 95/98, NT– PCs with Linux– Standard UNIX workstations
September 1, 1998 IT System for CIMSS, IISc 10
Product Selection (Software)
• Data base system– ORACLE enterprise server
• Workflow definition software– ORACLE workflow
• Web server– NETSCAPE
• Public key server (Certification Authority)– included in the NETSCAPE server
• Client web browser– Netscape or (MS) Internet Explorer
September 1, 1998 IT System for CIMSS, IISc 11
Application Development
• Server software– implementation of workflows– development of forms and interfaces
• Client software– browser plug-ins for supporting:
• digital signatures• upload of scanned documents (e.g., quotations)
September 1, 1998 IT System for CIMSS, IISc 12
• Central server location– stable power supply– prevention of fire, dampness, lightning strike, etc.
• Data back-up– back-up copies should be stored in separate site
• Security and authentication– at present only 40-bit security available, owing to US export
restrictions– this should be upgraded as and when available– key-aging, within sessions, is an interim solution
Some Implementation Concerns
September 1, 1998 IT System for CIMSS, IISc 13
Vendor Selection
• First round of vendor proposals– Tata Consultancy Services– CMC– Planetasia– Faculties India– Tata Infotech– Logic Point
• Short list; second round– Planetasia– Tata Infotech
• Final negotiations are under way with– Tata Infotech