Design and implementation of an
Integrated Web Service Architecture
Alina Andreica, Daniel Stuparu, Romulus Gadi, Florina
Covaci, Cosmin Tarţa, Grigorie Bogdan Mărcuş, Gabriel
Pop, Ovidiu Teodorescu
IT Department, Babes-Bolyai University,
Net Brinel SA, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
{alina.andreica, daniel.stuparu, florina.covaci,
gabriel.pop}@ubbcluj.ro , {romulus.gadi,
grigorie.marcus, ovidiu.teodorescu}@brinel.ro
Ministerul Comunicaţiilor şi Societăţii Informaţionale
Organismul Intermediar pentru Promovarea Societăţii Informaţionale
Proiectul SMIS 4424: Sistem electronic aplicativ integrat de educatie al Universităţii Babeş-Bolyai
• Focus
– Design & implementation of a web service
architecture for providing learning & info
system facilities
• Importance of information system integration
• System integration facilities based on MS
technology & an e-learning portal implementation
– A solution for information system integration
& Database synchronization
• The solution may be applied for various DBMS –
supporting the information systems
• good generality degree for various organizations
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• Topics
– Introduction
– Architecture principles and single sign-on
framework
– Database synchronization principles
– Web Services and extensibility principles
– Conclusions and Future Work
– References
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• Introduction
– Knowledge bases society - IT impact on
learning & management processes
– Information system integration - mainly
studied for business and organizational
processes
– E-learning systems
• pre-defined facilities: Blackboard or WebCT
• Flexible facilities: MS Learning Gateway, moodle
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• Introduction
– managing uniform user identities in
organization - addressed in (Shaw, 2011)
• specific user roles within organizations
• various information systems
• a management access system for a framework with different
user identities in specific info systems
– Solution: building an unified identity and access
management system – IAM within the organization
• consolidating multiple identities in one (integrated) identity
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• Introduction
– IAM complexity may be managed with:
• point solutions - implement a password reset within a system
and then synchronizes it with the others)
• IAM frameworks - implement a specific IAM solution based
on already developed frameworks: IBM (Tivoli Identity
Manager), Oracle , Novell, MS Forefront Identity Manager
(Identity Lifecyle Manager) – approach of our paper
– previous papers – more oriented on the existing
information systems (Andreica et. al 2009; 2010)
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• Introduction
– design principles of a system integration
framework for providing dedicated
information system facilities as web services
into a global portal, together with single-sign
on & database synchronization facilities
• focuses on general architecture principles and
applicability frameworks and introduces
supplemental implementation details
• Uses a global database (info systems + portal)
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• Introduction
– An integrated architecture based on ILM Microsoft
server, and additional interface modules
• Integration & synchronization of databases based on
different technologies (php / postgresql, asp / MS sql)
• integrates the dedicated information systems into a web
portal that also provides e-learning facilities, based on
SharePoint Portal functionalities
• ILM can be used to synchronize and optimize data access
and delegate processing means to the appropriate
dedicated software components – by specific interfaces
• content sharing and communication facilities as as elearning facilities
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• Architecture principles and single sign-on
framework
– ILM – Identity Lifecycle Management – type server
ensuring single sign-on capabilities and uniform
interface to the dedicated information systems
– Authentication is performed by the same account
and password into the portal and into the
information systems
• logon information is retained as current session variables
and further passed on towards the information systems;
access points are designed in respect with the account
permissions
• Each user category may have one or more roles
• Credentials are passed on to the accessed information
system as session variables
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• Architecture principles and single sign-on
– Permissions specific to each user category are
retained in a global database, created by
synchronizing the information systems’ databases
– Portal case:
• students access their educational path (AcademicInfo
system) & learning resources in view permissions (portal);
• academic staff access the disciplines they teach and
student grades (AcademicInfo system) and associated
learning resources in design permissions + Research
management system facilities
• research staff have access to Research management
system facilities
• managers have access to educational syntheses
(AcademicInfo), research &financial syntheses for the chart
unit they manage (ManageAsist, Research management )
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• Architecture principles and single sign-on
framework
Ministerul Comunicaţiilor şi Societăţii Informaţionale
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• Architecture principles and single sign-on
– The global database solves database
synchronization problems for various database
management systems
– ILM server is used as global authentication server
and accesses information from the global database
in order to perform authentication (using AD
mechanisms) and to provide single sign on, e-mail
and on-line communication facilities
– Permissions within the portal are implemented by
means of dedicated groups
• AD is provided the necessary information from the global
database
• ILM is used
as
a syncrhonization
Ministerul
Comunicaţiilor
şi Societăţii Informaţionaleinterface
Organismul Intermediar pentru Promovarea Societăţii Informaţionale
Proiectul SMIS 4424: Sistem electronic aplicativ integrat de educatie al Universităţii Babeş-Bolyai
• Architecture principles
Ministerul Comunicaţiilor şi Societăţii Informaţionale
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• Database Synchronization Principles
– the synchronization process includes
the information systems’ databases
and the portal database
• global database consistency
• updates access permission information both for
the portal and the information systems
• dataflow sequences that occur in information
processing
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•
Database Synchronization Sequences
–
organization chart and user tables are replicated from
ManageAsist into the global database;
–
3. these tables are afterwards sent into Research
Management and AcademicInfo databases;
–
grant tables are replicated from Research Management into
the global database;
–
these tables are afterwards sent into ManageAsist database;
–
students, disciplines, educational information tables are
transferred from AcademicInfo into the global database; and
fee tables are transferred from AcademicInfo into the global
database;
–
these tables are afterwards sent into ManageAsist database
Note: PhD students are both students – in doctoral schools, and
academic / research staff
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•
Database Synchronization Principles
Ministerul Comunicaţiilor şi Societăţii Informaţionale
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• Database Synchronization Principles
– Info systems db: ManageAsist, Research
Management (PostgreSQL), AcademicInfo
(MS SQL Server)  global database
• Global database; bi-directional synchronization
• this solution ensures significant autonomy
functional advantages for information systems,
compared to a direct Active Directory integration
& mapping
• we use a dedicated field in each table, which
retains if the corresponding record was
synchronized into the global database
Ministerul Comunicaţiilor şi Societăţii Informaţionale
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• Database Synchronization Principles
– Info systems db: ManageAsist, Research Management
(PostgreSQL), AcademicInfo (MS SQL)  global database
• the solution uses: replications, SQL Server Integrations
Services (MS SQL web), triggers, stored procedures & jobs
• global authentication – uses ILM server
– permission mappings for the dedicated information systems
– information system authentication use dedicated interfaces
which transfer credentials from the portal into each system
– a supplemental synchronization is performed via the ILM server
(MS SQL web) between the global database - GDB and the AD
» we use ILM’s connector space (MS SQL web) and two
dedicated agents which transfer information from the
global database, respectively from AD into the connector
space, compare it and synchronize the updated
information from GDB into AD ==> correct permissions
Ministerul Comunicaţiilor şi Societăţii Informaţionale
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• Web services - E-learning services
– SharePoint built in facilities
• content & schedule management and sharing
• communication facilities (e-mail – OWA type, discussion
lists, etc.)
• evaluation tools and feed-back facilities; task management
; survey tools
• blog and RSS tools
– The system is also open to adding new web-parts,
services or components
• we are working on dedicated evaluation facilities – feedback tests & final examinations
– Various grading algorithms are taken into consideration
• virtual lab facilities in order to support learning in
experimental sciences
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• Web Services – virtual labs
– support learning in experimental sciences
and sharing experimental knowledge by
electronic means in fields like: process
engineering, environmental engineering,
physics, chemistry, biology
• on-line virtual experiments and on-line labs; case
studies based on mathematical modelling and
simulation; recorded video sequences and online video streaming; posting material to be
further processed with dedicated client
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• The Web Services
http://academicinfo.ubbcluj.ro/Info
– AcademicInfo is an integrated information system
dedicated to managing educational information, with
processing facilities for secretariats, specific access
facilities for students and teachers and relevant
synthesis regarding the educational process
• models educational processes at BBU level, ensuring
course selection from all faculties’ curricula in study
agreements, manages in a flexible manner various types of
educational activities at all study levels (BA, MA, PhD,
continuous education, specific curricula);
• ensures multilingual support in processing and reporting
• various types of facilities: fee management, student
documents and requests, on-line course evaluation
Ministerul Comunicaţiilor şi Societăţii Informaţionale
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• The Web Services – http://manageasist.ubbcluj.ro
– ManageAsist system is the integrated software
system for administrative management - an ERP
system adapted for higher education institutions
• designed on systematic principles
• modules: Document management, Assets, Warehouse,
Cashier, Finance, Accountancy, Grants, Human Resources
and Acquisitions, and decision assistance facilities
• Each module contains management reports for the
corresponding compartment; global decision assistance
facilities will be improved
• Previous papers address: advanced design principles,
means of processing hierarchical structures, module
integration – see references
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• The Web Services http://infocercetare.ubbcluj.ro
– Research Management System manages
research activities, by offering accessible and userfriendly means of collecting specific information,
automatically performing quantitative analyses,
syntheses and evaluations
• a tool for quantitative research evaluation; a tool for
supporting the design of competitive research strategies at
an institutional level
• Facilities for
– members of the academic & research staff, PhD students
– research management levels: chairs, institutes, departments,
faculties, university
– See references for details
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• Extensibility principles
• The solution we propose, based on MS technology &ILM authentication
server, may be applied in various cases that require information system
integration ; the architecture may be enhanced with SharePoint facilities in
order to provide sharing, communication and e-learning functionalities,
which are often necessary within organizations
Ministerul Comunicaţiilor şi Societăţii Informaţionale
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Proiectul SMIS 4424: Sistem electronic aplicativ integrat de educatie al Universităţii Babeş-Bolyai
• Conclusions and Future Work
– We describe the design and implementation
principles of a web portal that provides elearning services and dedicated information
systems facilities
• an IAM framework type solution according to (Shaw, 2011)
• an efficient integration solution for synchronizing databases
and integrating dedicated information systems
• Uses MS technology
• Solution generality: single log-on framework for providing
learning, sharing & collaboration facilities + dedicated
information system services
Ministerul Comunicaţiilor şi Societăţii Informaţionale
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Proiectul SMIS 4424: Sistem electronic aplicativ integrat de educatie al Universităţii Babeş-Bolyai
• Conclusions and Future Work
– an efficient integration solution by implementing a
single authentication server and mapping specific
facilities from the dedicated information systems,
using different database management systems, into
the portal, for each user category
• a global integrated database and a permission mapping
scheme for ensuring appropriate access into the dedicated
information systems
• User identities that access the portal are further redirected
in authentication modules which ensure dedicated access
• good extensibility degree for various organization cases:
single log-on framework for providing learning, sharing &
collaboration facilities + dedicated information system
services
Ministerul Comunicaţiilor şi Societăţii Informaţionale
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Proiectul SMIS 4424: Sistem electronic aplicativ integrat de educatie al Universităţii Babeş-Bolyai
• Selected References
• Andreica A. (2006), IT Strategies In Increasing Business
Competitiveness, Studia Europaea, (p.139-148), LI, 3
• Andreica A. B.(2007) , Implementing Advanced E-learning
Facilities. Case Study for Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca,
Romania, International Conference on Engineering Education,
University of Coimbra, Portugal, INEER, Editor: Carlos Sa
Furtado, Maria da Graca Rasteiro, www.ineer.org, 4 p
• Andreica A. B., Agachi P. S. (2008) , Design and Implementation
of An Integrated Software System for Managing Research
Activities in Universities, 7th RoEduNet International Conference Networking for Research and Education, UT Press, Editor: E.
Cebuc, (p. 90-95)
• Andreica A. B., Stuparu D., Ghetie F. (2009), Design and
Implementation of an Erp System for Universities, Proceedings of
IADIS Information Systems 2009,(p 315-322), IADIS Press, Eds:
M. Nunes, P. Isaias, P. Powell
Ministerul Comunicaţiilor şi Societăţii Informaţionale
Organismul Intermediar pentru Promovarea Societăţii Informaţionale
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• Selected References
• Andreica A. B. (2009), Integrated Software Framework for
Academic Management , IADIS Multiconference on
Computer Science and Information Systems - Informatics,
Algarve Portugal, 17-23 June 2009, Proceedings of
Informatics 2009 ,(p. 221-224), IADIS Press, Editor: Hans
Weghorn, Jörg Roth, Pedro Isaias
• Berry M., Linoff G. (2000), Mastering Data Mining, John
Wiley & Sons
• Hoganson, K., Guimaraes, M., (2003), “N-Tier Client/Server
Course”, Consortium for Computing Sciences in College
Conference, Dunwoody, Georgia
• Shaw, J., "Unified and Intelligent Identity and Access
Management", Quest Software, White Paper, 2011
• PostgreSQL Team , “High Availability, Load Balancing, and
Replication” http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.3/static/highavailability.html
Ministerul Comunicaţiilor şi Societăţii Informaţionale
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