Transcript WebCT Vista PowerLinks SDK Overview

WebCT Vista
PowerLinks SDK Overview
Sasan Salari
VP, New Technology Services
Head, Vista Developers Network
[email protected]
Overview
• WebCT Vista 3.0 contains 4 major areas
in the SDK:
– System Integration
– WebServices
– Deployable Components
– Reporting Interfaces
Overview
• Each interface offers
access to slightly
different parts of the
Vista Core
Framework
Overview
• Each interface
also provides a
variety of subservices and
ways to get at
those services
System Integration
• Focuses on enterprise data
integration & bulk transactions
• e.g.:
– Courses, Sections, Groups
– Users and Enrolments
– Bulk file uploads
System Integration
• Broken into 3 layers
– Transport Layer
– Translation Layer
– Core Layer
• Each layer processes request,
then hands it to the next layer
System Integration
• Transport Layer:
– 3 built-in Adaptors
• WebAPI
• Command Line Interface
• LDIS (SunGard SCT)
– Option to write your own
System Integration
• Translation Layer:
– 3 built-in Adaptors
• IMS
• LDIS (SunGard SCT)
• Standard
– Option to write your own
System Integration
• Core Layer
– Processes final request and
hands actions off to individual
Vista services
WebServices
• Focus on “user level”
transactions
• Handy for external
manipulation/retrieval of user
information or course data
WebServices
• Commands are processed by
the same services that
process UI events
• Proper permissions apply
– e.g.: Student cannot edit Quiz
WebServices
• Supported Interfaces in Vista 3:
– Context
– Calendar
– Gradebook
– Mail
– File Manager
– Quiz & Question
Access Options
3 ways to get at WebServices SDK
.NET DLL
Client
Direct WSDL
in your
favorite
language
Java SDK
Client
Outside World
Vista
Vista
WebServices
Vista
Gradebook
Vista Mail
Service
Context WebService
• Before you do anything, you have to log in.
This is the primary reason for the Context
WebService’s existence
• Also provides access to enrollment
information
Context WebService
• Functions:
– Log a user in, and receive a session object
(must be used in all other WS calls)
– Get a list of Learning Contexts a user is
enrolled in, and what roles the user has in
those
– Get ID of template associated with LC
Context WebService
• login method can also use Single SignOn for password-less authentication
• Supporting methods for retrieving section
instructor (e.g. for submitting grades)
Calendar WebService
• Gives access to Vista Calendar tool
• Ideal for synchronizing external calendars,
scheduling applications & portal channels
• Functions:
– Support for full Create, Read, Update, Delete
of calendar entries
– Bulk call for retrieving all entries for a user
Gradebook WebService
• Great for assignment or testing
integration, portals
• Functions:
– Create, read, update, delete for columns,
values, types, meta-data, attributes (25
methods in total)
– Common gotcha: students can not set their
own grades; only instructors can do this
Mail WebService
• Good for campus mail integration,
portals, implementing outside email in
Vista
• Functions:
– Create, read, update, delete for messages,
mailboxes (per course), marking mail
read/unread
– Support for bulk transactions, attachments
File Manager WebService
• Provides access to Vista file system
• Good for managing content, portals,
client integration
• Functions:
– Create, read, update, delete for files,
folders, plus duplicate, rename, upload
– Editable permissions (read/write)
Assessment WebService
• Access to Vista Quiz/Question engine
based on IMS QTI (Question and Test
Interoperability)
• Functions:
– Create, read, update, delete for questions,
quizzes
– All via the IMS QTI format
(http://www.imsproject.org)
Versioning
• All interfaces contain methods for
determining version compatibility
• Compatibility guaranteed for at least two
major Vista revisions
Now
Vista 4.0
2005
Vista 5.0
200X
Documentation
• Full Web Services Javadoc included in
SDK Client Distribution
• SDK Programmer’s Guide covers bestpractices and higher-level documentation
WebServices
• Example Applications:
– Remote mail client
– Portal integration
– Remote quiz delivery
– File uploader
Deployable Components
• Added in Vista 2.1
• Focused on:
– Authentication of users into/from Vista
– Delivering content and applications to Vista
frameset
Deployable Components
• Authentication Modules
(AuthModules for short) enable
SSO into Vista
• Format of SSO is up to you; Vista
only supplies the framework
• Great for Portals
Deployable Components
• Proxy Tools do the opposite,
allowing users to be brought
from Vista to another
application
• They allow an AuthModule to
appear in the UI just like any
other tool (Quiz, Mail, etc.)
Deployable Components
• In Vista 2.1, an XML file was used to
create Proxy Tools. Vista 3.0 introduced a
very nice, and easy to use UI
Deployable Components
Reporting
• WebCT contains vast amounts of data
• Prior to WebCT Vista, this data was stored
in a distributed, flat file database
• This made correlation and detailed data
analysis almost impossible
Reporting
• WebCT Vista introduced an SQL database
server
• With that, detailed analysis became
possible, but there was still a problem
Reporting
• The Vista data schema is not exactly
intuitive
• The DB is designed for functionality and
performance, not for data extraction
• Relevant information can be spread out
among many, many tables
• The table schema can change from
version to version
Reporting
• The Vista Reporting Interfaces solve these
problems by abstracting away from direct
DB access
• The result is a set of “safe” database
views containing the most relevant data all
in one place
Reporting
Reporting: Examples
Vista Enrollment by Department
Reporting: Examples
Vista Tool Usage by Department
Reporting: Examples
Average Final
Grade vs Vista
Sessions
Developer Support
• Want to build a Community around Vista
PowerLinks
• But How?
• Many different ways…
Vista Developers Network
• Members from Institutional and
Commercial partners
• Want to learn more about, or get help with,
developing Vista PowerLinks
• Contribute their work to the community
• Active monitoring and participation by
WebCT staff
New Site Launched
As of July 12th, 2004:
http://devnet.webct.com
DevNet Features
• Links to WebCT Documentation and
Resources
• Contribution Area to Share
PowerLinks and Code
• How-To area where users can add
their own tips and tricks
DevNet Features
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Discussion Forums
• List of known issues and their
workarounds and resolution targets
• + much more…
Sample Contributions
• 12 contributions in the past 2 months
• Examples:
– RSS Module
– Shibboleth and CAS Authentication
– Simple quiz creation from MS Word Template
– Utilities for SIS IMS imports
– E-mail checker
• Many currently under development
Thank you
Questions?
[email protected]
http://devnet.webct.com