Platform Architecture and Features for ThinClient Application and Tool Delivery and Integration in I

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Platform Architecture and Features for
Thin-Client Application and Tool Delivery and
Integration in Internet Based Distance Education

• Samuel Conn, Asst. Professor
• Regis University MSCIT Program
• Denver, Colorado
• ISECON 2002
• November 3, 2002

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Agenda

• Introduction
• Problem Definition
• Three Part Solution
• Architectures Technologies
• Next Stage of Evolution

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Introduction

• Regis University in Denver, Colorado MSCIT
  program areas of emphasis in Database Technology,
  Network Engineering, e-Commerce, and Software
  Engineering

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Problem Definition

• Maintenance support of lab environment
• Lab environment for distance education students
• Integration of lab environment with content
  delivery

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Three Part Solution

• Merge classroom based courses online courses
  into one virtual lab or v-Lab environment.
• Create global delivery system for virtual lab
  that works with content delivery

• Utilize graduate students as a resource to
  support and maintain the platform via an
  Information Systems Practicum

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Selection of thin-client technology
Citrix Independent Computing Architecture (ICA)

• OS Independent
• Small footprint client
• Emulation via pixel streaming
• Success at low bandwidth
• Server side administration
• Expansion to portal technologies
• Affordable

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Network evolution
LAN
LAN
LAN
LAN
LAN
LAN
WAN
?
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Distance Education Student at Home
Academic Research Network (Virtual) V-Lab
environment
Distance Education Student at Work
Network Operations Center (NOC) Lowell Campus
Land-based MSCIT Student on Campus
Oracle Servers Application Servers
Internet
Land-based MSCIT Student at Home
Citrix Server(s)
Land-based MSCIT Student at Work
Simplified Diagram ARN Architecture
Faculty SPS Users
Storage Arrays
ARN Administrators
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Support Model
Student Practicums
Database and Network Engineering

• 6 months in length
• Graduate Student Capstone
• Support for infrastructure
• Support for virtual lab
• Support for applications
• Support for Oracle accounts

Frankfurt, Germany Student DBA
Logs Support Request
Resolves Problem
Denver
Los Angeles Student
Service Restored
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Student logon
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Student portal interface
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Content delivery system virtual lab merged
environment
Student toggles between environments
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Portal Integration
Partners (Sun, IBM)
MSCIT Portal
Outlook Express WebCT BlackBoard eCollege
Content System
Database OS environments Tools
MSIS Portal
Virtual Lab
Students Faculty Administrators Partners
Workflow Utilities Custom Dev Libraries
Services/ Applications
Corp Partners
Student Profile Outbound direct Administration
CRM
Collaborative Portals
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Evolution of e-Learning Platform
Academic Delivery Migration Path
Integration w/ External Digital
Virtual Knowledge Bases / Content Repositories
Portal Integration, Workflow CRM
Content Delivery System
Audio Enhancement To Content
Video Enhancement To Content
Virtual Lab
Academic Infomediary

• Outlook Express
• (total asynchronous)
• WebCT
• BlackBoard
• eCollege

• Broadband Backbone
• Infrastructure
• Managed Bandwidth
• QoS
• Compression/Streaming
• Software

• Middleware
• services
• Profile schema
• Application SW

• Proxy Services
• Enterprise Application
• Integration
• Access Protocols

• Thin-client
• technology

Technology Migration Path
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Thank you..
Questions or Comments?
This presentation available at www.samconn.com/reg
is/ISECON2002.htm