UNIT-e Research & Development Microsoft Technology Day Stephen Cain (System Architect)

Disclaimer This presentation shows a number of areas of Research and Development which are currently taking place or have recently been undertaken in Capita F&HE. Some of the technologies demonstrated have already been embedded into UNIT-e solutions. Some may be included in future development plans whilst others will not make it past today!

Key Principles - Platform  Database Independence  Security  Consistent across sites, platforms & applications  Above and beyond database level security  Configuration Driven  Pick lists & lookups  Reports  Labels  Layout  Search  Toolset Availability  Web publishing  Reporting Services & SharePoint etc  Information Interface

Key Principles – Clients  Horses for Courses  SMS, in Windows Services  Workflow in SharePoint  Thick Client  Resource Manager, II, Student Manager etc  Reporting in Crystal (over MDBs)  Smart Client  Attendance Grid  Room Booking  Browser  Columbus  Online Services  Some parts of HR  Reporting Services  SharePoint

Database Manager (Users)  Move some code to II  Significantly improved performance  Modernised layouts  Improved validation  Good platform for enhancements  e.g. Improved LDAP integration

Database Manager (Users) Demo

UNIT-e Technical Roadmap - History VB 6.NET Online Services Drop Online Services (COM) Information Interface over API Information Interface (.NET) IB.NET Drop IB COM XML Exporter II Enrolments Add Rules Engine XML Importer

Key Principles - Evolution  64 bit operating systems on client and server  Multi Core processors  Large scale implementations  NLB, Clusters, etc  Improvements in browser based UI technology  Ajax, Silverlight  Increased desire for browser based applications (inc mobile devices)  Increased complexity and rate of change for business rules  Increased demands on security and audit  More links between and within institutions  Capita aware of issues raised by new tools  Move to using tools for longer periods internally before release to customer  Reduce implementation & training overhead by looking at web access/hosting

Report Generator Re-Write (PDP 2010)  Move code to.NET code base  Support new OS  inc 64 bit  Replace legacy COM components  IB.NET & Excel  Move towards support for UNICODE  Reduce upgrade overhead  DMST  Improve some aspects of application performance  Provide developers with appropriate platform for future development

Add Validation and Defaulting  A rules engine was added to UNIT-e 4.11 built upon the.NET Framework 3.0 the Rules libraries.  Rules take a series of (usually) basic inputs, perform simple calculations on them and provide outputs.  This is in use in 2 UNIT-e applications in 2009 and will be rolled out elsewhere in For example: If (student.dob>1/1/1990) ErrorCount++;

Rules Engine – Examples This can be used to set error messages If (student.dob>1/1/1990 | student.dob<1/1/1980) setError (“Outside date range.”); or default information ModuleEnrolment.Reference=Module.Reference;

Rules Engine – Designer Demo A 3rd party UI can sit over these rules and provide a friendly designer. Alternatively Capita may build one.

Rules Engine – Potential Integration  Data access layer  validation and defaulting  Business controllers  user customisation of execution paths  Add to II  Condition Delete, Read Only, Create  Cascade Changes  UI validation  Replace hard coded functions like statutory validation  Easier testing  Easier to implement changes

Mobile Devices  Ubiquitous mobile devices  Consumer driven  No standards  Multiple platforms  Expectation of availability  Student and Staff  Security Issues  Access to network  Personal data  Easily lost or stolen  Also bring benefits  Better access to information  Record changes as they happen  3G and Wi-Fi mean good access

Information Interface in the Browser  ASPX, AJAX & Silverlight under review  Important to address some issues with existing II  Need to rebuild II apps for each platform  Reach alternative client platforms  Improve options for “hosting” UNIT-e  Ensure pain free migration path  Match control set  Tabs, ListViews & TreeViews etc  Use for in house applications first

II in the Browser Demo

Deploying II to the Web – Cluster

UNIT-e Technical Roadmap - Projected Add Rules Engine XML Importer SIF Agent Report Generator (.NET) 64 bit support for Application Servers Windows 7 Support (TBC) Rules Engine Designer (TBC) Information Interface in the Browser (TBC) Security Review (LDAP etc) Support Dublin for Workflow( TBC)

Questions