1. National Center for Supercomputing Applications NCSA OPIE Presentation November 2000

2. National Center for Supercomputing Applications

3. What is OPIE The Open Portal Interface Environment is a system to combine data on the web presentation layer. –Up to 9 freely movable windows with separate web resources can be added to a page –Applications built in the system can affect all other nodes available on the screen –XML back-end user files can help support multiple interfaces and information expansion –Multiple view desktops can be created for group use or themed purposes

4. National Center for Supercomputing Applications Current Status Demo mode accepts all web accessible applications, and keeps client and server security intact Demo applications of more complex types are being built and added to the system Tests of server functionality and security are being made XML files are stored for all users and applications being added to the system Demo URL: http://portal.ncsa.uiuc.edu/

5. National Center for Supercomputing Applications

6. Customization New Customization page is in place to make OPIE easier for users and administrators XML file stores available icons and applications Drag and Drop functionality is easier to use and customize Application properties can be set with a new properties box function All 5 current views can be adjusted with a single customization page Custom application addition makes it easier for users to add applications

7. National Center for Supercomputing Applications Complete Custom Look OPIE has a system built to support a complete custom page build for any server and for user specific selections. All graphics can be changed, and the easy system allows for multiple look and feel additions. XML based page building building system can be adjusted for quick creation of new page designs

8. National Center for Supercomputing Applications Architecture Existing OPIE to Client interface Event Service and Broker External Data Resource Local Data Resource XML/JINI connection XML conversion Direct Data with Events or Data conversion via XML

9. National Center for Supercomputing Applications Client Side Architecture The primary elements of OPIE are, of course, the Web client and the Web server, but OPIE extends both of these elements to create a unique system. Four sets of tools extend the client-side Web browser: –Windowing tools, which allow users to resize, move, maximize, and minimize the multiple resources that are open in the users' OPIE environments –Customization tools, which allow users to add their own applications to the system and set up multiple views within a single system. –Application interface tools, which allow applications to query and monitor the status of other applications within the system. –Dynamic element tools, which allow users to choose icons and names for different parts of their OPIE environment.

10. National Center for Supercomputing Applications Server Architecture On the server side, OPIE has elements that support each of these client-side additions: –The window save engine stores location and state information when users leave a given view or log out. –The customization engine stores XML files for users and allows users to edit those files from the client Web browsers GUI customization tool. –The application engine serves as both an event systems coordinator and a service directory. The event systems coordinator allows applications to work in concert and allows back-end services to start up or spawn as events occur within a given application. The service directory holds information on available applications for the users' OPIE environments. –The server engine is a Java servlet that dynamically generates pages and graphics.

11. National Center for Supercomputing Applications Server Install Server install instructions for the demo version will be available at the end of this week. OPIE will work with any server environment that has support for: –PERL 5.0 w/ CGI libs –Java 1.2 servlets –HTML 4.0 Current environments at NCSA include NT 4.0 IIS and Redhat Linux 6.2 with Apache Clients are required to be IE 5.0+ and NS 6+ or Mozilla

12. National Center for Supercomputing Applications Graphical User Interface Extensions OPIE has been extended to include the following windowing functions: –Cascade, Tile, Tile to Fit, Resize to Fit OPIE has also extended the GUI to allow instant addition of applications to views The current dynamic graphics systems will be extended to support multiple graphic looks from within a single OPIE server Overlap of applications will be changing to allow better viewing of windows that overlap

13. National Center for Supercomputing Applications OPIE user security In the next months OPIE will be expanding its security structure to allow: –Incorporation of myProxy server and client interaction –Group creation to affect available tools, window functions, and group based view systems –Role creation to allow adjustment of functions for groups and interaction of multiple levels of ability within OPIE –Password protected OPIE login using Kerberos or NT domain login

14. National Center for Supercomputing Applications Graphical User Interface Extensions The Toolbar at the top of the page is going to become more dynamic allowing for view naming and icon addition and subtraction The Toolbar at the top will also be including a menu system that will allow for more complex application connection to the interface The Toolbar menu will also have settings to allow the locking and unlocking of scrolling and location of nodes within a view.

15. National Center for Supercomputing Applications API Extensions Application interfaces are being built to help OPIE support new additions of information This will include: –Applications being able to add other nodes to a view –Applications checking for updated information from server sources –Applications being aware of other windows in the environment –Applications able to check active nodes and react or make new nodes active

16. National Center for Supercomputing Applications API Extensions Applications will also be able to change the setting on the page including: –Toolbar Menu items –Locked application nodes Examples of this include the searcher and browser nodes that are available in demo mode on the OPIE server Also a WML parser and translator for wireless interaction will be provided for the user XML files and connection to WWW resources from internet appliances

17. National Center for Supercomputing Applications Event Service Event service will be run with a JINI based directory system –This will allow discovery of resources on the network –Event services for OPIE applications that link to legacy network resources –Collaboration elements running in real time –Connection to Microsoft services like NetMeeting –Events will be web accessible making them available to OPIE users and any application that can query a web service.

18. National Center for Supercomputing Applications XML Transaction Creation of an XML based transaction services. –To Allow conversation between disparate data resources –To Allow conversion between different XML DTD and Data Types –Allow monitoring of interactions between users and data sources –This will support B-to-B direct data interaction from SQL to SQL using a Java and XML based system

19. National Center for Supercomputing Applications Database Services OPIE’s event and transaction service will work with standard data sources including: –Lotus Notes DB –SQL databases including Oracle and Sybase –MS SQL and Access –Web-based data sources available from external sources These data connection systems will be built in as default systems, but OPIE can be extended to incorporate newer or different systems.

20. National Center for Supercomputing Applications Timeline Now –Current Install available with limited instruction November –Administration tool set including user admin and application adjustment January –API extension to allow application addition March –Final install and event service and documentation available Summer 2001 –Connections to other NCSA software resources including D2K clickstream technologies, NCSA Emerge disparate data technologies, and CS dept wireless activities.