JISC

Overview

This project builds on work within the JISC e-Framework culminating in the flexible service delivery concept and programme.  The project attacks institutional inertia in large monolithic systems and shows that hosting applications in the 'cloud' and using SOA can offer new flexibility for institutions to better match business need with system availability. It will explore new ways for IT to support business processes and to respond quickly to rapidly changing business imperatives.

This approach will change, fundamentally, the current common implementation methodology. These new methods must satisfy the requirements of the institutions for agility, flexibility and cost effectiveness and the requirements of the suppliers for a revenue stream.

Aims and objectives 

Project (Cumulus) will enable the Consortium to work with Unit4, the supplier, to break the link between a significant business module (Curriculum Management (ACMS)) and the major systems software of which it is a part. This will allow the module to exist as a 'service' carrying out a particular function, using data inputs, communicating with the 'student System' and supplying data and reporting outputs in a Service Oriented Architecture.  It will therefore prove the concept of modularisation as a vital part of a flexible service delivery and in addition, and equally importantly, will explore the issues of providing the module 'services' from within the 'cloud'.

An important aspect of ensuring the interoperability of the curriculum software is the work flow with XCRI, the emerging Curriculum standard. Project Cumulus will collaborate with other relevant projects in this issue.

Project methodology

Unit4 is the supplier of the Student Record System used in CCCU, University of Lincoln, De Montfort University and Roehampton University.  The company will develop appropriate methodologies for hosting the ACMS Module in the 'cloud'.  The module will be supported by web services, for data entry and extraction and internal system workflows.  The Universities will be responsible for the provision of support, advice and validation of business functionality and the acceptability of processes in the cloud environment. University of Nottingham, supported by the consortium, will be responsible for the evaluation of the developments in relation to the XCRI Standards.

Anticipated outputs and outcomes

The project will produce the following deliverables:

• A standalone business module, with a specific set of business processes, available in the Cloud
• A set of web services which enable data to be imported and exported from the module XCRI/Unit 4 mapping document
  report on XCRI 1.1 suitability and recommendations
• A set of standards for web services which facilitate interoperability especially with XCRI
• A set of web services facilitating links to business processes and workflows within other system 
• An exploration of the issues which impact on this type of deployment with suggested solutions