JISC

STEP-F built upon the successful FSD project “STEP-C” which demonstrated the concept of implementing an Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) within a University IT environment with connectors to several different types of applications being run either on campus or externally. STEP-F used Graduate Prospects' HEDD application to demonstrate how a live application can be connected via a cloud-hosted Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) to enable data to be shared with different applications at UK HEIs. 

This project developed a cloud-based ESB, which was connected to the HEDD application system and developed and implemented connectors between the ESB and Student Record Systems at three different HEIs. The STEP-F project was designed and implemented so that lessons learned could influence the procurement of a 'national ESB' and the development of connectors for applications used by other UMF projects including RMAS and the Secure Document Service and future sector wide applications.

Core documents developed by the project are available to download, including notes and presentations from two workshops attended by suppliers and institutions.

A STEP-F workshop took place on 29th March 2011, which was attended by suppliers and institutions. A key outcome from the workshop was that as long as an ESB could meet the essential requirements in the key areas, was resilient and could handle the likely traffic volumes, then participants did not really care too much which ESB(s) were to be used. It was agreed that recognised data standards should be adopted and JISC CETIS provided guidance on this. Draft notes from the workshop are available to download along with CETIS' HEDD Interoperability Specification.

A final workshop demonstrating the live transfer of data via the STEP-F ESB took place on 14th June 2011, showing how applications can be built across the Cloud in a way that enables an application to directly send and receive data from a variety of different student record systems which are based within different institutions. Notes and presentations from this workshop can be downloaded below:

STEP-F Final Workshop

STEP F Solution Demonstration_14Jun V 1.0

STEP-F Workshop Minutes 14th June 2011