© Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. SOAP-based Mobilization for an Efficient Personal Learning Environment Nick Schiavi Blackboard R&D

2 Educate, Innovate, Everywhere™ » Play » With » Blocks!

3 About Forward-Looking Statements » We may make statements regarding our product development and service offering initiatives, including the content of future product upgrades, updates or functionality in development. While such statements represent our current intentions, they may be modified, delayed or abandoned without prior notice and there is no assurance that such offering, upgrades, updates or functionality will become available unless and until they have been made generally available to our customers.

4 Agenda » “Mobilizer”…? » Capabilities » Where do we use it? » How to Mobilize » Application: Blackboard Backpack™ » What’s in the box? » A Mobile Architecture Example: Backpack in Practice

5 What is a “Mobilizer”? » Application to facilitate retrieval and submission of content to and from Blackboard via web services

6 Growth of the Mobilizer Over Blackboard Generations » Evolution of mobilization Building BlockPlatform Code Bidirectional framework 7.2 Assignment Manager, Discussion Boards

7 Scalable Potential » The Mobilizer opens the door for future web service framework development » New features and capabilities could provide the ability to mobilize content for: » RSS » Windows Mobile Systems » Web service-based Blackboard Building Blocks™

8 Agenda » “Mobilizer”…? » Capabilities » Where do we use it? » How to Mobilize » Application: Blackboard Backpack » What’s in the box? » A Mobile Architecture Example: Backpack in Practice

9 Capabilities » Content download » Exposed via wrappers of core content objects » Upload features » Select features exposed » Replication of web interface » Actions performed via web service » Activated web app » Process for building the Mobilizer

10 Download Features » Content Types » Course Documents » Assignments » Announcements » Events » Tasks » Staff » Discussion Boards

11 Uploading Features » Assignment Manager » Downloading assignments » Submitting assignments » Discussion Board » Downloading boards, threads, and posts » Download includes personal settings on discussion boards » Uploading replies, new posts, and new threads

12 Mobilizer Production Process » “Inside-Out Approach” » Feature Selection » Service and Operation Definition » WSDL creation » Platform Development » Generate stub code on server and client consumer ends » Build platform-specific hooks to agree to contractual WSDL

13 Agenda » “Mobilizer”…? » Capabilities » Where do we use it? » How to Mobilize » Application: Blackboard Backpack » What’s in the box? » A Mobile Architecture Example: Backpack in Practice

14 How is the Mobilizer Used? » Pass context, download content as xml » Pass context and object(s), call web services to perform upload function » Burst communications concept » Tree » Full » Object by object » Atomic communications if necessary

15 Requirements for Mobilization » Interacting with the Mobilizer requires a valid Blackboard user context » Passing your user context to the download services provides your XML tree » Uploads require conformance to specific objects, valid user context, and a valid service call

16 Burst Communications » Atomic requests lend to shorter calls and less traffic » Potential for long-running transactions is mitigated » Configurable download calls manage amount of XML content in payload » Full  grab entire payload » Tree  grab the skeletons of courses and content » By type and ID  using the type and a valid ID, specific pieces of content can be retrieved

17 Agenda » “Mobilizer”…? » Capabilities » Where do we use it? » How to Mobilize » Application: Blackboard Backpack » What’s in the box? » A Mobile Architecture Example: Backpack in Practice

18 Mobilizer Applied

19 Mobile Associations 101 ::::

20 Blackboard Backpack » Initial driver behind the Mobilizer » Consumes the download capability from the Mobilizer to recreate a Personal Learning Environment » Built to produce the content for uploads back to the Mobilizer

21 Backpack Download XML Payload Download Call Backpack Mobilizer

22 Backpack Uploads Backpack Mobilizer WSDL

23 Mobilization with Backpack » Disconnected working environment provides for usage on and offline » Ready to take full advantage of web services offered by the Mobilizer

24 Agenda » “Mobilizer”…? » Capabilities » Where do we use it? » How to Mobilize » Application: Blackboard Backpack » What’s in the box? » A Mobile Architecture Example: Backpack in Practice

25 30,000 Feet Up…This is Mobilization Axis SOAP Services Required Service Adapters The Mobilizer Bb Platform Mobilizer Factory SOAP Call Process Get Create Mobile Method API Calls

26 Agenda » “Mobilizer”…? » Capabilities » Where do we use it? » How to Mobilize » Application: Blackboard Backpack » What’s in the box? » A Mobile Architecture Example: Backpack in Practice

27 Disconnected Device Mobilization Mobilizer Bb Platform Backpack Device

28 QA » Questions? » Contact »