1. Content Deployment Interface Issues
AICC June 2003 Minneapolis, MN USA
Ed Cohen – Plateau Systems Tom King - Macromedia

2. Existing Interface Points
ISD during Design: Course Structure & Prerequisites
LMS Admin during Deployment: Course Structure
Student during run-time: File-based, HACP, API
What about the author during development?

3. Software Cycle Author Content Launch Content Publish Content
Author Course

4. Content Development Cycle
Author Content
Authoring System World
Edit API Needed
Launch Content
Publish Content
LMS World
Deploy API Needed
Author Course

5. What would these APIs do?
Edit API
Check out a “package” of content directly to an authoring system or tool for revision
Deploy API
Check-in a “package” of content for testing, approval, or deployment
Recommendation: Focus on deployment initially

6. Why focus on Deploy API? Clearer path to implementation
Can work for simple content testing
Easier for a desktop application to connect to a server & submit content than vice versa
Existing formats can be leveraged
Direct deployment enables new class of authors

7. Deployment API Options
WebDAV & Source Code Control APIs
IMS Digital Repository Interfaces (DRI)
Alternate Specification

8. WebDAV & Source Control APIs
Challenges
Focus on text formats & single files
Tend to integrate with programmer IDEs
HTML doesn’t distinguish source vs object

9. IMS DRI Model Query/Search (Xquery Z39.50)
Gather (SOAP w/Binary attachment)
Push
Pull
Submit (SOAP w/Binary attachment)
Store (SOAP w/Binary attachment)
Alert (deferred)

10. DRI Architecture
DRI

11. Package Exchange Notification
Goals
Focus on learning & training uses
Simplify deployment for authors
Use established & understood technology
Enable evolution & extension

12. Package Exchange Model
Content Server
Package
Package
3. Stage
Build
DEPLOY
LMS
Authoring Tool
Course
2. LMS Approval & Process
1. Notify
4. Deploy
Source
One small click for authors & SysAdmins,
one giant leap for simplified deployment.
This is not rocket science

13. Proposed Specification
Package Exchange Notification
Content tool notifies server that a package is available
Package can use existing AICC CSF + ZIP
Notification options
HTTP POST
Web Services (SOAP/XML)
Transfer options
UNC
FTP
SOAP Binary attachment
attachment

14. Proof-of-Concept Macromedia Breeze and Plateau LMS deploy content
type = aicc-au-url
& url =
& action = import
& usr = user-name
& pwd = user-password
& title = Astronomy%20101
& duration = 00:10:00
& description = Introduction%20to%20the%20study%20of%20stars

15. Breeze Deployment

16. Message

17. Plateau Importer for Deployment

18. Plateau Importer - Final Steps

19. Other Uses Of Packages Student LMS Admin Author
Check-out (stage content & session for deferred use or reference)
Check-in (purge content cache & forward performance data)
LMS Admin
Student Data (batch roster or enroll)
Competencies (objectives as index rather than AUs)
Reports & Extracts (forward reports & data to other systems)
Author
Static & Dynamic content links (LCMS links for development & runtime)
Search & Discovery (re-use & re-purpose)
Test & Revise (preview/debug in deployment context, versioning)
Submit & Deploy (workflow/approval, send content directly to LMS)

20. Next Steps AGR for an AICC CSF archive (CSF+ZIP)
Gather other relevant use cases
Data Model & Vocabulary for parameters
Prioritize and Define Bindings for
HTTP POST/CGI
Web Services
LAN/Command line