Pensee Journal
Vol 76, No. 11;Nov 2014
Towards More Efficient Semantic Web-Services Using Cloud Interoperability Mohammed Abdel Razek 1, 2 1 Research and Development Department, Deanship of Distance Learning, King Abdulaziz University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, P.O. Box 80254. 2
Math. & Computer Science Department, Faculty of
Science, Azhar University, Nasr City, 11884, Cairo, Egypt.
[email protected]
Abdulfattah Suliman Mashat Faculty of Computing and Information Technology King Abdulaziz University, Jaddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
[email protected]
Abstract Today, cloud computing becomes one of the significant solution in information system in both academia and industry. Web-Services in King Abdulaziz University are still evolving and adding new systems such as Student Information System, students’ database layers, Students Learning management system, Admin applications, multiple servers, storages devices for servers, servers for holding the application data. Therefore, we must overcome many challenges to fix the interoperability and portability of its structures. In this paper, we discuss how to deal with cloud interoperability and portability semantically. One of the greatest KAU worries is in the development of infrastructure of the Data base center to meet the growing demand from students/staff members on electronic services. We proposed an integrated platform called KAU-Accreditation Management System to work as Web-service that allow staff and students to access all services with flexibility and portability. Keywords: Cloud Computing, Semantic Web-Services, interoperability and portability
1. Introduction The KAU servers handle only certain traffic rate based on a certain amount of processing for each of the student/staff requests, of which there may be thousands in rush hours for a single sign-on page which is sent to the user. Therefore, if the portal sign on Webpage traffic rate explodes suddenly because a lots of users hit the webpage all at once, subsequently the Webpage will run into problems. Hence, the most suitable hosting option for you is cloud hosting because the overwhelming users will never run on the server itself, rather the cloud itself will generate another cloud to host the webpage. The proposed platform for KAU Semantic eUniversity solution is a fully-integrated collection of Web-Services which distributes administrative, academic and self-service delivery. The platform are based on international
247
[email protected]
Pensee Journal
Vol 76, No. 11;Nov 2014
Accreditation standards for an open educational institutions architecture. The platform is built based on the cloud computing.
Cloud computing is an appearing new computing approach for delivering application facilities.
It as
the NIST definition [Kundra, 2011, Miller2009, Reese 2009]; is a way to provide suitable grid to use in distance several computing services such as networks, servers, storage, and applications.
This platform passes an original
level of competence to provide accessibility, suppleness, and openness of educational services such as collaborative learning methods of instruction [Mariya, 2011], [Sultan 2010], [Pocatilu, 2009], [Thorsteinsson, 2010]. The accreditation proposed platform consists of Web-Services that delivers services for staff and students such as Student Information System, students’ database layers, Students Learning management system, Admin applications, multiple servers, and storages devices for servers, servers for holding the application data. Students and instructors at King Abdulazize University (KAU), Saudi Arabia, use many of online Web based applications for conducting their courses, see their grads, and see their analyzing data and results.
KAU has eight
different campuses which are able to provide services to the students as clients located all over the region of Saudi Arabia.
Many branches of KAU do not have the infrastructure needed to run top computing services, such as,
students application software’s, business logic layer, Student Information System, students’ database layers, Students Learning management system, Admin applications, multiple servers, storages devices for servers, servers for holding the application data, and networking interconnection among them. This is why cloud computing model could be the biggest players in the field of computing services for these branches. Accordingly, this paper presents a cloud computing architecture called KAU-Accreditation Management System (KAUAMS) to help in providing such services to the different other campuses.
KAUAMS is using virtual machine
technologies [Markatchev, 2009]. The proposed platform of KAUAMS contains three models. The first model is KAU Software-as a Service (KAU-SaaS). KAU-SAAS is to deliver e-services for students, university staff, and administration’s staff.
The second model is Cloud Platform as a Service (PaaS) [Dong, 2010]. In this model
students/instructors can use KAU’s infrastructure and programming tools to produce their own applications.
The
third model is cloud Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) [Dong, 2010] by which other KAU campuses can use KAU’s other central computing resources for all other services.
Using the above features, KAUAMS can provide students
/staff members with the facility to use viruses of applications from any location and at any time using numerous electronic devices such as PC, laptop, tablet, and Smartphone. The paper is structured as follows: section II presents related work and other similar research results while section III will describe the platform of KAUAMS. Section IV will provide a detailed description of the KAUAMS application architecture and section V will draw a few conclusions.
2. Cloud Computing This section sheds lights on three service models Cloud Software as a Service (SaaS), Cloud Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Cloud Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).
248
[email protected]
Pensee Journal
Vol 76, No. 11;Nov 2014
As follows, we list some cloud application in e-learning which is currently being explored in developing economies. The learning content management [Mehta, 2010] has enormous amounts of content like audio, video and document. These files are large in numbers and in size as well. The appropriate distribution of these files is to use SaaS.
For
example, Elastic-R portal [Chine, 2010] provides staff members and students for working and managing cloud platform commonly used statistical and mathematical environments such as R project. Google cloud computing is used as an e-learning collaborative platform [Ma, 2010] to help student for communicating and sharing idea in solving assignment. Yang [Yang, 2010] presented a cloud e-education services environment and discussed interoperability among Cloud.
It is important to note that Web 2.0 [Oreilly, 2009] is a SaaS application as its data are hosted on the
servers, and the end users are allowed to use the Web. Google’s Gmail service which sends an email client to your Web browser from the cloud is one application of SaaS.
Moreover, Amazon [Amazon, 2009] provides an engine for
developers who can control its data using their needed procedures. PaaS is to give a capability to the user to establish an application on the cloud infrastructure using the programming supported by the supplier [NIST, 2011].
IaaS offers an ability to the user to purvey packing to organize uninformed
application which contains operating systems [NIST, 2011]. There are different models for cloud computing. Each type has its definite features that provision the requirements of the users in specific methods [NIST, 2011].
In private cloud, a third party has been given the power to manage and
control it, however, the cloud infrastructure is built in somewhere.
Community Cloud Computing is close to the
KAUAMS framework. It combines some of gird computing along with the Cloud. organizations that have the same mission, and policy.
It offers a grate solution for
In Public cloud, a service provider allows cloud infrastructure
for public on a commercial basis with precise slight profitable expense.
Hybrid cloud consist of two or more clouds
and has the capability to let data and/or applications to be transferred among different clouds [Kundra, 2011]. 3. KAU-Accreditation Management System
KAU-Accreditation Management System (KAUAMS), as shown in Figure 1, is a set of integrated applications along with virtual database systems adopted to permit staff inside and outside KAU University achieve their administrative and educational responsibilities in a greatly effective and controlled way. As shown in Figure 1, the framework of the KAUAMS is built based on the Community Cloud Computing deployment model. The KAUAMS provides:
enhancement of services provided for staff and students, improvement transactions
with administrative and academic staff, enrichment the flexibility of data base and its relationships among staff and students, and increasing the management of the students and staff on the administrative procedures. Moreover, KAU can decrease their providing adequate financial return in relation to its computing capabilities.
Using scalability and flexibility of the cloud computing, KAUAMS can add additional properties at rush hour for meeting clients’ needs.
During disaster, KAUAMS can help in using one of the several different
locations to recapture it.
Mobile Accessible Students can use their mobile to access their portfolios. This platform will manage the stream of information among KAU’s 9 campuses over Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Jeddah Campus, Solimania Campus, Education Campus, Sharafia Campus, Rabigh Campus, Kamal Campus, Nourtthish Jeddah,
249
[email protected]
Pensee Journal
Vol 76, No. 11;Nov 2014
Western Campus, Faislia Campus. This architecture concerns in mission-critical applications that will be deployed. KAUAMS could have a diversity of features [Dialogic, 2010].
Using standards-based APIs, KAUAMS will permit for the expansion and contraction
of service capability, as needed and to give accessing to students through the internet using smartphone, laptop, tablet, and PC.
Figure 1: KAU-Accreditation Management System
KAUAMS Layers Figure 1, shows the three layer of KAUAMS platform. The first layer is KAUSaaS user interface.
KAUSaaS
provides students with the ability to use the software provided from the owner as a browser user interface. Based on KAUSaaS definition, the platform includes some examples such as Google Docs, Banner Student Information System, Learning Management System, Virtual Class Room, and Content Management system.
250
[email protected]
Pensee Journal
Vol 76, No. 11;Nov 2014
The second layer or KAUIaaS is tools of delivering basic computing. It holds data center servers, networks, and operating system. It includes database for administrative services, survey, accreditation, ODOU+, and courses learning outcomes. The second layer (KAUPaaS) expresses the most important facts about a development environment and shows the services wrapped. One of the abstractions delivered in KAUPaas is Google App Engine [Google, 2009] providing a suitable environment for offering email, e-learning collaboration to students and instructors. Thus programs are run over data centers at KAU. Student and Faculty profile with Google APIs’ KauSaaS has merged a lot of Google APIs’ such as Datastore API, Blobstore API, Email API, XMPP API, Channel API, Image Manipulation API, Memcache API, Users API, Files API, URL Fetch API, and Prospective Search API [Google, 2012].
The layer will include Student E-services such as Student and Academic Staff on Demand
University Services (ODUS+).
Academic University Staff Services such as Anjez system which show salaries,
vacation, Track Your Submission Status, and other services. Student for
the
students
forms at
the
of
learning
beginning
sought. of
the
Also,
the
assessment
assessment processes
mechanisms
are
clearly
are
appropriate
communicated
to
courses. The planned range of domains of student learning outcomes is
clearly addressed in program and course specification.
Before the students’ registration, they are offered academic
guidance books and leaflets by the Deanship of Admission and Registration in KAU to be oriented to the programs and courses. Student and Academic Staff on Demand University Services KAU has employed an Online Demand University System (ODUS).
ODUS is one type of SaaS application and it is
a Web-based application. Staff at Deanship of Admission uses the ODUS application to browse, practice candidate and scholar data. It is available for all students to register, drop, add, and monitor their progress. Recently the University has completed a switch to ODUS+ which is based on Banner, a sophisticated information management system. Banner is used by hundreds of universities in the US and around the world. The system facilitates academic matters and communication between academic staff and students.
KAU has also employed the use of an advanced
electronic education system called Blackboard.
is
providing
integrated online
content,
learning
Blackboard and
an
communications
e-learning tools.
management
system
The system which has Arabic
and English language support can be used in the distance learning and traditional settings. The system enhances selflearning, an essential skill in the current global work setting.
ODUS+ help students to view their admissions
submission status, register courses, and apply for financial aid awards.
Development, maintenance and
administration of ODUS+ are the responsibility of the information system technical team within Deanship of Information Technology.
The Technicians at The Deanship of Information Technology operates of ODUS+ and has
authorization to access requests.
ODUS+ can help the university for student records, course registration, course
schedule and, human resources. KAU-Blackboard for ELearning Environment
251
[email protected]
Pensee Journal
Vol 76, No. 11;Nov 2014
The Technicians at the Deanship of e-learning and Distance Education at KAUAMS manage e-learning environment which contains three type of learning systems: Learning Management system (LMS), Learning Content Management Systems (LCMS), and Virtual Class Room (VCR). LMS is a SaaS application which is a Web-based system which manage an organization’s learning activities and competencies for browsing classroom, assailment, tests, training course, and online events [Ellis, 2009]. LMS is accessible from various student devices through a thin user interface such as a Web browser. It is integrated with other enterprise application solutions such as ODUS+, Google APIs’, and Digital Library Management Systems. LCMS helps authors, instructional designers, and subject matter experts, instructors and students for reusing course contents based on the curriculum [Devedzic, 2003].
Virtual Class Room (VCR) at KAUAMS is a tool by which
instructors and students can create a real-time voice interaction, and whiteboard sharing. This provides students an opportunity to interact with the instructors as well as classmates by oral and written communication. Digital Library Management Systems Digital Library Management Systems (DLMS) in KAU is an electronic library in which collections are stored in digital formats and accessible by student via their laptops and PC.
The digital content may be stored locally at KAUIaaS,
or accessed remotely from any public cloud computing such as Amazon Cloud computing [Davies, 2009]. KAUAMS is a way to integrate the digital libraries and their contents into e-learning environment.
The semantic content from
the DLMS along with the LCMS in KAUAMS are used to update and improve the curriculum. 4. Semantic High Traffic Solution For integration of all Web services, University has moved to single sign-on feature which authenticate users in KAUAMS systems and subsequently tell the Web service that the user has been authenticated. The students/staffs
are formerly permitted to entrance the Web service without being prompted to go into independent login credentials. Accordingly, the number of students and staff in KAU campus are around 150000 users at the rush hour. To overcome the bandwidth needed to serve this huge traffic to KAU website is cloud hosting. Suppose that Web servers receives 100,000 hits in a rush hour. The rush hours at KAU is from 10:00 AM till 12:00 PM, therefore, the total is 2 hours. For the purpose of this computation, let the average 100,000 hits in two hours equal to 13.9 hits/sec. Suppose also that the average hit bring into existence 200KB of transferred data; Video, Audio, HTML, flash, animation, images, downloaded files, etc. This means that KAU portal is transferring 200KB of data every second (200KB/hit * 13.9 hits/s). Accordingly, the whole equals about 2.7Mb/s of maintained the amount passing through a system from input to output at length without interruption.
This
section addresses how to handle load like this and how to keep it cost effective for KAU. The best setting to deal with such scenarios is to use a cloud interoperability to generate virtual machine in a cloud which will expand itself to house an unforeseen visitor traffic. 5. Conclusion
252
[email protected]
Pensee Journal
Vol 76, No. 11;Nov 2014
In this paper we introduced the KAUAMS Cloud interoperability computing which provides students/instructors with academic university services. The presented KAUAMS environment can significantly improve administration and educational services. Through KAUAMS, Students in other KAU campuses outside the main campus can get access to academic Web services anywhere and at any time.
The best setting to overcome the above scenarios is a Cloud
hosting since the hosting of the sign-on Webpage is not hosted in a single machine rather it is hosed on virtual machine in a cloud which will expand itself to house an unexpected spike in the Webpage visitor traffic. This main advantages is to decrease technical aspects that technicians need to follow up the status of Webpages in the portals. Acknowledgements This work was funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research (DSR), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, under grant No. (1-214-D1432). The authors, therefore, acknowledge with thanks DSR technical and financial support. References Mariya, S. Cloud computing – an advanced e-learning platform of school education?. 14th International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Learning (ICL2011). the 11th International Conference Virtual University (vu'11), 2011, pp.569-570 N. Sultan, “Cloud Computing for Education: A New Dawn?”, International Journal of Information Management, n.30, pp. 109–116., 2010. Dong, X.: ‘Cloud Computing: An emerging technology’, ‘Book Cloud Computing: An emerging technology’m (2010, edn.), pp. V1-100-V101-104. Markatchev N , Curry R. , Kiddle C., (2009) "A Cloud-based Interactive Application Service", 2009 Fifth IEEE International Conference on e-Science. Kundra , V., (2011) Federal Cloud Computing Strategy. National Institute of Standards and Technology., http://www.cio.gov/documents/Federal-Cloud-COmputing-Strategy.pdf, last accessed Dec.2011. Farber, R. (2009) Cloud Computing: Pie in the Sky? ScientificComputing.com, November/December 2009. Davies, K. Amylin, Amazon, and the Cloud. BioIT World, November/December 2009, pp. 35, 42 Miller M. , Cloud Computing: Web-Based Applications That Change the Way You Work and Collaborate Online, QUE Publisher (2008) Reese G., Cloud Application Architectures: Building Applications and Infrastructure in the Cloud, O’Reilly Publisher (2009) Oreilly, T., “What is Web 2.0: Design patterns and business models for the next generation of software,” O’Reilly Media, Tech. Rep., 2008. G. O. Young, “Synthetic structure of industrial plastics (Book style with paper title and editor),” ed. vol. 3, J. Peters, Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1964, pp. 15–64.
in Plastics, 2nd
Amazon, “Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2),” Amazon Web Services LLC, Tech. Rep., 2009. [Online]. Available: http://aws.amazon.com/ec2/ NIST, (2011) DRAFT Cloud Computing Synopsis and Recommendations, Computer Security Division, Information Technology Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8930, NIST Special Publication 800-146. Turner, M., Budgen 2003.
D., and Brereton , P., “Turning software into a service,” Computer, vol. 36, no. 10, pp. 38–44,
Mehta H. K., Chandwani M., Kanungo P. (2010), Towards development of a distributed e-learning EcoSystem IEEE2010 International Conference on Technology for Education, T4E 2010 (July 2010), pp. 68-71.
253
[email protected]
Pensee Journal
Vol 76, No. 11;Nov 2014
Chine K., Learning Math and Statistics on the Cloud,Towards an EC2-based Google Docs-like portal for teaching/learning collaboratively with R and Scilab,IEEE 10th International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (ICALT), 2010. Ma H., Zheng Z., Ye F.,Tong S., (2010) The Applied Research of Cloud Computing in the Construction of Collaborative Learning Platform under E-learning Environment, IEEE 2010 International Conference on System Science, Engineering Design and Manufacturing Informatization, 2010. Yang, Z., (2010) Study on an Interoperable Cloud framework for e-Education, IEEE- 2010 International Conference on E-Business and E-Government (ICEE). Pocatilu, P., Alecu, F. & Vetrici, M., (2009). “Using Cloud Computing for E-Learning Systems,” Recent Advances on Data Networks, Communications, Computers, ISBN: 978-960-474-134-2, [Online], [Retrieved October 5, 2010], http://www.wseas.us/elibrary/conferences/ 2009/baltimore/DNCOCO/DNCOCO-06.pdf. Thorsteinsson, G., Page, T. & Niculescu, A. (2010). “Using Virtual Reality for Developing Design Communication,” Studies in Informatics and Control, 19 (1), 93-106. Google, (2012) “Google App Engine: Run your web apps on Google’s infrastructure.” Google, Tech. Rep., 2012. [Online]. Available: http://code.google.com/appengine/ Ellis, Ryann K. (2009), Field Guide to Learning Management Systems, ASTD Learning Circuits. Dialogic, (2010) Introduction to Cloud Computing. Montreal, Quebec, Canada. [Online]. Available: http://www.dialogic.com/Solutions/Cloud-Communications/Build/~/media/products/docs/whitepapers/12023-cloudcomputing-wp.pdf Devedzic ,V. B., (2003 )Key Issues in Next Generation Web Based Education, IEEE Trans. Ystem Man Cybernetic: Part C, Vol. 33, pp. 339 (2003).
254
[email protected]
