Implementing Open Implementing Open Source uPortal at Source uPortal at The University of The University of

GeorgiaGeorgiaByBy

Sriman RaviSriman RaviProject Manager Student Portal, Project Manager Student Portal,

UGAUGASun Certified Enterprise Sun Certified Enterprise

Architect, PMPArchitect, PMP

UGA CIO IT Vision UGA CIO IT Vision VisionVision

The vision is to return the University The vision is to return the University of Georgia to the role of state and of Georgia to the role of state and national leader in information national leader in information technology, and to be recognized as technology, and to be recognized as the the first source of knowledge and first source of knowledge and expertise in the area of Information expertise in the area of Information TechnologyTechnology standards, standards, best best practicespractices, applications, etc., applications, etc.

-for more info…Please visit www.eits.uga.edu

CIO/EITS CIO/EITS Compact Planning Model Compact Planning Model

Compact Planning :Compact Planning : A collegial, participatory planning A collegial, participatory planning process for Information Technology at the University of process for Information Technology at the University of GeorgiaGeorgia

-for more info…Please visit www.eits.uga.edu

First Round Compact First Round Compact PlanningPlanning

Met with over 400 faculty, staff, and Met with over 400 faculty, staff, and students in a series of 100 meetingsstudents in a series of 100 meetings– Received requests for 292 distinct new Received requests for 292 distinct new

services and service enhancementsservices and service enhancements– Many incorporated into the 43 Initiatives Many incorporated into the 43 Initiatives

in the current 5 year Compact Planin the current 5 year Compact Plan

-for more info…Please visit www.eits.uga.edu

New Portal InitiativeNew Portal Initiative

Feedback Analysis: Feedback Analysis: Portal was the most heavily used applicationPortal was the most heavily used application Students used it several times per dayStudents used it several times per day Students like the convenience of having access Students like the convenience of having access

to various resources from once place (SSO)to various resources from once place (SSO) Students requested for more services to be Students requested for more services to be

added.added. Portal is slow in responding to user request.Portal is slow in responding to user request.

Portal Advisory Board (PAB)Portal Advisory Board (PAB)

The CIO/EITS charged UGA Portal The CIO/EITS charged UGA Portal Advisory Committee under the Advisory Committee under the leadership of Associate CIO to leadership of Associate CIO to develop and maintain a best of the develop and maintain a best of the breed student portal which would breed student portal which would provide the current functionality with provide the current functionality with additional features as requested by additional features as requested by the Students.the Students.

Existing Portal : MyUGAExisting Portal : MyUGA

MyUGA is an implementation of MyUGA is an implementation of Novell Portal Services (NPS) which Novell Portal Services (NPS) which was later named as Novell exteNd was later named as Novell exteNd Director. Director. – Based on a Sun J2EE ArchitectureBased on a Sun J2EE Architecture– Deployed to a Java Application server Deployed to a Java Application server

(Tomcat)(Tomcat)– Supports Servlet specification. Supports Servlet specification.

New Portal ArchitectureNew Portal Architecture

Non-functional requirements orNon-functional requirements or QoS level QoS level requirements considered for the New Portal requirements considered for the New Portal Implementation:Implementation:

PerformancePerformance ScalabilityScalability AvailabilityAvailability Reliability Reliability MaintainabilityMaintainability ExtensibilityExtensibility ManageabilityManageability

New Portal ArchitectureNew Portal Architecture

NewNew Functional Requirements considered for the New Functional Requirements considered for the New Portal Implementation:Portal Implementation:

Single Sign OnSingle Sign On Channel layout and content managementChannel layout and content management Application Integration / ManagementApplication Integration / Management Customization and PersonalizationCustomization and Personalization Independent from any specific enterprise Independent from any specific enterprise software or student data systemssoftware or student data systems Tab managementTab management

Portal Software Selection: Portal Software Selection: uPortal uPortal

PAB decided that uPortal would be the best PAB decided that uPortal would be the best choice because : choice because : Open Source Authentication User Attribute Collection Groups & Layouts Themes and Skins Channels and Portlets

-for more info…Please visit www.uportal.org

Tiers/Environments being implemented Tiers/Environments being implemented for Portal projectfor Portal project

DevelopmentDevelopment Test/IntegrationTest/Integration StagingStaging ProductionProduction

Portal HardwarePortal Hardware

MyUGA

Old-Pord3 Old-Pord4

Student / Faculty / Staff

Firewall

User Desktop

MyUGA

N-Porod2 N-Pord3

Firewall

User Desktop

N-Prod4N-Pord1

Student / Faculty / Staff

Prod Database

N-Dev-MyUGA

N-Staging

Portal Admin/Developer

N-Staging

N-TestN-Test

N-Dev

Staging Database

Existing MyUGA

New MyUGA Setup

Production

Staging, Test and Dev

Project ManagementProject Management

Portal Project ObjectivePortal Project Objective Project BoundariesProject Boundaries Project Acceptance Criteria and Project Acceptance Criteria and

DeliverablesDeliverables Project CostProject Cost External Consulting ServicesExternal Consulting Services Project Timeline and Deployment Project Timeline and Deployment

Strategy (SDLC)Strategy (SDLC)

Portal Project TimelinePortal Project Timeline

Portal Status (Timeline)Portal Status (Timeline)

Existing vs New SetupExisting vs New Setup

Better Performance Better Performance Open SourceOpen Source Developer friendlyDeveloper friendly High ScalabilityHigh Scalability High AvailabilityHigh Availability High ReliabilityHigh Reliability MaintainableMaintainable Ajax Support and More impressive GUIAjax Support and More impressive GUI No vendor lock-inNo vendor lock-in More SecuredMore Secured Can be easily integrated with new services, portlets and Can be easily integrated with new services, portlets and

channels.channels.

and More…and More…

Future IntegrationFuture Integration

Integrate all the Student related Integrate all the Student related applications into the portal.applications into the portal.

Student FinancialsStudent Financials Student AccountingStudent Accounting Student RegistrationStudent Registration Student Course Mgmt Student Course Mgmt … … MoreMore

Provide content providers with a good Provide content providers with a good tool/application to render content.tool/application to render content.

Research external application Research external application integration.integration.

QuestionsQuestions

Email Email sriman@uga.edsriman@uga.ed

sriman.ravi@gmail.comsriman.ravi@gmail.com Ph: 706 542 5392Ph: 706 542 5392