Universities are intelligent, why aren’t their business processes? UC Computing Services...

Universities are intelligent, why aren’t their business processes?

UC Computing Services ConferenceAugust 3, 2004

Rick NornholmKen Wolfrom

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Agenda

• Ken’s presentation– Singularity (STorage And Record Retrieval System) Optical

Imaging Project

– Workflows implemented– Results of our Optical Imaging Operation

• Rick’s presentation– Expanding our Architecture– Finding the “Perfect Intelligent Client”– What we’ve done and where we’re going

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STARRS Objectives

• Transition from paper to electronic documents.• Eliminate the need to match paper documents.• Eliminate the need for filing cabinets, in/out boxes, etc.• Substantial decrease in manual data entry to SIS Plus and

realize increased accuracy of information.• Increase consistency and efficiency in evaluation by

automating processes.• Provide real-time information using Singularity Site • 80% of documents can be automated to scan, extract data and

upload to STARRS Singularity and update SIS Plus records with minimal effort

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Overall

• UC Riverside Optical Imaging Archive Records – Financial Aid, Registrar and Admissions Departments– Over 314,000 Archived documents (1/2 million indexed images)– 121 OCR for Forms Active Templates for Data Extraction – 154 Different types of Document (Document Classes)

• STARRS uses a Parent-Child relations ship within the document class. The highest level provides master indexes for all child classes.

• 4 Workflows currently in production for Admissions include sending updates to SIS+Plus

• Pre-SIS URIS transcripts (1950’s – 1970’s) conversion to electronic documents will provide Registrar ability to access older transcript immediately and print to copy safe paper.

• MACs must be OS X and use Safari browser.

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Singularity Data Flows

Data ProcesserMainframeUploads

FTP to SIS Plus(Starrs FAProcessor)

WORKFLOWCONTROL MODULE

MSSQL ARCHIVE

DATA INDEXER(Starrs Index

Module)

DATAPROCESSOR(STARRS FAPROCESS)

MSSQL LookupsSIS Data Tables

Singularity (STARRS)Web Site Interface

Apache TomcatJava

Scan Station SystemScan and OCR data from

Paper Form

USER ACCESS VIA WEB BROWSER

Intelligent ClientXML Data to Image

XMLGENERATOR

WORKFLOWDYNAMIC

PAGESTRUCTURE

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MSSQL ARCHIVE


Module)



Singulatrity (STARRS)Web Site Interface

Apache TomcatJava


Paper Form



XMLGENERATOR

WORKFLOWDYNAMIC

PAGESTRUCTURE


SQL Tables store basic student identifiers (SID, Name, DOB, etc) and is linked to the Scan & Verify Stations ODBC connections.

This allows the Scan and Verifiers to do lookups against any of the data.

A single lookup can then populate the necessary Indexing fields automatically.

This speeds up the OCR extraction by allowing us to focus on one or two elements to verify against data already in SIS.

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MSSQL ARCHIVE


Module)



Singulatrity (STARRS)Web Site Interface

Apache TomcatJava


Paper Form



XMLGENERATOR

WORKFLOWDYNAMIC

PAGESTRUCTURE


Two Custom Modules exist on the verification stations.

The STARRS Index Module allows verifier to Index and Link Images that have no extraction template. This module allows for flexibility to handle paper forms and images that do not lend themselves to OCR extractions

The Data Processor allows a batch processing of the forms extracted with the OCR templates. The module also formats the records for upload to SIS Plus.

The DP provides additional error checking prior to submission to the Archive. Errors can be corrected within this module

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MSSQL ARCHIVE


Module)




Apache TomcatJava


Paper Form



XMLGENERATOR

WORKFLOWDYNAMIC

PAGESTRUCTURE


XML Generator Passes the Images and Records to permanent archive storage. Global UIDS are assigned at this time and the Images and data are linked within the SQL tables for retrieval by the Web Site Interface. Images are stored outside of the SQL database in directory structure

Workflow module is customizable using both an embedded GUI and Java scripting. The module allows for notices and hyperlinks to student information and images assigned to a group of counselors or a specific counselor.

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MSSQL ARCHIVE


Module)




Apache TomcatJava


Paper Form



XMLGENERATOR

WORKFLOWDYNAMIC

PAGESTRUCTURE


STARRS Archive uses MS SQL 2000 to stored index data. Images are linked to the record sets within the SQL.

Access to the Singularity Archive is via a standard browser interface. Normal security of Userid and Password along with the Userid assigned access levels within the site itself.

Workflow Page structure is within the Web Site Interface and dynamically creates the counselor pages. Each user is displayed data unique for that user based on the paths determined by the workflow module

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MSSQL ARCHIVE


Module)




Apache TomcatJava


Paper Form



XMLGENERATOR

WORKFLOWDYNAMIC

PAGESTRUCTURE


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Singularity Software

• Vendor supplied software– Hershey Business proprietary software based on Java and

Apache software – AnyDoc OCR for Forms Scan and Extraction Software

• Customization interfaces for the Workflow structure– Java script language functions– GUI built into software to allow custom expressions in flows– Allows external JS to be run as part of expressions – Data to Image for XML and Intelligent Client Use

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Screen Shot Document Classes

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Screen Shot Search

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Screen Shot Image

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Workflow: Application for UGA

Application data (UCAP file) received via

upload from SIS to STARRs

Application PDF (we convert to TIF) Image

received from the Central Processor. (Freebird by BCL)

Notify Admission Counselor of “Pending” or “Deferred” applications.

No Match on CPID: Application goes to holding

area for reprocessing weekly until match is found.

Application with no errors: Proceed

Match on CPID: Proceed

Applications with Errors and/or Special Groups: Appear in workflow with the error from the System Admit Programming.

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Application Image in STARRS

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Statement of Intent to Register (SIR)Typically 8,000 Positive and negative SIRS for a Fall Application Period.Prior to STARRS, data was manually entered into SIS screens.

Since incorporation of STARRS, Data is extracted from form and uploaded via ftp to SIS plus daily

Able to process up to 300 SIR an hour

High School Transcripts (HSTR) Primary issue is to notify SIS that the HSTR was received and to allow Counselors access. Using the SQL tables, we can populate 13 index fields with a single look up and load that data to STARRS and SIS and the matching image to the archive. Even though there is no SSN or UC SID on HS Transcript

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Objectives Realized in First Year

• Partial transition from paper to electronic documents

• Partial elimination of the need to match paper documents

• Eliminated the need for archive filing cabinets

• Eliminated manual data entry for the SIR, Forms, and HS transcripts and realized increased efficiency and accuracy of this information

• Reduced paper “handling” for SIRs, HS transcripts, 60% of applications and 23 other general forms for Admissions and Financial Aid

• Reduced the need for redundant processes

• Increased consistency and efficiency in evaluation

• Provided real-time information and responsiveness to students, faculty, staff, etc.

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Online DEMO of Imaging Archive

STARRS DEMOSTARRS DEMO

http://starrsuweb.ucr.edu:8088/

http://starrsuweb.ucr.edu:8088/

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Optical Imaging Scanner

Images &Metadata

`

PaperDocument

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Optical Imaging XML File

Images &Metadata

XMLTranslatorXML

Document

XMLDocumentFromUCOP

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Optical Imaging Web Server

`

Images &Metadata

XMLTranslator

HTTP

BrowserClient

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Optical Imaging Web Service

`

Images &Metadata

XMLTranslator

SOAP

IntelligentClient

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Desired Architecture

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Our Perfect Client

• Check data values while the user is typing them in.

• Indicate that certain fields are required, and that the form cannot be submitted without them.

• Submit forms data as XML / Web services by using SOAP and XML RPC.

• Save and restore values to and from a file.

• Print a form or report.

• Get the initial data for a form from an external source.

• Perform logic on any and all data elements.

• Use commonly understood user interface objects: drop-down box, check box, etc.

• Be almost free and available on all (most) platforms

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Adobe “Free” Clients

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Our First “Production”

Intelligent Client

Demo

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Using Flash MX Pro 2004

• Easy to use form-based development environment

• Delivers rich user experiences

• Advanced component objects such as data grid, calendar, menu, tabbed pane, etc.

• Uses ActionScript (ECMAScript)

• Data Connectors: SOAP, XML. Relational databases, etc.

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Free Flash Clients

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W3C – XForms 1.0

• XForms is an XML W3C standard that represents the next generation of forms for the Web

• XForms separates presentation from content, allows reuse, gives strong typing

• XForms reduces the number of round-trips to the server, as well as, offers device independence and reduces need for scripting

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XForms lets you…

• Check data values while the user is typing them in. • Indicate that certain fields are required, and that the form cannot be

submitted without them. • Submit forms data as XML. • Integrate with Web services, for instance by using SOAP and XML

RPC. • Submit the same form to different servers (for instance a search string

to different search engines). • Save and restore values to and from a file. • Use the result of a submit as input to a further form. • Get the initial data for a form from an external document. • Calculate submitted values from other values. • Constrain values in certain ways, such as requiring them to be in a

certain range. • Build 'shopping basket' and 'wizard' style forms without needing to

resort to scripting.

= Requests of our “Perfect Client”

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www.w3.org/MarkUp/Forms

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Java Web Start

DemoWebStart

http://java.sun.com/products/javawebstart/apps/notepad.jnlp

http://java.sun.com/products/javawebstart/demos.html

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Technical Infrastructure

FTP

Network Attached Storage

Switch

Backup Server Tape System

Fir

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ion

DM

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out

wa

rd)

VL

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LAN

DM

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VL

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TIR

VLA

N

Dat

abas

e V

LAN

Switch

Data Base Cluster

Application Server

SMTP List Server

Firewall,IPsec 3DES `

TIR Staff

Network Load Balancing Web Servers

RouterCampusNetwork

Firewall

DMZ Outward VLAN

DMZ Inward VLAN

Universities are intelligent, why aren’t their business processes? UC Computing Services...

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