National Center for Supercomputing Applications NCSA OPIE Presentation November 2000

National Center for Supercomputing Applications

NCSA OPIE Presentation

November 2000



What is OPIE

• The Open Portal Interface Environment is a system to combine data on the web presentation layer.– Up to 9 freely movable windows with separate

web resources can be added to a page– Applications built in the system can affect all

other nodes available on the screen– XML back-end user files can help support

multiple interfaces and information expansion– Multiple view desktops can be created for group

use or themed purposes


Current Status

• Demo mode accepts all web accessible applications, and keeps client and server security intact

• Demo applications of more complex types are being built and added to the system

• Tests of server functionality and security are being made

• XML files are stored for all users and applications being added to the system

• Demo URL: http://portal.ncsa.uiuc.edu/



Customization

• New Customization page is in place to make OPIE easier for users and administrators

• XML file stores available icons and applications

• Drag and Drop functionality is easier to use and customize

• Application properties can be set with a new properties box function

• All 5 current views can be adjusted with a single customization page

• Custom application addition makes it easier for users to add applications


Complete Custom Look

• OPIE has a system built to support a complete custom page build for any server and for user specific selections.

• All graphics can be changed, and the easy system allows for multiple look and feel additions.

• XML based page building building system can be adjusted for quick creation of new page designs


Architecture

Existing OPIE toClient interface

Event Serviceand Broker

ExternalData

Resource

LocalData

Resource

XML/JINIconnection

XMLconversion

Direct Data with Eventsor Data conversion via XML


Client Side Architecture

• The primary elements of OPIE are, of course, the Web client and the Web server, but OPIE extends both of these elements to create a unique system. Four sets of tools extend the client-side Web browser:– Windowing tools, which allow users to resize, move,

maximize, and minimize the multiple resources that are open in the users' OPIE environments

– Customization tools, which allow users to add their own applications to the system and set up multiple views within a single system.

– Application interface tools, which allow applications to query and monitor the status of other applications within the system.

– Dynamic element tools, which allow users to choose icons and names for different parts of their OPIE environment.


Server Architecture

• On the server side, OPIE has elements that support each of these client-side additions:– The window save engine stores location and state

information when users leave a given view or log out.– The customization engine stores XML files for users and

allows users to edit those files from the client Web browsers GUI customization tool.

– The application engine serves as both an event systems coordinator and a service directory. The event systems coordinator allows applications to work in concert and allows back-end services to start up or spawn as events occur within a given application. The service directory holds information on available applications for the users' OPIE environments.

– The server engine is a Java servlet that dynamically generates pages and graphics.


Server Install

• Server install instructions for the demo version will be available at the end of this week.

• OPIE will work with any server environment that has support for:– PERL 5.0 w/ CGI libs– Java 1.2 servlets– HTML 4.0

• Current environments at NCSA include NT 4.0 IIS and Redhat Linux 6.2 with Apache

• Clients are required to be IE 5.0+ and NS 6+ or Mozilla


Graphical User Interface Extensions

• OPIE has been extended to include the following windowing functions:– Cascade, Tile, Tile to Fit, Resize to Fit

• OPIE has also extended the GUI to allow instant addition of applications to views

• The current dynamic graphics systems will be extended to support multiple graphic looks from within a single OPIE server

• Overlap of applications will be changing to allow better viewing of windows that overlap


OPIE user security

• In the next months OPIE will be expanding its security structure to allow:– Incorporation of myProxy server and client

interaction– Group creation to affect available tools, window

functions, and group based view systems– Role creation to allow adjustment of functions for

groups and interaction of multiple levels of ability within OPIE

– Password protected OPIE login using Kerberos or NT domain login


Graphical User Interface Extensions

• The Toolbar at the top of the page is going to become more dynamic allowing for view naming and icon addition and subtraction

• The Toolbar at the top will also be including a menu system that will allow for more complex application connection to the interface

• The Toolbar menu will also have settings to allow the locking and unlocking of scrolling and location of nodes within a view.


API Extensions

• Application interfaces are being built to help OPIE support new additions of information

• This will include:– Applications being able to add other nodes to a

view– Applications checking for updated information

from server sources– Applications being aware of other windows in the

environment– Applications able to check active nodes and react

or make new nodes active


API Extensions

• Applications will also be able to change the setting on the page including:– Toolbar Menu items– Locked application nodes

• Examples of this include the searcher and browser nodes that are available in demo mode on the OPIE server

• Also a WML parser and translator for wireless interaction will be provided for the user XML files and connection to WWW resources from internet appliances


Event Service

• Event service will be run with a JINI based directory system– This will allow discovery of resources on the

network– Event services for OPIE applications that link to

legacy network resources– Collaboration elements running in real time– Connection to Microsoft services like NetMeeting– Events will be web accessible making them

available to OPIE users and any application that can query a web service.


XML Transaction

• Creation of an XML based transaction services.– To Allow conversation between disparate data

resources– To Allow conversion between different XML DTD

and Data Types– Allow monitoring of interactions between users and

data sources– This will support B-to-B direct data interaction from

SQL to SQL using a Java and XML based system


Database Services

• OPIE’s event and transaction service will work with standard data sources including:– Lotus Notes DB– SQL databases including Oracle and Sybase– MS SQL and Access– Web-based data sources available from external

sources

• These data connection systems will be built in as default systems, but OPIE can be extended to incorporate newer or different systems.


Timeline• Now

– Current Install available with limited instruction• November

– Administration tool set including user admin and application adjustment

• January– API extension to allow application addition

• March– Final install and event service and documentation

available• Summer 2001

– Connections to other NCSA software resources including D2K clickstream technologies, NCSA Emerge disparate data technologies, and CS dept wireless activities.

Documents

National Center for Supercomputing Applications NCSA OPIE Presentation November 2000