Banner XE Update Lori Tafoya, IT Platforms Database Manager Stirling Crow, IT Applications Analyst/Programmer June 4, 2015.

Banner XE UpdateLori Tafoya, IT Platforms Database Manager

Stirling Crow, IT Applications Analyst/Programmer

June 4, 2015

• Banner XE Overview – What is it?• Banner XE Activities – Where are we?• Roadmaps – Where is the vendor?• Technology Updates• Developing Future Applications• What Does XE Mean for Banner Users?• Questions?

Agenda

• Ellucian defines XE as their eXtensible Ecosystem technology platform and architecture•Sungard/Ellucian began planning in 2010.•Banner 9 = Banner XE• UNM has been preparing for Banner XE since April 2013.

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Banner XE Overview

What that means to UNM students, faculty, staff• Extensibility – Extend applications without modifying

code or interrupting other systems• Configuration – Adapt solutions without the expense of

modifying code•Usability – Modern UI for all users — via mobile, portal,

or self-service interfaces•Openness – Compatibility across solutions using standards

and open architecture• Scalability – Both technically and operationally – leverage

the cloud as needed• Evolution – Add new applications modularly – minimize

disruption, training and risk4

Banner XE Overview

Banner XE Overview

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Participating Teams

• IT Applications• Student and Financial Aid Team• Business and Technology Services Team• Shared Components Team• Web Applications Team• Data And Reporting Team

• IT Platforms• IT Workstation Management• IT PSMO• Registrar• HRIT• HR

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Banner XE Activities

- What Has Been Done?- Database Extension Utility - DBEU- Proof of Concept (POC)- 64 Bit Application Servers in place- Developer Tools Assessment

- Where Are We Now- Closing POC- Current Banner XE Project - Banner Sandbox- Solutions Manager

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Banner XE Activities

• Requested Upgrades for Fall 2015 – Required Common DB Upgrade– Faculty Grades– Catalog– Schedule– Employee Profile– Position Descriptions– Forms Transformation for HR– Application Navigator– Solution Manager– Student API

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Ellucian Roadmaps

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Technology UpdatesArchitecture Review

• Overall Technology Architecture• Deployment Process• Early Technology Processes (2014)• Current Technology Processes (2015)

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Existing Banner 8.xArchitecture

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New Banner XE Architecture

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Technology UpdatesApplication Deployment Overview

• 20 years ago web applications had this type of architecture:

Physical Server

Html File

Html File

Html File

Html File

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Technology UpdatesDeployment Overview

• Modern-day web applications have this type of architecture:

Deployment Server

Physical Server

Database

Web Application(like Banner XE Faculty Grade Entry)

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• Ellucian developers create and test their application.• When they are done they bundle the application into

a “WAR” file.• This WAR file is deployed by the Application

Deployment Server.Banner XE App

Grai ls

Java

CSS

Etc…

WAR file

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Deployment Server

Physical Server

• IT Administrators can take this WAR file and save it to a directory to which the Deployment Server has access).

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• The deployment server reads from the WAR file and then deploys the application that is ready to start servicing requests.

Deployment Server

Physical Server

Web Application(like Banner XE Faculty Grade Entry)

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Microsoft Word Deployment Server

.doc or .docx file is a flat file. .war file is a flat file

.doc file contains your information and how to format it.

.war file contains information about how a web application runs and works

MS Word is used to open the .doc file.

A deployment server is used to deploy (open and run) the .war file.

Once MS Words has opened your file you can now work in it.

Once the deployment server has deployed the application from the .war the application is ready to service requests.

• The process is similar to opening a Word file:

Microsoft Word Deployment Server

.doc or .docx file is a flat file. .war file is a flat file

.doc file contains your information and how to format it.

.war file contains information about how a web application runs and works

MS Word is used to open the .doc file.

A deployment server is used to deploy (open and run) the .war file.

Once MS Words has opened your file you can now work in it.

Once the deployment server has deployed the application from the .war the application is ready to service requests.

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• The common deployment servers are probably:

Apache TomcatOracle WebLogic

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Technology UpdatesXE Processes and Technology – 2014

Upgrade Process- Faculty Grade Entry 9.2 - DB Upgrade Scripts

- Faculty Grade Entry 9.0- DB Upgrade Scripts

- Course Catalog 9.2 - DB Upgrade Scripts



- Class Schedule 9.2 - DB Upgrade Scripts



Banner 8 Dependencies: DBEU

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Technology Stack

SSB XE Apps(LoboWeb Self-Service)

Admin XE Apps(INB Forms)

Ex:• Faculty Grade Entry 9.2• Course Catalog 9.2• Class Schedule 9.2

Ex:• SPAIDEN form• SAADMS form• SCACRSE form

Built with:• GRAILS• HTML5• Javascript• CSS3

Built with:• GRAILS• ZK (Ajax framework)• HTML5• Javascript• CSS3

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Modifying XE ApplicationsTIER Description

TIER 1 - Customized Page Components

• Uses ZK for Admin Apps. • Simple mods to existing

fieldsTIER 2 - Adding fields to forms • Updating XML files.

• Uses Domain Extension Tool. Unavailable in 2015.

TIER 3 - Modifying/Adding fields or blocks to existing forms with programming

• MODIFY TABLES!• Requires Source Code• Update ZK code for Admin

apps.TIER 4 – Creating New “Forms” • Was told it did not exist

yet.

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Technology UpdatesXE Processes and Technology – 2014Documentation for XE Applications

95% Of Documentation Regarding XE Located In:• http://www.edu1world.org/

http://www.edu1world.org/CommonsTech/wiki/

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Goal Outcome

Deploy 64-bit WebLogic Server Success

Create temp BANS (Banner Sandbox) environment Success

Deploy Vanilla Faculty Grade Entry 9.0, 9.1, 9.2 in BANS Success

Deploy Vanilla Course Catalog 9.0, 9.1, 9.2 in BANS Success

Deploy Vanilla Class Schedule 9.0, 9.1, 9.2 in BANS Success

Modify Faculty Grade Entry 9.2 in BANS Unsuccessful

Discoveries

BANS needs to be a complete environment.

Source code modification process is not standardized within Ellucian.

Not ready to move XE applications into DEVL, INTG, and BANP.

Roadblocks due to module dependency issues.

Technology UpdatesProof of Concept Outcomes

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Faculty Grade Entry 9.2 works with: Faculty Grade Entry 9.2 DOES NOT work with:

• Student 8.6.6 and below • Student 8.7 and above

Student 8.7.2 works with: Student 8.7.2 DOES NOT work with:

• Faculty Grade Entry 9.3 Faculty Grade Entry 9.2 and below

Technology UpdatesDependency Challenges

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Technology UpdatesDependency Challenges

• Module Dependencies make planning difficult.

• Dependency checking is done via a compatibility matrix. • Difficult to track every dependency when you have multiple modules.• Solutions Manager should help:

– Sounds like magic and hopefully it will be.– Track Dependencies– Automate Banner Upgrades– Provision New Environments

Banner XE Module

Banner 8 Module

Other Banner 8 Modules

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Upgrade Process- Faculty Grade Entry 9.2 - DB Upgrade Scripts

- Faculty Grade Entry 9.0- DB Upgrade Scripts







Banner 8 Dependencies: DBEU

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Upgrade Process

Banner 8 Dependencies:

DBEU

“Common” Database UpgradeEx: “DB 9.1 Upgrade” Upgrade

Employee Profile 9.0 Student Advisor 9.1 Student API 9.1

Student 9.0 Student Registration 9.2

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Technology Stack

SSB XE Apps(LoboWeb Self-Service)

Admin XE Apps(INB Forms)

Ex:• Faculty Grade Entry 9.2• Course Catalog 9.2• Class Schedule 9.2

Ex:• SPAIDEN form• SAADMS form• SCACRSE form


Built with:• GRAILS• ZK (Ajax framework)• HTML5• Javascript• CSS3

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Technology StackSSB XE Apps

(LoboWeb Self-Service)Admin XE Apps

(INB Forms)“Transformed Pages”

XE RESTful APIs

Ex:• Faculty Grade Entry

9.3• Course Catalog 9.3• Class Schedule 9.3• Employee Profile 9.1

Ex:• Student XE Module:

• SPAIDEN form• SAADMS form• SCACRSE form

Ex:• Student API 9.1


Built with:• Java• Spring• HTML5• Javascript• CSS3

Built with:• GRAILS

NO ZK Framework!

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Modifying XE ApplicationsTIER Description

TIER 1 - Customized Page Components

• Uses ZK for Admin Apps. • Simple mods to existing

fieldsTIER 2 - Adding fields to forms • Updating XML files.

• Uses Domain Extension Tool. Unavailable in 2014.

TIER 3 - Modifying/Adding fields or blocks to existing forms with programming

• MODIFY TABLES!• Requires Source Code• Update ZK code for Admin

apps.TIER 4 – Creating New “Forms” • Was told it did not exist

yet.

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Modifying XE Applications

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Technology UpdatesXE Processes and Technology – 2015Documentation for XE Applications

Ellucian severed their relationship with the following site:• http://www.edu1world.org/Ellucian created two new documentation sites:



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Technology UpdatesStirling’s Wacky Metaphor

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Developing and Modifying Applications

• You have two options when it comes to deploying a Banner XE application:

Vanilla InstallModified Source Code

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• Modified Source Code:– Setup an online Git Repo and pull from Ellucian’s repos.– Pull code from your online repo.– Make change and then push code back to the repo.– Configure and build the WAR from the online repo.

Ellucian RepoUNM Repo

WAR file

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• Issue: Faculty Grade Entry 9.2 was on a branch.

• Ex:

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• Issue: Submodule Projects were different than the main branch.

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- Modifying Banner XE Applications:- Ellucian is still standardizing process.

- Version Control – the good news:

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Development with Grails:- Grails lost it’s sponsorship in 2014.- Grails found a new sponsor in 2015.

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Ellucian’s statement on Grails:“Ellucian is continuing to use Groovy and Grails for the development of all Banner Restful APIs and Banner 9.x self-services applications. We are completely aware of the current situation with Pivotal’s support commitment. We will continue to monitor the situation, but we have been very pleased with the performance of Groovy, as a meta programming language for Java, and Grails, as a web application framework for rapid development through the use of convention. There has been no discussion within Ellucian of moving off of Groovy and Grails for the Banner Restful APIs or for the Banner 9.x self-services applications.”

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Grails Development At UNM:• Two Applications:– Test Web App– Fin Aid FISAP process Web App

One Possible Development Strategy:

GRAILS Application:-Lives On WebLogic Server -Business Logic

Banner Database

RESTful API Web Application:-Angular JS-HTML5-CSS3

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Effects On End Users(What this means for you)

• All Banner users – • Banner outages do not go away – they just look different• No worries for machine Java (yay)• Able to have an up-to-date browser• Development cycle may be slower initially for add-ons

and customizations• These tools support faster development• More quality testing at the build and unit testing levels• At the same time we are moving to a more virtualized

environment– More flexible for rolling back– More flexible for adding resources during peak business

cycles

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Questions

Banner XE Update Lori Tafoya, IT Platforms Database Manager Stirling Crow, IT Applications Analyst/Programmer June 4, 2015.

Documents

banner xe overview slide

banner xe activities

banner xe unm

x architecture slide

war file slide

agenda slide

banner users

application deployment