Talking to a SIMS Zone Integration Server

[rhd]

Anyone here tried doing this?

 

The ZIS server is an independent product, not anything from Capita.

ZIServer Zone Integration Server

 

There is example java source on github:

 

https://github.com/nsip/SBPAgentFramework-Java/tree/master/SBPAgentFramework

 

although I'm not clear what the licensing is. The README.txt says it's released under an Apache license, but some of the source files have a

'Copyright ©1998-2011 Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliate(s). All rights reserved.' notice.

 

Anyway, with a bit of fiddling around, getting the right jars in place & so on, I've got SIFQuery.java to compile & run without throwing any exceptions.

 

I'm wondering what parameters I need to supply to see what useful information I could get from a ZIS.

 

Or would this post be better in the programming forum?

Edited August 22, 2016 by rhd

[matt40k]

SIF is just a protocol. ZIS is the server. You still need a client to pull data from SIMS (or a.no.other MIS). Maybe one for @GREED or @penfold_99.

 

So yes, folks have used it to transfer data around, like GroupCall Xporter

[rhd]

You still need a client to pull data

 

yep. The github project I gave a link to includes a client implementation.

 

like GroupCall Xporter

 

That may be, but as a commercial product the source isn't available.

[GREED]

What is it you are trying to achieve?

[rhd]

I'm wondering how to write an agent to get information from a ZIS.

 

To that end, I've been looking for example source files, preferably java, to demonstrate the technique involved.

 

The source at github, seems to have all sorts of examples, amongst them SIFQuery. Running it from the command line:

 

E:\sif\classes>java -cp ".;*" openadk.examples.sifquery.SIFQuery

Usage: SIFQuery /zone zone /url url [/events] [options]
   /zone zone     The name of the zone
   /url url       The zone URL
   /sourceId name    The name of the agent
   /ver version      Default SIF Version to use (e.g. 10r1, 10r2, etc.)
   /debug level      Enable debugging to the console
                        1 - Minimal
                        2 - Moderate
                        3 - Detailed
                        4 - Very Detailed
                        5 - All
   /log file         Redirects logging to the specified file
   /pull             Use Pull mode
   /freq             Sets the Pull frequency (defaults to 15 seconds)
   /push             Use Push mode
   /port n           The local port for Push mode (defaults to 12000)
   /host addr        The local IP address for push mode (defaults to any)
   /noreg            Do not send a SIF_Register on startup (sent by default)
   /unreg            Send a SIF_Unregister on exit (not sent by default)
   /timeout ms       Sets the ADK timeout period (defaults to 30000)
   /opensif          Ignores provisioning errors from OpenSIF
   /Dproperty val    Sets a Java System property

 HTTPS Transport Options:
   /https            Use HTTPS instead of HTTP
   /auth             Require Client Authentication
   /keystore file    The keystore file to use
   /kspwd password   The keystore password
   /truststore file  The truststore file to use
   /tspwd password   The truststore password

 Response Files:
   To use a response file instead of typing arguments on the command-line,
   pass the name of the response file as the first argument. This text
   file may contain any combination of arguments on one or more lines,
   which are appended to any arguments specified on the command-line.

 

Looks like I could get useful information back, if I knew what parameters to supply.

Plus, maybe I'd have to somehow tell the ZIS that it's allowed to respond to queries from this particular client.

 

Or perhaps there is reference code other than this that folks here are aware of.

[GREED]

Have you got a ZIS already setup in your implementation or LA or group somewhere that you want to pull the data from?

[rhd]

Have you got a ZIS already setup in your implementation or LA or group somewhere that you want to pull the data from?

yes, already up & running

 

Admittedly, some of those parameters are obvious.

 

I'm wondering if I'm free to use any sourceId, or if that must be known in advance to the ZIS & what the SIF_Register does.

 

Plus, before just running it against an existing ZIS to see what happens, there is the concern that the tool could somehow confuse it or corrupt existing data.

Edited August 22, 2016 by rhd

[matt40k]

yep. The github project I gave a link to includes a client implementation.

 

"based on the Australian SIS Baseline Profile" - I would research SIMS integration first personally as that'll be a big enough pain before you add SIF (UK) to equation.

 

Also setup and running - as in LA\MAT\whatever or just on your machine? Just thinking if its LA\MAT\whatever couldn't you end up writing data?

[GREED]

Have you researched the tech at all? Have a search for the SIF Association now called Access 4 learning. I'm UK Board Member for number of years now. I'm not sure you want to be investing in ZISs it is old tech these days.

[GREED]

Should also know that you still need an agent on the MIS to get the data out, and the generic SIF agents out there don't get anywhere near as much data as the commercial offerings available. Unless you are working our of somewhere like Norfolk where SIF is already prevelant and well developed.

[rhd]

Thanks matt40k,

 

There is a lot of stuff to figure out how it's supposed to work! That's why I was wondering if anyone here has experience in this area.

 

"based on the Australian SIS Baseline Profile" -

 

The OpenADK library is built for a particular locale (AU, US, UK). It's a setting in the supplied ant.properties file.

[rhd]

Have you researched the tech at all? Have a search for the SIF Association now called Access 4 learning.

Yes, I did have a browse through their documentation. On first encounter it's hard see where to get started with it.

I don't actually want to do much. I have a setup where a ZIS is being used to transfer student data & teaching group lists between two sites. I want some way of getting lists of students, plus what classes they are in. No writing back of data required, just read-only.

 

I'm UK Board Member for number of years now. I'm not sure you want to be investing in ZISs it is old tech these days.

 

Oh, that's interesting. Is it's adoption in the UK as vendor neutral means of data exchange falling off? As it's SIMS' current solution for inter-site data transfer, I'd assumed it was a technology with a future.

[matt40k]

As it's SIMS' current solution for inter-site data transfer, I'd assumed it was a technology with a future.

 

Nope. Capita Partnership Xchange is based on SIF but its heavy modified. Its like saying Microsoft is based on Unix.

[penfold_99]

Anyone here tried doing this?

 

The ZIS server is an independent product, not anything from Capita.

ZIServer Zone Integration Server

 

The ZIS follows standard SIF, but Capita's SIF agent for SIMS/Partnership Exchange is non standard SIF, so it would be doubtful that you will be able to request data from it.

 

There is example java source on github:

 

https://github.com/nsip/SBPAgentFramework-Java/tree/master/SBPAgentFramework

 

although I'm not clear what the licensing is. The README.txt says it's released under an Apache license, but some of the source files have a

'Copyright ©1998-2011 Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliate(s). All rights reserved.' notice.

 

The reason it refers to Pearson is they had original had a commercial ADK but later opened sourced it and its now available at https://github.com/open-adk.

[penfold_99]

Nope. Capita Partnership Xchange is based on SIF but its heavy modified. Its like saying Microsoft is based on Unix.

 

That's a bit harsh, its more like speaking both parties speak English but use a custom semaphore to communicate.

[penfold_99]

Have you researched the tech at all? Have a search for the SIF Association now called Access 4 learning. I'm UK Board Member for number of years now. I'm not sure you want to be investing in ZISs it is old tech these days.

Oh, that's interesting. Is it's adoption in the UK as vendor neutral means of data exchange falling off? As it's SIMS' current solution for inter-site data transfer, I'd assumed it was a technology with a future.

 

A ZIS is based on version 2.X of the SIF Specification but there is a now a version 3 of the specification is uses a REST base API. The switch to rest was made to lower the barrier to entry for developers.

There is a open source developer framework available at https://github.com/access4learning.