Applications Development

The Information Systems Services section of the Office of Information Technology Services has two sub-sections that are involved in applications development.

• Application Support Services
• Web Services

The Application Support Services section participates in the development of applications, usually strategic applications, and provides interfaces between the University's strategic application systems. The staff in this section use a number of Oracle and other tools for applications development and an Oracle Internet Application Server, in conjunction with Oracle databases, is used to deliver these applications.

The Web Services section within Information Systems Services is responsible for the development and support of Web-based applications and utilities. A number of these applications support the Web infrastructure provided on the University's central Web Server, the MurdochNet Host. The staff in this section use a number of programming languages including Perl and EDO (Extensible Data Objects). EDO is a markup-style scripting language for accessing and manipulating data from different sources, predominantly SQL sources, using an extensible plugin framework. The applications are delivered using Apache Web Server and MySQL databases.

• Oracle-based Applications
• Systems & Services in Development and Testing
• System & Application Interfaces
• Web-based Applications and Utilities

Oracle-based Applications

The Application Support Services section of Information Systems Services has been involved in the development of the application systems listed below.

Modifications and enhancements to application systems are coordinated using change control procedures.

Applications include:

• Electronic Voting System (2007)
• Murdoch Authentication and Identification System (MAIS) (1997)
• News & Events System (1998)
• Parking Permit Application System (2004)
• Research Grant Management System (RIS) (2001)
• Travel Registry (2007)

System & Application Interfaces

Information Systems Services is involved in coordinating interfaces between strategic applications, and providing selected data from corporate databases for use in other applications used on campus.

Systems for which interface procedures and products have been developed include:

• Human Resources System (Alesco) extracts / views for use with
• Murdoch Authentication and Identification System (MAIS)
• Student Management System (Callista) extracts for use with:
  • Learning Management System (LMS)
  • Library System (Innopac)
  • Murdoch Authentication and Identification System (MAIS)
  • Student Network Account Management

• Student Management System (Callista) uploads from:
  • TISC

Web-based Applications and Utilities

The Web Services section of Information Systems Services has been involved in the development of the Web-based applications and utilties listed below. Support for some applications developed by external consultants is also provided by Web Services staff, or other staff within Information Systems Services.

Applications and Utilities in use include:

• CWIS Publisher - used to copy files from the Development Server to the MurdochNet Host
• Goto Statistics - reports monthly on usage of hits on A to Z Index entries
• Index - generates index pages, eg. Web Administrators Index, using data files maintained by staff responsible for MurdochNet Administration
• MAIS Login, MAIS Logout & MAIS Libraries - used to interface between the MAIS database, Oracle applications and CGI programs for the purposes of authenticating end-users of application systems and programs. Also used in association with access restriction to information resources and services
• Map - program that uses a set of images to display maps for the Murdoch and Rockingham campuses
• Mail_tmpl - used for generating e-mail output from completed form details, and for uploading of files, eg. Personal Book Order form (with MAIS access restriction)
• Metadata Generator - used by Content Providers to complete metadata tagging, including Dublin Core elements
• Murdoch A to Z Index - generates index pages dynamically from a database of links maintained by staff responsible for MurdochNet Administration
• Murdoch Password Check - used for verifying a Murdoch Password is valid
• News Dist - program for interacting with the News & Events System to extract selected details of newly added News Items for distribution by Mailman Mailing Lists
• News Edit - program for checking a persons MAIS Authorities and then displaying a menu of editing options based on those authorities
• Serverwatcher - used for monitoring the availability of Registered Web Servers and reporting problems to Web Administrators
• University Policies Index - generates index pages dynamically from a database of links maintained by staff responsible for MurdochNet Administration

In addition to Web-based applications, Apache Web Server extensions have been developed for the Web Templates System, an Authentication layer, error handling and a Web Server alias redirection service.

Web Services is also responsible for the development of a number of programs that pull data from central repositories. This data is used in the creation of indexes such as the Courses Index, the Units Index, Unit Information pages and the Academic Contacts Index and the Deans Index.