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webdavmx
This is a brand new project which is at the 'proof of concept' stage of development. Consequently there is virtually no documentation and there is no packaged build to download. The very brave may like to get source code and tinker.
Origins of webdavmx
My university uses Blackboard Learn for its virtual learning environment. I need to add functionality for my faculty but I want to do that in a way that will easily migrate to any other product that may be used to replace Blackboard and which can be set up without any sysadmin priveleges. The only part of Blackboard Learn that conforms to well established standards is the WebDAV compliant content management system (which is actually provided by Xythos but comes bundled with Blackboard).
So, my web applications will be based on 100% client side software making use of WebDAV to securely exchange information between users. Most users will access the application with an ordinary Javascript enabled web browser but some will run applications which act as 'agents' for them.
For example, a quiz tool may involve three kinds of user.
- The quiz tool manager
- Quiz designers
- Quiz users
User 1 will run a client agent.
Users 2 and 3 will access the functionality via HTML pages on the WebDAV server which make use of Javascript.
The webdavmx protocol and its javascript library implementation will enable secure transfer of data between the quiz designers/users and the quiz tool manager. Some of these messages may resemble remote procedure calls on the quiz tool manager's client agent.
Why?
Traditionally a quiz tool would be implemented with server side scripting/programming and would have access to the full file system of the server and to other resources such as database services. For this reason sysadmins are quite reasonably loath to install such tools alongside other mission critical functionality.
A webdavmx application can be well constrained within a 'sandpit' created within a very security conscious WebDAV environment. The client users AND the security principal used to manage functionality are all constrained by the security policy of the WebDAV server.
Performance and Reliability?
There is a serious issue of reliability if tools require that a client agent be permanently running so it is able to respond to user communications. However, if such tools become mission critical they could be executed on high availability hardware which is linked to the WebDAV server by a reliable and high speed link. In a small scale operation they could be executed on the WebDAV server hardware and use the loopback network interface.
The intention is to design ways for multiple client agents running on multiple hardware hosts to service the same users for load balancing and resilience.
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