Minutes - ITANA Meeting - June 25, 2009

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*Attending*

Jim Phelps, University of Wisconsin-Madison (chair)
Marina Arseniev, University of California, Irvine
Tom Barton, University of Chicago
Patrick Casey, UNC-Chapel Hill
Tom Dopirak, Carnegie Mellon University
Jan Grasser, Penn State University
Jim Green, Michigan State University
Brian Hopkins, University of Pennsylvania
Jim Lias, Penn State University
Bob Landsbarger, Michigan Tech University
Mike McDermott, Brown University
Bob Morgan, University of Washington
Piet Niederhausen, Georgetown University
Steve Olshansky, Internet2
Kent Percival, University of Guelph
Liz Salley, University of Michigan
Rich Stevenson, University of Maryland University Center
Dean Woodbeck, Internet2 (scribe)

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*Agenda*
1. Roll-Call
2. Agenda Bash
3. Kuali On Campus - Report Out and Follow-on Discussion
4. Next Screen2Screen - SOA with Tom Dopriak
5. Enterprise Workflow
1. CAMP topic on Workflow see https://spaces.at.internet2.edu/display/CAMPJune2009/buddygroups
2. Kuali Screen2Screen - where does it belong? In middleware or as a stand-alone application?
6. Future Screen2Screen Sessions
1. Enterprise Architecture Tools
2. Joint discussion with JISC
Future Agendas:
1. Next Screen2Screen
2. SOA
3. Business Intelligence
Items on the shelf:
1. SOA
2. Business Intelligence
1.https://spaces.at.internet2.edu/display/itana/Business+Intelligence
3. UML Tools/Training
4. Architecture Tool discussion (All)
1. UC Irvine's use of Protege (http://protege.stanford.edu/)
2. Chicago's I.T. Ecosystem Tool (Tom B)
3. Essential Project http://www.enterprise-architecture.org/about
Also note: We follow the Internet2 Intellectual Property Framework: http://www.internet2.edu/membership/ip.html
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*Kuali on Campus Recap*

The Adobe Connect archived presentation is available on the ITANA wiki, as are the two slide decks from the speakers (https://spaces.at.internet2.edu/display/itana/Screen2Screen).

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*Enterprise Workflow*

There was a broad discussion about enterprise workflow and some of the issues that campuses face. Is this part of middleware, or is it a stand-alone application with which you integrate other applications?

At last week's CAMP, there was not presentation on workflow, but it was around the edges of a lot of the discussions. In some ways, it is another approach to access management and it may be helpful to view workflow as an access management problem - who has access to what, and who authorizes that access? The MACE-paccman group, which is working on privilege and access management - has also been discussing workflow issues. It seems that a robust workflow system would not just use a model based on moving documents around, but based on access management, roles, and responsibilities.

While some applications have their own built-in workflow systems, it may be more prudent to consider implementing an enterprise-wide system. Otherwise, people may be dealing with multiple workflow systems from multiple applications.

It was pointed out that Kuali's systems are document-intensive, so workflow is becoming more important for Kuali users.

There was a discussion about workflow that is document-based; that is, the system is geared to the need to move documents through a system of approvals. Another way to look at workflow is non-document-based, in which someone can delegate a portion of their authority to someone else. Both share the concept that workflow is the routing of things or the delegation of authority.

In addition to the routing, however, is the need to trigger a flag at the end of the process, or notifications at other points in the process, indicating that the process is finished, or that work has been completed (or, perhaps more important, not completed).

One of the issues is determining whether the entire process can be automated, or if there are requirements for manual interventions at some points. For example, a document is being routed along for signatures, but a person has to take some action to move it to the next step.

There is also the need to store attributes, as part of the workflow engine or application, to ensure the process can be audited later.

The key question is determining the main problem areas - where are the pain points that ITANA may be able to address? Some of the items brought forward were:

1) routing of action items
2) distributing access control
3) employees moving to different parts of the university and requiring different access
4) providing one place for a supervisor to provide approvals. In the hiring process, for example, a supervisor receives a list of things that require approve/disapprove decisions (travel system, parking system, ID system, etc.)

A pain point comes when not everything is straightforward. For example, admissions counselors may not all have the same access to the admissions system. This may be an argument for role-based or privilege-based systems.

In another example, there may be different expense approval rules if the funds are coming from sponsored research. Sometimes, human judgment is required.

When it is time-consuming or cumbersome for someone to grant access to various systems, that person is more likely to just provide blanket access, so they end up giving people more privileges than they need to do their jobs.

These were some of the steps ITANA could take in this area to help higher ed:

Provide overviews of workflow systems included with products like the Sun access management system.

Develop applicable definitions (what do we mean by workflow?)

Define use cases to illustrate the range of problems that we're trying to solve.

Develop case studies

Compile a survey of tools

Adapt information from well-known workflow sites to higher education (the workflow management coalition site is www.wfmc.org

The group will continue on this topic during the next call.

*Future Screen2Screens*

Tom Dopirak will be unable to develop the SOA presentation, but has a consultant who may be willing to do so. (AI) Jim will follow up with Tom.

*Next Conference Call - July 9, 2009 - 2 p.m. (EDT)*

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