The Illustration Below Shows the Components of the Datatel System

Architecture

Datatel’s Colleague and Benefactor solutions are based on the Unified Architecture, an infrastructure that separates the presentation, application, and database layers of the system. This infrastructure was built to support Datatel’s strategic directions of vendor independence, open systems, and technical leadership. The Unified Architecture is based on reusable Java-based servlets and XML data interchange functionality. The independence of the system layers allows Datatel to upgrade each layer of the system on a schedule consistent with the applicable technology without dislocating the other layers. The Unified Architecture has enabled Datatel to upgrade the applications and technology associated with the fast-moving Web environment without impacting the integrity of the underlying applications software.

The reusability of the system components results in a compact infrastructure that delivers a versatile set a capabilities while requiring minimal support on the part of the Client institution. The Java and XML components meet the standards and best practices promulgated by Sun, the World Wide Web Consortium and IMS. As an illustration, SecuritySmith, the public key infrastructure (PKI) protecting the data storage and transmission functions of the Datatel applications has been developed using the Java cryptography architecture (JCA) and Java cryptography extensions (JCE). Similarly, the interface to the CampusCruiser portal was built using the IMS Enterprise Standard specification. As additional Java standards are developed and as new XML-based data definitions are released, the Unified Architecture will be upgraded to meet these new requirements.

The Web Server and the Application Server support the Unified Architecture components while the Datatel Transaction Server includes the applications themselves and the development environment. The Application Server, Datatel Transaction Server and Database Server can be installed on separate platforms or combined on a single platform. A typical configuration would put the Application Server and Datatel Transaction Server on the same platform. The Database Server might reside on the same platform or separate one, depending on the size of the institution, the database requirements and other issues.

The illustration below shows the components of the Datatel system.

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From july 2003