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A. Introduction: Degree Works

Ellucian Degree Works™ is a comprehensive academic advising, transfer articulation, and degree audit solution that aligns students, advisors, and institutions to a common goal: helping students graduate on time.

  • A.1. Benefits of using Degree Works:

  • Creation of student audits on demand using worksheets and degree audits.
  • Clear visual indicators showing degree course requirements and progress.
  • Degree progess is accessible on-line for both students and staff.
  • Advising tool.
  • Planning and forcasting tool.
  • Exception tracker.

B. Design: Architectural, Functional, Authentification

  • B.1. Architecture

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  • B.2. Architecture

IMG_Arch3.JPG

B.3. Functional Process Flow Example

  • First: Creation of "Scribe" (programming code). Scribe is a DW (Degree Works) language consisting of certain keywords and syntactical rules used to define institutional requirements into the computer. The institutional requirements are entered using a program called Scribe, resulting in a series of requirement blocks. These blocks are then read by the first of the two DW processing engines. The Parser engine validates the requirement blocks, assuring they are lexically and syntactically correct so that they may be properly interpreted by the Auditor engine.

  • Second: The Auditor engine reconciles student academic data from the student information system with the requirement blocks that have benn built by users and then validated by the Parser engine. The Auditor engine actually evaluates the student course data against the appropriate requirement blocks, determining which academic requirements have benn satisfied and which await completion. The audit results are stored in a database for reporting and review by the institutional staff.

  • Third: The Output engine interprets the audit results and produces printed and online audit reports. Online viewing of audit results is accomplished using DW on the web, which may be made available to the Registrar, faculty or students. It is through DW on the web that exceptions and substitutions are entered as well as advisor notes. Security to control "who accesses what" is enforced by DW on the web.

B.4. Functional Process Flow Example

  1. Programmer (Scriber) interprets OU course catalog into Degree Works code called Requirement Blocks.
  2. The Requirement Blocks are read by Parser Engine. (Scripts on Web/Classic server above: DAP16 batch & DAP13 online)

  3. Auditor Engine combines student data with Parser Engine output to product "Audits". (Scripts on Web/Classic server above: DAP22 batch & DAP14 online)

  4. Nightly cron job on Web/Classic server (dwadmin userid/RAD30) runs batch job to pull students into Degree Works database from Banner database. (Other batch extracts also run... explained in Operational/Support Section) Commonly called the DW Bridge or BIF.

B.5. Functional Process Flow Example

  • First: Parser Engine

  • Institution's degree requirements are "put into" or scribed into blocks.
  • These blocks are checked to make sure they are syntactically correct through the use of a Parser Engine.
  • Once they are determined to be correct, the blocks can be saved and used by Degree Works.
  • DAP13 is the program that runs the parser engine.

    Second: Auditor Engine

  • Once the blocks have been successfully parsed and saved, they can be used to compare against the student's data to determine if the student meets the block's requirements.
  • This comparison is called the Auditor Engine.
  • The results from this comparison are stored in the database for reporting and for viewing by either institutional staff(advisors, registrar, etc.) or the student.
  • The Auditor Engine is a program called DAPaudit or DAP22.

    Third: Output Engine

  • Interprets the audit results.
  • Produces printed and online audit reports.
  • Online viewing of the audit results is accomplished using Degree Works on the Web.
  • DAP15 is the program that runs the output engine.

B.6. Authentification Flow for DW Dashboard URL IMG_Arch4_Dash.JPG

B.7. Authentification Flow for DW Scribe URL IMG_Arch5_Scribe.JPG

B.8. Authentification Flow for DW Admin URL IMG_Arch6_Admin.JPG

B.9. Authentification Flow for DW Transfer Equiv URL IMG_Arch7_Transfer.JPG

B.10. Authentification Flow for DW Transit PC Tool IMG_Arch8_Transit.JPG

C. Reporting / Argos

TBD - CPA engine, Argos pre-written blocks...

D. Operations / Support

D.1. Documentation Locations

D.2. Web URL'S

  • TEST PROD

D.3. Hosts

  • TEST
    • Web/Classic Server Java Application Tomcat Server Oracle Database Server
    PROD
    • Web/Classic Server Java Application Tomcat Server Oracle Database Server

D.4. Start and Stop Degree Works

  • TEST
    • First, Second, Third
    PROD
    • First, Second, Third

D.5. Extracts

  • Applicant(ban40) Student(ban40) Advisor(ban45) Staff(ban45) Course(ban41) Equiv(ban43) UCX(ban44) - Note!!! Only run once during setup, running this again will wipe out configuration tables...

D.6. Monitoring

  • TBD

D.7. Tools

  • Transit PC Tool Debugging

D.8. Misc

https://kb.oakland.edu/uts/DegreeWorksMain#A._Introduction:_Degree_Works