Re: [school-discuss] ZIS Server (was: Project Proposal)

[Chris Hobbs <chobbs@silvervalley.k12.ca.us>]

As much as I love perl, I would strongly recommend writing such a 
project in a compiled language - this server would be the backend server 
for several very intensive clients (gradebooks, student admin systems, 
library systems, cafeteria systems, single logon facilities, etc.) - in 
even a moderate sized school/district, this will be a very busy server, 
and speed is going to be critical.

I would recommend C (or C++, as this seems like a good problem to break 
down into objects).

My $0.02 :)

Les Richardson wrote:

>Hi Steve,
>
>What can we build this thing with? Can it be built with Perl (since I'm a
>Perl Person) and some of the perl modules, etc. in conjunction with
>Apache, etc.
>
>I also assume that at least initially it will only support a subset of the
>commands...(ie Zis_Ack).
>
>What have to written your "ACK Server" in? <grin>
>
>
>Les Richardson
>
>
>
>>I think the purpose of ZIS and SIF is that all programs that can speak to
>>a ZIS server can interchange data, be they proprietary or open source.  As
>>an example, you might have an open source grade book program that you
>>really like, but you are using Chancery's Student Information System.
>>Assuming that Chancery supports ZIS, and you can modify your grade book
>>program to support ZIS, you can grab student lists from your Chancery
>>system for your grade book program and upload final marks and report card
>>comments to Chancery from your grade book program.  Your open source
>>library program (Koha) could also send lists of users with overdue books
>>to Chancery so that the main office can collect fees.
>>
>>So... I believe the intent of the original poster on this thread was to
>>try and create an open source ZIS server so that schools don't have to pay
>>through the nose for a proprietary one.  I suspect that what will happen
>>is that applications like Chancery and other propietary SIF-aware
>>applications will come bundled with a ZIS server.  A school or school
>>district just has to set up one ZIS server to support all of their
>>SIF-aware apps.  Developing an open source ZIS server might make it easier
>>to add ZIS support to other applications as well.
>>
>>Steve.
>>
>>
>

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