Akuter Technology

A k u t e rT e c h n o l o g y

Overview: Akuter is an open, flexible and portable system which uses the latest technologies and standards of the Internet such as J2EE, XML and Web Services. Our Java implementation uses Tomcat-Apache which guarantees the best portability. Akuter separately treats the transactions of the static contents and the dynamic contents and also allows the load balancing and the hosting of multiple AMS instances on the same Servlet of the same server. Akuter works on most popular OS (Windows 2000, XP, Solaris, Linux, etc.) and can use various databases (Oracle, Ms SQL Server, MySQL, Sybase). Akuter separates the data, security, logic, and presentation levels according to the N-Tiers type architectures recommendations. Akuter supports the Unicode and the double byte characters standard which makes it possible to use any language or alphabet at code and database level. Akuter supports the eLearning standards AICC and SCORM as well as the Radius authentication standard. The products are designed as open architecture that allows expandability through APIs, Servlet, Java Server Pages (JSP) and Enterprise Java Beans (EJB). Akuter's architecture separates the database, business logic, and presentation layers, which allows customer's installation to do processing among multiple application servers with the database on either the same machine or on a totally separate machine. The result is delivering highly performing web-applications that can be scaled to meet the needs of any organization, regardless of the size.

Benefits: Akuter's architecture and technology deliver exceptional benefits to our customers:

Scalable enterprise system
Fast and simple installation
Easy and seamless integration within corporate networks
Ease of management
Secure
Expandability
Customer-defined XML-based reporting definition
Support for diverse and mixed environments
Support for multi-languages

Features: In addition to the above Akuter offers the following key features:

Integrated e-mail and HTTP messaging: Akuter Enterprise incorporates an integrated e-mail and HTTP messaging services to deliver secure and encrypted messages between the customer's network and the Akuter's back office system. All messages are encrypted prior to delivering. Akuter uses XML based messages to report the daily usage and for automated license delivery.
Intelligent Adaptive Server: The Intelligent Adaptive Server is designed to meet the challenge of presenting customized learning per learner, i.e. approximate a one-on-one learning experience. Akuter's current implementation is the first attempt to meet this challenge, based on a server centric model. In addition the server has been designed to support the client centric model as well, thus providing compliance with the emerging learning objects standards by AICC, IEEE and ADL/SCORM.

Akuter's implementation is designed for maximum reuse of existing learning objects and supports courses built with mixed learning objects as well as those built on a single type of learning objects. This means that an administrator can define course objects selecting from a combination of learning objects that are AICC compliant and Intelligent Adaptive Server compliant.

Figure below and the following points describe a sequence of processes that helps explain how the Intelligent Adaptive Server works:

A learner's session and temporary database are established following the authentication and authorization process.
When a learner initiates a learning object, the system checks the validity of the selection by checking the system's database, the rules database and learning objects repository.
IAS then checks the learning object type, downloads an applet to the learner's workstation if the learning object follows the Client Centric Model (AICC, IEEE, and SCORM).
However, if the learning object follows a Server Centric Model (Akuter IAS compliant), the system fetches the information and JSP of the first page and present a dynamic (DHTML) first page to the learner.
IAS updates the real-time database with all activities and the time spent on each page or process.
In case of a learning object compliant with the Client centric model, the next page will be sequenced as defined within the learning object structure.
In case of a learning object compliant with the IAS, the next page will be initiated through a deterministic process and the rules engine will determine the next step.
System and rules database, which provides information about the rules and historic information about the learner, for instance pre-requisites, individual and groups rules.
Real-time database with full tracking of the current learning session.
Learning objects repository or URL, which provides information about the learning object and JSP necessary prior to presenting the page to the learner.
Terminating the learning session will update the system's database from the real-time database.

The set of rules that IAS currently supports provides a drastic improvement to the learning process, compared to systems based on a Client Centric model. The degree of Intelligence currently implemented will be further extended in the future. It is our hope that a standardization method, similar to the efforts of the computer games industry, will provide the sophistication that closely resembles the one-on-one learning.

Architecture of Intelligent Adaptive Server

For more information refer to Dr. Jay Farhat white paper (link to Salt WP)