OpenFLEX Partner LMS Framework is referred to as having component-based architecture. What does this mean?
One of the many strengths of the OpenFLEX Partner LMS Framework architecture is its component-based design and the utilization of each component. Each component is independent and can be easily interchanged with another component that provides the same functionality. This allows OpenFLEX Partner LMS Framework to support a best-of-breed approach so our customers can use the products that best meet their needs.

OpenFLEX Partner LMS Framework�s Stylized out-of-the-box example. Enlarge

How is OpenFLEX Partner LMS Framework a development platform?
OpenFLEX Partner LMS Framework is more than just a learning management system. It is actually a development platform that can be used to create any type of software or extend and enhance software developed for the OpenFLEX Partner LMS Framework Platform. The OpenFLEX Partner LMS Framework Software Developer’s Kit (SDK) provides all the information and tools necessary to build, extend or enhance software.

What is the value of using WebLogic Application Server?
There are many application servers available in the marketplace (WebLogic™, iPlanet™, Web Sphere™, etc.). An application server helps reduce development time to create solutions as well as provides processing on the backend to reduce processing load on the client workstation and makes web applications faster. OpenFLEX Partner chose WebLogic because of its superb reputation in the marketplace and its tested reliability and scalability. It’s important to note that although we have selected WebLogic as our application server, we are not dependent on WebLogic as we have abstracted our logic from the application server and could use alternative application servers.

Describe how security across the firewall and with users on different sides of the firewall is handled.
The system supports User Authentication through SSL and LDAP (Novell Directory Service™ and Active Directory). In addition, the authentication component can be extended to support biometrics, card scan, thumb print or other such authentication mechanisms.

Describe the architectural scalability for multiple learner groups.
OpenFLEX Partner LMS Framework is limited only by hardware and the capacity of the database selected.

Describe the average database size with 10,000 learners.
Approximately 100MB.

Describe the general “openness” of your system.
OpenFLEX Partner LMS Framework uses Java 2.0 Enterprise, Enterprise Java Beans and HTML. OpenFLEX Partner supports all the industry courseware standards, including AICC, SCORM, IMS and IEEE. OpenFLEX Partner’s unique connection technology architecture allows drivers to connect all forms of courseware, without requiring changes to the courseware or our system. This allows us to quickly and easily support any content built to any standard. OpenFLEX Partner’s component-based system architecture allows any component to be extended or replaced with little or no effect on the rest of the system.

Describe your largest installation. Include hardware and database specifications as well as the number of users and administrators.
WebLogic’s Application Server is rated at 50,000 concurrent connections per server. The total number of users is only limited by the size of the server farm. OpenFLEX Partner’s design criterion is support for 500,000 simultaneous users.

Describe your system architecture.
OpenFLEX Partner LMS Framework employs an N-Tier architecture with the ability to separate, distribute and cluster/load balance the web servers, application servers, database servers and messaging servers. In addition, components within each layer may be separated out and distributed across servers. Complete separation is maintained between layers, allowing any component to be updated real-time. Additionally, the data abstraction layer allows the system to point to and use natively external data sources including traditional and object oriented databases.

Does your architecture scale from a small implementation of 5,000 learners to a larger implementation of 250,000+ learners?
Given OpenFLEX Partner’s N-Tier architecture, the system is almost infinitely scalable. The system can be broken down to where individual components are placed in independent server farms giving support to millions of users.

Does your product require any browser plug-ins or applets?
OpenFLEX Partner LMS Framework does not require any plug-ins, applets or downloads. An optional feature of OpenFLEX Partner LMS Framework is our SmartUpdate service which is used to deliver components to the desktop when courseware that requires players has been selected.

Does your product support a centralized database architecture?
Yes. The data abstraction layer supports access to virtually any DBMS, including object-oriented databases. OpenFLEX Partner LMS Framework ships with the choice of built in support for either MS SQL 7.0 or Oracle 8.1.6.

How can all interactions with your product take place over the web: intranet or Internet?
All user interfaces are 100% HTML. This allows any student using a standard browser to access the system, including PDAs, cell phones and so forth.

List any system prerequisites for your product? (Include networking, hardware, database, web server, and other requirements).
Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000 servers (Sun Solaris UNIX 2.8 support will follow shortly after product release). Weblogic application and web servers are required components, and both of these ship as part of the product.

What is the recommended connection speed for Internet access?
Bandwidth and throughput are dictated by the courseware to be delivered. The OpenFLEX Partner system is a minor component of the overall bandwidth and has been designed to minimize network traffic and load.

Which browsers are supported? What browser versions? What percentage of your overall installations use Netscape? Internet Explorer?
Any HTML-based web browser. The UI is system independent. The product has been tested on IE 4.01 to 5.5 and Netscape 4.75 and Netscape 6. We have slightly more IE users than Netscape users.

What databases does it support?
It supports virtually any DBMS. Tested specifically for MS SQL Server 7.0 and Oracle 8.1.6.

What Operating Systems does it support?
Initial release will support Windows NT and Windows 2000. Sun Solaris UNIX 2.8 support will follow shortly after product release.

What are your implementation models? Hosting? Behind the fire wall? Both?
OpenFLEX Partner LMS Framework can support both implementation models – behind the firewall and hosting.

Localization:

Can anything viewed by the student be seen in their language?
Yes, but the text would have to be localized by the customer since OpenFLEX Partner LMS Framework will only support English in its first release.

Is the backend system and data language specific?
No. OpenFLEX Partner LMS Framework can support multiple languages in one database.

Do you support foreign currencies?
Yes. OpenFLEX Partner LMS Framework will support foreign currencies.

Can your product be localized?
Yes. OpenFLEX Partner LMS Framework will ship fully enabled for romance as well as double-byte character sets. So, OpenFLEX Partner LMS Framework can be localized for languages such as French, Italian, Spanish and German, as well as double-byte languages such as Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

OpenFLEX Partner LMS Framework Gives You a Software Development Kit (SDK)
Because we’ve made OpenFLEX Partner LMS Framework as configurable as it is open. Thanks to the OpenFLEX Partner LMS Framework Software Development Kit, it’s easy and painless to develop modules that do – well – most anything. Maybe you need to integrate your e-Learning platform with your enterprise resource management system. You can create a new module that links the two systems together and just plug it in.

The possibilities are endless. And thanks to that inter-component messaging, you can create modules that perform very specific functions without affecting any other parts of the system.

Just remember two simple facts about OpenFLEX Partner LMS Framework: It’s the only e-learning solution that gives you complete freedom. And it’s the only universal platform for e-Learning and beyond.

1. Built on 100% Java and Enterprise Java Beans
Scalable, Cross-Platform
2. Component-based Architecture
Replace or enhance—make it work your way or with your own design
3. Development Platforms
Point of integration for learning solutions—Software Development Kit (SDK) provided
4. To-do style Notifications
Messaging and mentoring
5. Data abstraction
SQL or Non SQL data exchange
6. Training Activities
Supports on-the-fly courseware paths for just-in-time learning
7. Role-Based Access
Pre-defined rights and privileges or create your own
8. Access Role Profiles
Use standard HR definitions
9. Consulting Practice
Partners integrate with ease
10. Inter-component messaging
Asynchronous — makes events visible to hook to other components

Can learners self-register when they are in possession of a generic login code?
The organization can control whether or not self-registration is allowed. If self-registration is permitted, a user can enter their personal profile information to automatically create an account.

Can the system link online assessments to classroom training events in order to help measure the learning?
Yes, but since OpenFLEX Partner LMS Framework allows the customer to use their assessment tool of choice some work would need to be done in order to create the link. This work can be simplified using the OpenFLEX Partner LMS Framework SDK.

Does each learner have the availability of a personalized learning home page?
Yes. Learners can set up a personalized home page. They can arrange how information appears on the page as well as set user settings such as view calendar by week instead of by day.

Does the system allow administrators or managers to assign learning resources to one user and groups of users?
Yes. Managers or administrators can assign learning resources to individual or groups of learners. (The manager or administrator must have access rights to the group or individual in order to make the assignment.)

Does the system allow administrators to generate reports on learning progress?
Yes. As part of their learning plan, learners have access to their own learning history. Managers can print standard reports or custom-created reports of learner’s progress as long as they have proper access rights.

Does the system allow for searching and sorting of learning resources within catalog?
Yes. An object can be searchable by keyword or text fields.

Does the system allow the users to be placed in groups, job roles or business units for the purpose of assignment of learning resources?
Yes. OpenFLEX Partner LMS Framework is very flexible in how organizations can be modeled within the system. Organizational units and groups both support nesting. So, an organizational unit can be created to represent a company or nested to represent business units within that company. Individual learners can be tied to job roles and learning resources can be assigned by group or job role.

Does the system provide online reports for the learner concerning history and missed target dates and a calendar of future learning?
Yes. As part of their learning plan, users can view and print the past, present and future of their assigned learning. Reports can also be generated to provide this information to learners and managers.

Does the system provide online reports in summary and detail for managers to understand the use and progress of employees?
Yes. Standard reports show both detail and summary views of student progress. Also, custom reports can be created to provide this information.

Does the system support both a list and calendar view integrating both online and offline scheduled training?
Yes. The learner can view a schedule of both online and offline (ILT) training that they are to attend.

Does the system support the notion of Prescriptive Learning based on Manager, Competency and/or Assessment basis?
Yes. This functionality is part of the Skills Management Module. The Skills module provides prescriptive learning and skill gap analysis based on competency and/or assessment tools.

Is an individual catalog of materials presented to the learner based on the job role of the learner?
Yes. If the learner is associated with a job position, learning resources can be assigned based on job positions.

What is the e-Learning Connection Module?
OpenFLEX Partner’s connection technology allows third-party courseware to be to be tracked and managed from OpenFLEX Partner’s Learning Management System without re-purposing the courseware. A connection serves as a bridge between the OpenFLEX Partner LMS and the targeted courseware. Courseware is left as is. Because the courseware does not need to be re-purposed, implementation times are greatly reduced.

OpenFLEX Partner has a strong commitment to open architectures and allowing e-Learning products from multiple vendors work in the same environment. In support of this commitment, OpenFLEX Partner has implemented its connection technology within the OpenFLEX Partner LMS Framework product.