CSCI 4350/6350; Global Information Systems
Amit P. Sheth
Spring ,2003
Overview
This course deals with architecture, infrastructure, enabling technologies and applications of Web-based Information Systems. We are particularly interested in information systems and e-services that support large enterprises (e.g., Enterprise Content Management), that span multiple enterprises (e.g., CRM), and are pan-Web (e.g., Internet Search Engines).
This is an advanced course involving topics in Internet/WWW, Database Management, Information Systems, Information Retrieval and other related fields.
Prerequisite for this course is practical skills in database management, good programming skills, and exposure to basic Internet technologies (html, http, scripting, Web servers, etc.). Follow-on courses to this course (that can prepare a student for research in the LSDIS lab) include Advance Databases, Networked Information Systems, Semantic Web and Semantic Enterprises.
Course Material and Students' Course pages will continue to be updated throughout the semester.
Here are some of the things you can expect to learn (some superficially, some in depth):
* Examples of Global Information Systems:
Within enterprises: Enterprise Content Management, Inta-Enterprise Portals
Across Enterprises: B2B and e-service applications
Pan-Web: Search Engines
* Conceptual bases of dealing with data/information: Syntax, Structure and Semantics; Data, Metadata,
Information, Knowledge
* Understanding types of data and their management on the Web:
Unstructured data
Semi-structured data
Structured data
* Semi-structured data management and its importance to Global Information Systems; XML for data
exchange, XML Schema, XML Query, native and non-native XML data management
* Metadata, metadata standards, RDF and metadata processing, RDFS, RDF Query, RDF storage and
management
* Techniques for content/data management:
Classification and categorization
metadata extraction
* Tools and possibly one commercial product
* Core technologies and product categories: Application Servers, EAI, etc.
* Research/Emerging Issues, Commercial Landscape:
Semantics : Ontology, OWL
Component architecture based on Web Services, Web Service Standards and Technologies
SOAP, WSDL, UDDI
This is an advance course, ideally suited for seniors and MS students. The student must have understanding of and expertise in the following three areas:
* database management: working knowledge of database schema and SQL; ability to write programs that access a DBMS
* basic exposure to the Web, including HTML (must have created a home page), HTTP, XML (self-reading may be ok for a good student), and
* very good programming skills, minimally in Java and any scripting language (just a course in data structures will not be good enough)
I particularly welcome students with lots of curiosity as well as research minded students. This course is not suitable for students who prefer highly structured textbook-based education.
Times and Places
* Class is held in Hardman Hall 101
* 3:35-4:35 Wednesday
* 3:30-4:45 Tuesday, Thursday
How will Course be conducted?
There will be several components of the course:
* instructor's lectures and student presentations
* assigned readings, followed by classroom discussions
* hands on exercises, some of these may involve use research tools and/or commercial products
* a group project
It will be necessary for the student to attend ALL classes, except for legitimate health reason (typically requiring doctor's note or a copy of prescription). Expect to spend time to read one chapter or paper per class at the minimum. Active classroom participation will be one of the components of your grade. Grading components will include (a) classroom presentation and classroom participation (for 10 to 20%), (b) exercises (approx. 4 or 5, for a total of 40 to 50%) and (c) project (for 40%).
The course will be conducted as follows:
* A series of lectures by the instructor
* 5 Exercises
* Presentations by Students
* Students' Final Project requiring working prototypes.