Tracking of computer based training courses
View Patent ↗A tracking system ( 1 ) updates data to, and retrieves data from, learning management databases ( 10 ). Update data is received from course player servers ( 4 ), and requests are received from client systems. A common interface ( 21 ) interfaces with all players and clients, and it polls translation modules ( 22 ) for an appropriate and available module when a message is received. A tracking engine ( 20 ) manages threads and a queue for both synchronous and asynchronous communication. The queue is linked with database interfaces ( 24 ), which are Schema Access Objects (SAOs). Each SAO is pooled as a set of instances, activated and managed by a pooling manager.
1. A tracking system ( 1 ) comprising means for receiving course player update data, and for writing the update data to a learning management database, characterised in that,
the system ( 1 ) comprises database interface means for communication ( 24 ) with a plurality of learning management databases ( 10 ), and
the system comprises a tracking engine ( 20 ) comprising means for managing uni-directional communication for asynchronous course player data updates, and for managing bi-directional communication for synchronous course player data updates and responses.
2. A system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a plurality of translation modules ( 22 ), each comprising means for translating from a player language to a common engine language, and vice-versa.
3. A system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein each translation module is an object instantiated at start-up.
4. A system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the system ( 1 ) further comprises a common interface ( 21 ) comprising means for interfacing with all players ( 4 ), and for polling by routing a received message to all translation modules ( 22 ); wherein each translation module ( 22 ) comprises means for parsing received messages and, if it can translate the message, indicating as such; and wherein the common interface ( 21 ) comprises means for activating a translation module ( 22 ) which responds positively.
5. A system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the common interface ( 21 ) comprises means for polling the translation modules ( 22 ) according to a pre-set file.
6. A system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the common interface comprises means for receiving translated messages from the translation modules.
7. A system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the engine ( 20 ) comprises means for managing a queue ( 31 ), and for establishing threads for input and output to the queue.
8. A system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the engine ( 20 ) comprises means for assuming that a data update message is synchronous unless the message indicates otherwise.
9. A system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the database interface means ( 24 ) comprises a schema access object (SAO) associated with each learning management database ( 10 ).
10. A system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein all SAOs ( 24 ) have the same exposed interface to the tracking engine ( 20 ).
11. A system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the system ( 1 ) comprises means for both pre-setting and for subsequently modifying associations between players and SAOs.
12. A system as claimed in any of claim 9 , wherein the system ( 1 ) comprises pooling means, comprising means for creating a number of instances of each SAO and for reusing the instances.
13. A system as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the pooling means comprises a manager comprising means for managing a pool of SAOs, for determining a free SAO if one exists, for putting a requesting thread in a sleep state if an instance is temporarily unavailable, and for instructing a new set of SAO instances to be created.
14. A system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the system ( 1 ) comprises means for determining during initialisation a connection string to be passed to an SAO instance to indicate the database ( 10 ) to be opened.
15. A system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the manager comprises means for re-initialising a pooled SAO instance if it operates incorrectly.
16. A system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the tracking engine ( 20 ) comprises means for maintaining an input thread ( 30 ) between the common interface ( 21 ) and the queue ( 31 ).
17. A system as claimed in any of claim 7 , wherein the tracking engine ( 20 ) comprises means for maintaining a plurality of database-side threads ( 32 ) for routing messages from the queue ( 31 ) to the database interface means ( 24 ).
18. A system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein each database-side thread ( 32 ) comprises means for waiting for a response from the database interface means ( 24 ), and for directly routing received responses to a relevant translation module ( 22 ) for translation and for receiving translated responses back from the translation modules.
19. A system as claimed in claim 18 , wherein each database-side thread ( 32 ) comprises means for directly routing a translated response to an originating player.
20. A system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the engine ( 20 ) comprises means for maintaining each database-side thread ( 32 ) in an active state or a sleep state.
21. A system as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the engine ( 20 ) comprises means for switching a database-side thread ( 32 ) to an active state in response to the input thread request.
22. A system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the engine ( 20 ) comprises means for writing the contents of the queue to a log file when shutting down unexpectedly, and for automatically searching for a log file upon start-up.
23. A system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the common interface ( 21 ) comprises a time-out function comprising means for terminating a player connection upon expiry of a pre-set time period.
24. A system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the database interface means comprises a time-out function comprising means for terminating a learning management database ( 10 ) connection upon expiry of a pre-set time period.
25. A tracking system ( 1 ) comprising means for receiving course player update data, and for writing the update data to a learning management database, characterised in that,
the system ( 1 ) comprises database interface means for communication ( 24 ) with a plurality of learning management databases ( 10 ),
the system comprises a tracking engine ( 20 ) comprising means for managing unidirectional communication for asynchronous course player data updates, and for managing bi-directional communication for synchronous course player data updates and responses;
wherein the system further comprises a plurality of translation modules ( 22 ), each comprising means for translating from a player language to a common engine language, and vice-versa;
wherein each translation module is an object instantiated at start-up; and
wherein the system ( 1 ) further comprises a common interface ( 21 ) comprising means for interfacing with all players ( 4 ), and for polling by routing a received message to all translation modules ( 22 ); wherein each translation module ( 22 ) comprises means for parsing received messages and, if it can translate the message, indicating as such; and wherein the common interface ( 21 ) comprises means for activating a translation module ( 22 ) which responds positively.
26. A computer program product comprising software code for completing a system as claimed in claim 1 when executing on a digital computer.