26-05-2014, 04:31 PM
An Open Source Google Apps Integration (Bboogle)
Open Source Google.ppt (Size: 611.5 KB / Downloads: 112)
The Bboogle Building Block
The ‘SSO Bridge’ Servlet
Runs whenever a user clicks on any of the Bboogle bookmarks/links, including the SSO course tools, and provides the front-end logic to the Google SSO process
If automated provisioning is used, it ensures that the user clicking has a Google Apps account
Transfers control to Google ONLY after verifying that that the user is allowed to access to the document
Uses the Google Integration Service to handle user provisioning and authorization issues that are handled during user clicks.
The ‘Linking Servlet’
Runs whenever an instructor chooses to create a bookmark/link to Google Apps content: calendars, documents and sites.
Creates a course document to hold the bookmark/link
Uses the Google Integration Service to handle authorization issues (e.g. requests to share document/calendar with the Blackboard class).
Google Integration Database Details
What gets Stored?
The existence and activation record for a given Google account
The pairing of a piece of Google content + its owner
The publication of one such pair to a certain BB course, with a particular collaborator role
The successful execution of a sharing request concerning a particular publication record + a particular Google collaborator account
How to use Bboogle in your institution
Possibly customize the mapping between Blackboard user ids and Google user ids (requires implementation of a Java interface)
Decide on your SSO solution:
Customize your current Google SSO solution so that it can work well with BBoogle. OR
For testing purposes, you can use the provided SSO solution. You can also use it as a ‘reference’ implementation that helps you come up with your production-ready version. Be sure to properly register your Google SSO solution in the Google Apps administrator panel.
Install the BBoogle building block and the Google Integration Server (a web application) and configure application parameters.
Future Directions
Support SSO to Gmail and other Google Apps services
Offer linking to other types of Google content as soon as services expose permission apis (e.g. Google Sites)
Explore the possibility of hosting the Google Apps Integration server in the Google Apps Engine
Possibly create additional tools to facilitate the ‘publishing’ of Google content to Blackboard courses.
Explore the possibility of offering a sharing tool for students