AOA is an open architecture and open source set of tools for defining applications at the design level and generating those applications into a variety of physical environments. In particular, it builds applications running in both an MS Windows interactive environment and in a web interactive environment, both against a varied set of database systems. In doing so, it delivers an order-of-magnitude improvement in application development productivity, and more importantly, it solves the modifiability and portability problems which are the key to the effective delivery of large scale reusability.

The key question for any system that claims to be able to define an application at the design level and generate it into a variety of environments is whether or not that system is able to build the largest, most complex integrated systems in the industry, because these are the applications needing vast improvements in productivity and quality and this is the area where application delivery comes only through great pain and expense. In fact, a key AOA maxim is that, “There are many effective solutions to simple problems. What the industry needs is an effective solution to large, complex problems.” And, it is a solution in that environment towards which AOA is targeted.

Though, AOA has been used in building several systems, the focus in this presentation will be on a large, integrated system (ie., ERP) in the academic market called OpenCUAS (Open Community University Administrative System). OpenCUAS is probably as large an application system as any in the IT industry today and is an excellent vehicle for demonstrating the productivity, flexibility and power of AOA. OpenCUAS is also an effective example because it was built at one academic environment and delivered into another, requiring many modifications along the way. The application was then modified in unique and common ways at both sites, with sub-functionality having to be ported back and forth between the two sites. The result was an effective demonstration of the modifiability and portability features of AOA.

Because of its significance as an example, OpenCUAS is explained in more detail below. Also, testimonials accompany that explanation, primarily from Southwestern Adventist University, the second OpenCUAS installation site, as that school experienced most of the modifiability and portability activity that is so important in delivering the final productivity gain.