iOffice 2.0: An Embedded SEVIS Solution
Jason Baumgartner
Lynn Schoch
Indiana University
Student & Exchange Visitor Information System
 S Student
 E Exchange
 V Visitor
 I Information
 S System
Federal reporting system for tracking
international students, scholars, instructors, and their dependents
Bloomington
Indianapolis
Gary
Kokomo
Richmond
South Bend
New Albany
Intensive English
Bloomington
Mr. Kim on the first day of class
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U. S. citizen
Permanent resident
Miscellaneous visa types (A-W)
Employee (H-1B, J-1)
F-1 initial
F-1 continuing
F-1 transfer
F-1 in last semester
F-1 on optional practical training
F-1 on curricular practical training
F-1 underenrolled
F-2 dependents
Mr. Kim on the first day of class
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J-1 student initial
J-1 student continuing
J-1 student transfer
J-1 scholar short term
J-1 scholar transfer
J-1 student last semester
J-1 student underenrolled
J-1 student on academic training
J-2 dependents
Mr. Kim on the first day of class
 Asylee or parolee
 Undocumented
 Enrolled in two universities at
once
 Formerly underenrolled
 Foreign student on study
abroad
Student & Exchange Visitor Information System
There are 2 methods for reporting to SEVIS:
 Real-Time Interaction (RTI) is the SEVIS web based application.
Immediate processing and delivery of documents.
 SEVIS Batch is the HTTP POST/GET processing of XML data defined
by the SEVIS schemas. Overnight processing and next day delivery
of transaction results and documents.
General Issues of Batch versus RTI
 The main vendor and other custom software providers only focus on
XML Batch solutions for SEVIS.
 Batch automation on registration, subject / major changes,
biographical, and address updates work well for batch processing.
 Most day-to-day business processes work better through RTI even
with manual backfill of data to institutional systems; and some tasks
are only available in RTI.
 Many batch schools still use RTI for 20-40% of transactions including
actions available in Batch.
System Analysis for the iOffice Solution
Issue #1: Provide a means to directly support the RTI web environment
within an institutional solution.
Issue #2: Provide flexible XML Batch functions that are adaptive for
schematic changes and that provide some automation for reporting like
registration.
Issue #3: An analysis module to ensure the institution is in compliance
with immigration and institutional regulations.
Issue #4: Integration with institutional system (i.e. PeopleSoft) to ensure
SEVIS and the institutional systems are well coordinated.
Solution #1: Embed the RTI Web Environment
Issue #1: Provide a means to directly support the RTI web environment
within an institutional solution.
Solution #1: iOffice’s rich client has an embedded Mozilla browser so RTI
becomes a direct part of the software solution.
The mapping between iOffice and RTI is stored in XML for ease of
change management and separation from code logic.
Solution #1: Embed the RTI Web Environment
Solution #1: Benefits of the Embedded RTI
Some benefits of this embedded RTI approach:
 Ensure all records created in RTI have an associated record in the
institutional system.
 Capture all POST data before it goes to the SEVIS server.
 Populate RTI form fields with institutional data and templates.
 Extract and analyze SEVIS RTI data with institutional data.
 Provide for more “on-demand” business processes.
Solution #2: Embed the XML Batch Schema
Issue #2: Provide flexible XML Batch functions that are adaptive for
schematic changes and that provide some automation for reporting like
registration.
Solution #2: iOffice’s rich client uses reflection on JAXB objects, which
bind to the SEVIS Batch schemas, in order to embed Batch into the
software solution.
The mapping between iOffice and Batch schemas is stored in XML for
ease of change management and separation from code logic.
Solution #2: Embed the XML Batch Schema
Solution #2: Benefits of the Embedded XML Batch
Some benefits of this embedded Batch approach:
 Business logic handled via schema validation from the JAXB objects;
and then from SEVIS responses to individual transactions.
 Well-formed and valid XML is generated from the JAXB objects.
 Schema change management via the generation of JAXB objects and
the revision of the XML mapping.
Solution #2: Conversion to SEVIS 5.0 Schemas
SEVIS implements a new set of
schemas for Batch on 06/24/2005.
The iOffice approach reduces
much of the cost of schema
changes to generating JAXB
objects and updating the XML
mapping between iOffice and
Batch schemas.
Cost: $30 * 35 hours = $1,050
Generate JAXB
Objects
.5
F-1 Mapping
12.0
J-1 Mapping
8.0
Automated
Transactions
2.5
cURL and
Transaction Logs
4.0
Test SEVIS
Processing (400+)
8.0
Total Hours
35.0
Solution #3: Alerts Module for Federal Compliance
Issue #3: An analysis module to ensure the institution is in
compliance with immigration and institutional regulations.
Solution #3: Alerts in iOffice
are pluggable services to
identify groups of individuals
with given compliance issues.
A color coding scheme is used
for the severity of the issue.
Solution #3: Alerts Module for Federal Compliance
 Alerts are modular components that can
identify issues at a granular level.
 Ability to handle time sensitivity in given
groups of alerts (i.e. registration rules).
Solution #4: PeopleSoft Data Feed to iOffice
Issue #4: Integration with institutional system (i.e. PeopleSoft) to ensure
SEVIS and the institutional systems are well coordinated.
Solution #4: Data Transformation Services (DTS) in SQL Server are used
to extract institutional data from the institutional data warehouse to
update iOffice.
 Certain action-able data (i.e. address changes) will queue the system for the
creation of a SEVIS batch record.
 Other data issues (i.e. invalid PeopleSoft visa type) will result in alerts.
Conclusion & iOffice Demonstration