Software

Test Pilot's web server component, first of all, requires a web server. Most modern web servers can run or be be extended to run Test Pilot. Server software which can run Test Pilot includes, but is not limited to:

• Star*Nine WebSTAR for MacOS
• QuidProQuo for MacOS
• Apple Computer's Appleshare IP for MacOS
• Sun Microsystems' Java Web Server for UNIX
• Netscape's Enterprise Server for UNIX and Windows NT
• Netscape's FastTrack Server for UNIX and Windows NT
• Lotus Domino for UNIX and Windows NT
• Novell Intranetware for Intel-compatible Platforms
• Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) for Windows NT
• Microsoft Personal Web Server for Windows 95/98

As Test Pilot's web server component is written in Java, the server must have a 100% Java compliant virtual machine (VM) installed upon it. Such VM's include but are not limited to:

• Apple's Macintosh Runtime Java (MRJ) version 2.0 or better for MacOS
  
  
• Sun Microsystems' Java Development Kit (JDK) version 1.1.6 or better for
  UNIX & NT
  
  
• Sun Microsystems' Java Runtime Environment (JRE) version 1.1.6 or better for
  UNIX & NT

Finally, the web server software must be able to run Java programs like Test Pilot's web server extension. Some web server software (e.g Netscape v3.6, Sun Java Web Server, Lotus Domino 4.6) support this capability out of the box. Others (e.g. Apple and Microsoft web servers) require third party software to connect the web server software with the Java VM. You'll need to consult your web server's documentation to see if it supports Java servlets natively or with the assistance of a plug-in.

Hardware

Memory Usage

Test Pilot typically consumes no more than an additional 10 megabytes of main memory on your web server. This includes the memory consumed by the Java VM. At today's prices, ten megabyutes of memory represents an investment of $10.

Disk Usage

Test Pilot tests consume roughly 1K of disk space per question; thus a 100 question test should consume 100K of disk space. User responses typically consume 1K per question answered; thus the data from 100 students responding to a 100 question test could consume 10 megabytes of disk space. Thus, to host 100 such tests a gigabyte of disk space is required. At today's prices such space represents an investment of $50.

This resource consumption usually represents such a small impact to most web servers that there is no need to purchase additional hardware in order to support Test Pilot.

Performance Issues

The performance of Test Pilot is dependent on a variety of factors. Some of these include:

• the server's processor speed
• the server's disk i/o speed
• the efficiency of the server's operating system
• the efficiency of the server's operating system's Java VM
• the efficiency of the server's web server software
• the server/user connection speed
• the number of other tasks the server is performing
• the number of users simultaneously accessing the server
• the number of users simultaneously accessing Test Pilot assessments

Test Pilot's web server extension performs its job as transactions. A typical assessment session consists of two transactions: the request for an assessment and the submission of responses to the assessment. Performance on web servers is impacted most by multiple simultaneous transactions. You will have to estimate the usage in your environment and make sure that sufficient server horsepower is available to handle the task. The following information may be of use:

• UNIX servers are typically the most efficient as handling Java programs and web server requests. An average UNIX server configuration can usually handle thousands of simultaneous transactions. Your mileage may vary.
  
  
• MacOS and Windows NT servers are somewhat less effecient at handling Java and vary widely on their efficiency of handling web server requests. Average MacOS and NT servers can usually handle simultaneous requests numbering from the low hundreds to low thousands. Once again, your mileage may vary.

Installation

We have included some information on how Test Pilot is typically installed on a number of platforms. Remember that since Test Pilot's web server extension is platform independent, it is also very scalable. That is, you can start out serving hundreds of users with a relatively inexpensive, easy-to-manage MacOS server and if your needs grow, you can move up to serving thousands of users with a powerful UNIX server. You'll be able to move your tests from one platform to the next without any need for a clumsy conversion process. It is capabilities like this that makes Java software in general, and Test Pilot in particular, so very attractive to the computing industry today.

• Installation on servers running Apple Computer's MacOS
  
  
• Installation on servers running Microsoft's Windows NT
  
  
• Installation on UNIX or Linux-based servers
  
  
• Installation on other platforms