International Conference on Education, Management and Computer Science (ICEMC 2016)

The Design of Public Computer Lab Management System Based on

Network Environment

Fayou Wang
Department of Property and Equipment Management, Linyi University, Linyi, China
[email protected]

Keywords: Equipment management; Public computer lab; Information system; Multi-strategic;

Network environment

Abstract. Along with the computer has become increasingly widespread, the public computer lab
undertake more and more tasks. Some problems in traditional computer lab management become
highlighted. This paper proposes a public computer lab management system consists four functional
parts. The proposed system provides a convenient and efficient way for the teachers and students to
communicate and improves the management level of public computer lab. This system is of great
significance for the new situation of laboratory management.

Introduction
With the development of computer technology, more and more industries have been using computers
for research and production. Now most of the domestic computer experiment teaching is not only
established for the computer science students for professional education, but also carried out basic
computer education to other majors. Obviously, different professions students need to learn and use a
variety of software. The content of public computer lab management includes a computer lab
environment and safety, behavior and rules of the users, network maintenance, update of software and
hardware and the use of multimedia software. Though there`s a large number of computers in the lab,
the vast majority of students are of different majors, which make the management of a public
computer lab extremely hard. As mentioned above, it is of great significant to design a public
computer lab management system for science and effective management.
The rest of this paper is organized as follows. The second part of this paper analysis the
requirement and design rules of the target public computer laboratory management system. In the
third section, the design principles and basic ideas are presented. Then the detailed design method and
steps are proposed in the next section. At the last section, the whole system is comprehensively
analyzed and summarized.

Requirement Analysis
As mentioned before, the establishment of school public computer laboratory is used not only to
ensure the basic computer experiment class, but also to meet the requirements of students in various
majors. School is a special society of fixed schedule where classes of different majors and subjects are
working almost at the same time. Though there is a large majority of computer laboratory in schools,
they cannot afford the hardware and software platform requires. What`s more, a simple laboratory
increase will result in laboratory management confusion, the arrangement and management of the
public computer laboratory is more complex. So the scientific and effective management of public
computer laboratory, which can ensure the operation and the high efficiency is of great importance.
Along with the construction of a digital campus, campus network has covered the whole region,
which can realize the information interchange in school. Campus card system is a commonly used
personal identity way based on the campus network. It provides relatively perfect service functions
such as identification, consumption, student management and financial transactions. This provides a
solid material foundation to overcome the disadvantages in the management of computer laboratory.

© 2016. The authors - Published by Atlantis Press 263

The existing campus network infrastructure should be made full use to design a set of appropriate
laboratory management system. The target system should have functions of project management,
teaching management, equipment management, data query and data statistics. This will provide great
help for public laboratory management and help to make experimental teaching work smoothly.

Design Principles
The design of a public computer laboratory management system should take actual environment,
hardware and software situations, staff status and service object into account. The proposed system
uses a mixing mode of C/S and B/S where coexist both Intranet and Internet.
The proposed system can be divided into three layers: the bottom layer (business operation layer),
middle layer (information management layer) and the top layer (decision support layer). The business
layer is the management layer of the network in a laboratory center, using C/S structure to responsible
for the day-to–day management of experimental teaching laboratory. The information layer is a
database management layer and responsible for statistical analysis, including analysis pooled data
from business operation layer, generate system status information, report errors and provide decision
support for managers. The information management layer is the link and key part of the entire system.
The decision support layer is presented as website of the laboratory. It is the information center of
internal and facilitates the decision maker information query, data analysis, error recognize and tasks
assignment. To the external environment, the information management layer is the sharing channel
and platform for information exchange. Database access technology, Web dynamic web technology
and information security strategy is the key to realize the system design. Combined with the actual
situation of experimental center, the target system is developed under Windows Server 2003 with
database MS SQL Server 2000, Microsoft.NET structure. Database manipulation and dynamic query
are implemented using ASP.NET and ADO.NET, while the dynamic interaction of the client’s
function is realized by hypertext markup languages such as HTML, JavaScript and C#. The basic
diagram of the proposed public computer laboratory management system is shown in Fig. 1.

Schedule Level
WEB Server

System Curriculum Computer User

Information Inquiry Reservation Management

Information Management Level

Communicate
Through Internet

Data Memory Data Switch Data Memory

Operation Level

Lab Management Unit

End-users

Figure 1. Basic diagram of the proposed public computer laboratory management system

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Functional Design
Technical Requirements. The management system should follow certain software development
system, and the various functions of the system should be closely integrated together to build a
complete system. For standardization, the management system should follow certain development
standards. In order to facilitate the expansion and other system’s access to the system should follow
open standards in the resource structure, properties, and database design. For cross-platform
convenience, distributed deployment of the management system should be able to run on a variety of
platforms. For flexibility, the system should be able to publish different levels of resources based on
user permission. In addition, security must be taken in count. The information resources, which
includes not only the resource itself, but also the information of the author, providers, reviewers and
user associated with the resources, should be observed and managed during the entire life cycle from
their generation, storage, use to discontinue use with secure conception.
Implement Steps. The implementation steps can be divided into four stages. The first stage is
positioned and planning of the system. The second stage is to select the hardware, detail technology,
database design method, division arrangements and implementation progress, which determine the
types of data and the use of standardized criteria for the modeling and design of the database. The
third stage is to design each module according to the division of overall system architecture and
function, complete design work of the system website, and complete the assembly and integration of
various functional modules. The last stage is to find system design errors, evaluate software usability
and do stress tests to the running ability and load capacity.
Module Functions. The proposed public computer laboratory management system consists of
four modules: equipment management subsystem, reservation subsystem, database management
subsystem and laboratory website server subsystem. Fig. 2 is the basic composition and mutual
relations of the proposed system.
In Fee

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fo db

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rm ac

na
at k

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n

Lab Manager Experimental Equipment

e n
Us tio
to lica

Qu
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Ap

Course
Supervise
Application

Teachers
Office of Academic Affairs
Student Users

Figure 2. Basic composition and mutual relations of the proposed system

Equipment Management Subsystem records management to undertake the task of teaching, the
laboratory maintenance management work and problems handling records. The system function of
equipment registration management is used to add, delete and modify the records of the laboratory
equipment corresponding to equipment additions, scrap and update. The hardware control function
refers to the only legitimates users, such as an appointment user, to open or access experimental
equipment to undertake corresponding experiment. Equipment management subsystem use real name

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system for any users, and number each computer and equipment to achieve point to point query and
access. According to the accurate usage information, this subsystem can arrange reasonable
maintenance time efficiently and effectively.
Reservation subsystem allows students to experiment by booking online registration. Because of
the great student demand on experience practice, students may encounter a lot of room arrangement
problems outside school hours. The students don’t know when the laboratory open in their spare time
makes this matter worse. Online Booking experiment provides a reliable basis for the proper
laboratory arrangement outside school hours.
Database management subsystem is the center of the public computer laboratory management
system. It bears the comprehensive information management of the database of the proposed central
laboratory management system, such as laboratory equipment information statistics, personnel
information storage, experimental content and log file editing and management, report generation and
data backup.
According to the educational course scheduling, the laboratory website server subsystem may
generate a semester timetable for the objective laboratory. Students, teachers and computer laboratory
administrators can login this system in any place connected to the campus network to access class
information. Teachers can replace class time taking free laboratory arrangement information
displayed in the subsystem into account. Once the classroom or the class arrangement is changed, the
students can receive mails to get the new classroom place and the new class time. In this way, teachers
and students can have an online exchange platform. Communicate on such system, one can learn to
discuss, and on the other hand, this may provide a way to share notices.
The Latter Extended Service. In terms of public laboratory management mode, we want to
realize unattended and automatic attendance of students in the experimental class. So it needs an
automatic card reading and recording system based on the network database environment. The system
is combined with the campus one-card service. The student books experimental time and
experimental instrument through the open laboratory booking system. Then the student's reservation
information is stored in the server database. He can be admitted to the laboratory by swiping campus
one-card on the booked time. The student is allowed to enter the lab only at the booked time. And if he
does not book in advance, he can’t enter the lab. After swiping the card, the student’s information
which recorded in the server database will be retrieved. Then the system opens the power of the
booked experimental equipment automatically. And the system records the basic usage information.

Conclusion
In conclusion, from the perspective of the whole school, the public laboratory management system
can be combined with other management systems by campus network. All of the systems from a
complete campus card system. The laboratory management system improves the level of laboratory
management and the utilization of laboratory resources. What’s more, it serves teachers and students
more conveniently and efficiently. Implementing collaborative management will be breaking new
ground to the university laboratory management software. Meanwhile, it plays an important role to
improve the level of teaching and scientific research in colleges.

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