VLab-CC: A Generic Framework of Virtual Laboratory Based on Component Composition

A generic framework of virtual laboratory based on component composition technique called VLab-CC was presented, mainly aimed at the flexibility and interoperability of laboratory system. In VLab-CC, the laboratory resources would be encapsulated into standardized page components or function components. These components facilitated resource share and system reconfiguration. An experiment meta-model (EM-model) was put forward, in which experiment application available to learners was assembled with components. VLab-CC was designed to implement EM-model by mapping it to workflow process meta-model of WfMC. An experiment application could be defined as workflow process, and was able to be created or modified easily at run time by using visual workflow modeling tool. Driven by the workflow engine, connector component invoked deferent function components for page components dynamically. So the separation of representation layer and logic layer of experiment application came true. Finally, an operating system virtual laboratory was developed on the basis of VLab-CC.