edgeconnect technical guide

Technical Guide

Contents 01

edgeConnect: Technical Guide

02edgeConnect: right first timebusiness solutions

03edgeConnect IDE

06edgeConnect RTE

08Management and control facilitiesand System requirements

09About edge IPK

Presentation Integration

Presentation Process

Presentation Types

Multi-Branded

Multi-Channel

Multi-User

Multi-Lingual

Multi-Experience

Databases LegacySystems

3rd PartySoftware

MiddleWare

BusinessObjects

edgeConnectRTE

ApplicationServer

RichClient

ThinClient

OfflineClient

PortalClient

ProcessMgr

RulesMgr

SessionMgr

DB XML WebServices Java COM

WebServiceClient

edgeConnectIDE

edgeConnectDeployment

Manager

ProjectFile

VersionControl

edgeConnectRun Time Environment

edgeConnectAdministrator

edgeConnect: right first time business solutions 02

edgeConnect is a powerful and flexible userexperience platform that eliminates thecomplex, costly and time-consuming effort ofdeveloping business solutions. Its uniquecapability allows business users and IT to worktogether to create, visualise, deploy andmaintain complex front-end applications.

Used by major financial institutions and blue-chipsystems integration companies, it is the onlyplatform that allows you to create multiplepresentation experiences from a single applicationprocess definition. This powerful capability meansthat you can support contextual applications fordifferent user types, deliver to multiple deliverychannels and support different languages andbrands without duplicating effort.

edgeConnect supports different presentationexperiences, including: online (rich client and thinclient – typically used for disability access and mobiledevices), offline, portal or composite clients.

Users are able to create these experiences withoutneeding to know scripting or the underlyingtechnologies, such as Web Services or JavaScript.

The edgeConnect user experience platform providesa complete suite of tools to build, document, deployand maintain business solutions. These are describedin detail over the following pages.

The platform has two key elements: the IntegratedDevelopment Environment (IDE) and the Run TimeEnvironment (RTE). The IDE enables the rapiddevelopment, visualisation and maintenance ofbusiness solutions. The RTE is the server platformthat renders a completed application for end users.It is a multi-presentation engine that provides highperformance, scalability and security with supportfor open standards.

The edgeConnect user experience platform alsocomprises the edgeConnect Deployment Manager,edgeConnect Administrator and pre-builtapplications and modules available for specificvertical markets.


edgeConnect Architecture

edgeConnect IDE 03

The edgeConnect IDE is a powerfuldesktop application that enables the rapidconfiguration, visualisation and maintenanceof business solutions. The IDE may be used bya single business user or by multiple users,with each addressing separate aspects ofthe development.

The true power of the IDE is its ability to separatethe presentation (branding, language, behaviourand experience type) from the business process(screens: data capture and presentation, logic,validation) and from integration. This separationallows individual users to capitalise on the strengthof their knowledge, ensuring ‘right first-time’delivery. For example:> Business users can visualise application screens,

process logic and validation.> IT/technical users can integrate the developed

solution to legacy and third-party systems. > Marketing users or designers can add the look-

and-feel of the business process.


04

This unique separation ensures that each interestedparty has the maximum influence on the part of thebusiness process where they have the mostknowledge and direct involvement. edgeConnectcreates this true separation of process, integrationand presentation in the IDE with three key editors:

The Process Editor is used to create and visualisebusiness processes. A process is made of multiplephases, which may consist of text, data entry fields,rules, buttons and even online help to guide endusers. The IDE's powerful rules engine provides anextensive range of configurable rules to enableautomation of business logic without writing code.

The Presentation Editor is used to create andmanage the look and feel as well of a process.Multiple presentations can be created and appliedto processes without limit. And even though aprocess might be associated with separatepresentations for different brands, audiences orchannels, a single change in the process willautomatically replicate across all presentations. Aseparate Theme editor is also provided to create re-usable look and feel designs to achieveconsistency throughout all applications withoutduplicating effort.

The Integration Editor supports open interfacesfor integration to in-house systems, third-partysoftware or middleware. It supports relationaldatabases, XML, Web services, and applicationsdeveloped in Java, Microsoft COM, or .NET.

Features

Key features of the edgeConnect IDE:

Auto-generation of screensedgeConnect can automatically generate businesssolutions from databases, XML Schema and WebService definitions (WSDL), thereby dramaticallyreducing development times. This powerful featurecan produce screens, a data model and integrationto the source from which the project wasgenerated. These screens can then be testedimmediately within the IDE.

Multiple presentation experiences In addition to supporting multiple presentations fordifferent look and feel, edgeConnect allows you todeploy each presentation in a different experiencewithout any additional effort. Currently theseexperiences include:> Rich: Dynamic experience that utilises arich pallete

of Ajax enabled controls providing a much moredesktop style experience.

> Accessible: supporting accessible browsers suchas readers for the blind.

> Pure HTML: Provides a lightweight UI without anyclient side Javascript typically used to createapplications for devices that have very basicbrowsing capability

> Portal: compliant to Java portal standards thisexperience is deployed as a standard portletsupporting portlet communication and views

ComponentsAs organisations standardise their user interfaces onbrowser based technology the sheer scale andnumber of screens deployed will increase greatly.Components in edgeConnect allow you to createre-usable screens to reduce development effort andcreate consistency of common screens. Thesecomponents adopt the applications look and feel sothat they blend into applications naturallyComponents can be complete screens, parts of ascreen or just logic or integration so provide greatflexibility to maximise re-use..


05

Widget Framework In the past developers have been reliant upon usingdefault browser interface controls for particular formelements. Most of these are quite bland and basicsuch as text fields, buttons and images.

edgeConnect provides a rich palette of moreadvanced controls (widgets) which can be usedwithout scripting. These include AJAX AutoComplete text boxes, transferable lists, anddate pickers.

However edgeConnect is not constrained to it’sown controls and has a powerful “widgetframework” that supports the use of 3rd partywidget libraries such as BackBase, Dojo and JQueryproviding limitless capability to utilise rich controls.The framework enables the use of these 3rd partycontrols without the need for scripting meaningthat non-developers can create highly dynamicrich applications.

Project documentationDocumentation is an important part of any newdevelopment. But it can be very time consuming tocreate and maintain, which causes a drag on projecttime lines. That is why edgeConnect automatesnon-development aspects of the project lifecycle bygenerating documentation for the solutionsproduced. This supports a business functionalspecification to meet IT governance requirementsand base-line test scripts for testers. Produced inHTML, these documents can be further edited forcustomisation purposes. Whenever any changes aremade to the application, the documentation isautomatically updated and can be output at anystage, reducing the maintenance burden.

edgeConnect also provides a notes capability todocument applications. These notes can becategorised so that notes can be captured for anypurpose during the project lifecycle. For examplenotes could be used to document feedback fromscreen previews, specifications for complexfunctionality or to document bugs/issues foundin testing.

DataSetsedgeConnect allows you to create test data to drivedynamic behaviour in an application. This is apowerful capability that can greatly improve iterativeprototyping and assist in demonstrations of anapplication when applications data sources areunavailable.

Other features of the edgeConnect IDE include:> Drag and drop interface within a single editor

or across editors, saving valuable time and effort.> Context sensitive hot-keys to speed the

development process.> Business level reuse of individual items

(e.g. data entry fields), groups of items (e.g.address fields), phases (e.g. payment details)or entire processes (e.g. an online mortgageapplication form).

> Rapid visualisation that enables businessusers to run or preview processes, so usabilityproblems can be identified straight away. Thisincludes the ability to get a diagrammatical viewof screen flow.

> A comprehensive rules engine that supportsintelligent questioning, system integration,validation and more. As well as its own rulesengine, users have the option of using specialistthird-party rules by using one of edgeConnect'sintegration options.

> Notes allows project functionality to be describedin detail therefore reducing the overhead ofmaintaining external documentation.

> Fragment editor allows you to share any part ofyour development across other projects enablinggreater re-use across developers.


edgeConnect RTE 06

Application's created in the edgeConnect IDEare deployed with the edgeConnect RTE. TheRTE provides a standard and consistentinfrastructure for all edgeConnect applicationsmanaging many of the technical requirementsnormally associated with enterprise webapplications such as security, scalability,performance, fault tolerance and cross browsersupport. The RTE is platform, database andlanguage independent and provides maximumflexibility with its multi-presentation engine.

The RTE requires an applications container whichcan be any of the following:> J2EE Application Server, such as Sun Application

Server, WebSphere, WebLogic or JBoss. > Servlet platform such as Apache Tomcat or

Macromedia JRun.> Microsoft IIS 5+ (.Net).> Microsoft IIS 4 (COM).


Presentation Integration

Presentation Process

Presentation Types

Multi-Branded

Multi-Channel

Multi-User

Multi-Lingual

Multi-Experience

Databases LegacySystems

3rd PartySoftware

MiddleWare

BusinessObjects

edgeConnectRTE

ApplicationServer

RichClient

ThinClient

OfflineClient

PortalClient

ProcessMgr

RulesMgr

SessionMgr

DB XML WebServices Java COM

WebServiceClient

07

Features

Powerful scalabilityThe edgeConnect RTE supports the development ofapplications that serve thousands of userssimultaneously by employing the followingcomponents and techniques:> Application server delegation – The RTE

delegates session management to the applicationserver. This ensures that the RTE can be installedbehind multiple application servers, takingadvantage of any resilience built into theapplication server architecture (e.g. loadbalancing, clustering and/or multi-processorhardware, fail-over recovery, replicated sessions).This delegated model allows edgeConnect toscale, perform and persist through provenindustry standard platforms.

> Multi-threading – Because the RTE is multi-threaded, it can be used in conjunction withmulti-processor servers. Harnessing the power ofthese servers allows the operating system of theserver to spread workload to optimiseperformance. This feature, along with theApplication Server Delegation, ensures that theRTE can be scaled within a single server or bymultiple servers to handle large user volumes.

> Database pooling – The RTE providesconfigurable database pooling, allowingcontrolled access to corporate databases.Simultaneously, it also enables maximumperformance for heavy usage. Alternatively,edgeConnect gives you the option ofusing database pooling provided by theapplication server.

> Performance configuration – The RTE allowstwo methods of operation for performanceconfiguration:• Agility – edgeConnect can be configured at

first to make live changes as soon as they areavailable without having to re-start theedgeConnect RTE.

• Speed – Once the application is settled, bycaching business processes in memory themost optimal performance can be achieved

Delivering an open standards platformedgeConnect is committed to providing an openstandards platform to future-proof your investmentand ensure maximum integration flexibility.

edgeConnect performs on any hardware andoperating system that supports a Java runtime andwill run on COM, .NET and J2EE application servers.It integrates with any SQL database via JDBC andcommunicates with COM components, Webservices, XML interfaces, and Java components(classes and EJB).

Enabling securityBecause the edgeConnect RTE is integrated with theapplication server of your choice, standards-basedSSL can be leveraged to ensure data is securelydelivered. Additionally, the RTE has an openinterface with third-party security systems, such asRSA secure-id token keys, LDAP or Active Directory-based authentication.

The RTE also has configurable security settings forvalidating the integrity of data coming back from anapplication to eliminate hacking threats. A widerange of techniques are deployed including checksfor the OWASP top ten security threats. Havingthese checks in the server removes the risk ofdevelopers not incorporating security features intoevery screen created.

Cross Browser SupportedgeConnect renders screen in standard HTML thatis cross browser compliant. No additional plug-insare required which maximises the reach of users onthe web and makes deployment simple.


Management and control facilities

edgeConnect Administrator edgeConnect provides release management andversion control facilities to co-ordinate multi-developer teams through an administrator interface.The edgeConnect Administrator includes:> Roles and permissions for development

participants to control access to projects.> Release cycle definition, to manage releases

through a user defined lifecycle, such as develop,test and live.

> Release management, to manage thepromotion/relegation of project files throughthe lifecycle.

> A version control server to manage and trackchanges. This ensures that multi-developer teamsdo not overwrite each others’ work, and thatdevelopers can only modify what they have beengiven permission for.

> A complete audit history of who madewhat changes.

edgeConnect Deployment ManageredgeConnect’s Deployment Manager manages thedeployment of releases and associated configurationfiles, and installs to the edgeConnect RTE. TheedgeConnect Deployment Manager allows you to:> Manage configuration settings for projects.> Configure “environment” parameters without

changing project files (e.g. database sources,which may differ between development, testingand deployment).

> Package associated libraries, such as JavaScript,HTML and image files.

> Configure portlets and Web services.> Build a deployment package that can be installed

on a web application server.

edgeConnect system requirements

The following details the minimum system andserver requirements of edgeConnect.

edgeConnect IDE and Administrator> PC with Pentium IV or above, or equivalent UNIX

processor.> 1GB of RAM or above recommended.> 400MB of available hard disk space.> 1024x768 or higher resolution monitor.> Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 with JavaScript

enabled, to execute Preview and Runfunctionalities.

edgeConnect Server for Version andRelease ManagementA server is required for the edgeConnectEnterprise Developer to control version andrelease management.> Server with Xeon processor or above, or

equivalent UNIX processor.> 1GB of RAM or above recommended.> 512MB of available hard disk space.

edgeConnect Run Time ServerA server is required for deployment of the businesssolution in the edgeConnect Run Time Environment.> Server with Xeon processor or above, or

equivalent UNIX processor. > 1GB RAM or above recommended.> 400MB of available hard disk space.> Any mainstream Java Application Server

supporting the J2EE Servlet Specificationversion 2.2 or above.

edgeConnect end user requirementsThe following requirements are necessary for theend users to run the deployed business solution:> Microsoft Internet Explorer v6, v7 or v 8,

Firefox v2 or v3, Safari v3 or v3.1,Opera v8.5 or v9, Google Chrome v4.

Management and control facilities and System requirements 08


edge IPK is the leading provider of UserExperience Platform (UXP) for creating andmanaging multi-channel business applications.

With edgeConnect, it has helped leading insurance,lending and banking organisations to deliver a widerange of front-end business solutions providingaccelerated return on investment and with far moreintrinsic flexibility for change than has traditionallybeen possible. edge IPK eliminates the costly andtime-consuming effort of writing code to developbusiness process solutions. This revolutionaryapproach increases the flexibility to deploy solutionsfor new brands, channels and geographies withminimal effort.

edge IPK has a blue chip customer base in financialservice organisations including globalimplementations for ABN AMRO and ZurichFinancial Services and group wide implementationsat LV=, Willis, and Allianz.

edge IPK3 Station YardStation RoadHungerfordBerkshire RG17 0DY

T + 44 (0)1635 231231F +44 (0)1488 685160E [email protected] www.edgeipk.com

About edge IPK 09

edgeconnect technical guide

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