BPM Vanilla 44 New Features

Vanilla 4.4

New Features

Author: Patrick Beaucamp

Contact: [email protected]

www.bpm-conseil.com

www.freeanalysis.fr

Date: October 2013

Document: Vanilla44 New Features

Vanilla Version 4.4

Vanilla: the True Honest Open Source Business Process Information Management Platform

BPM Conseil - Sàrl au capital de 70 000 euros - RCS LYON 479 400 129

9, rue Pierre Blanc - 69001 Lyon - France

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SUMMMARY

1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 3

2 Technical & Architecture evolution ............................................................................................. 4

3 Functional & Studio evolution ..................................................................................................... 5

3.1 Mobile Proposal .................................................................................................................... 5

3.1.1 Vanilla Mobile ................................................................................................................ 5

3.1.2 Vanilla Mobile Report Writer ......................................................................................... 5

3.2 Vanilla Studios ....................................................................................................................... 6

3.2.1 BiGateWay ..................................................................................................................... 6

3.2.2 FreeAnalysisSchemaDesigner ....................................................................................... 6

3.2.3 Enterprise Services ......................................................................................................... 6

3.2.4 FreeMetadata .................................................................................................................. 6

3.2.5 BiWorkflow .................................................................................................................... 6

3.2.6 FreeDashBoard............................................................................................................... 6

3.3 New Packages........................................................................................................................ 7

3.3.1 Vanilla Architect ............................................................................................................. 7

3.3.2 Package Manager ........................................................................................................... 7

3.3.3 Hypervision .................................................................................................................... 7

3.4 Vanilla Kpi Corner................................................................................................................. 8

3.4.1 KPI Integration ............................................................................................................... 8

3.4.2 Oda drivers for Kpi datasource ...................................................................................... 8

3.5 Vanilla Web Interface corner ................................................................................................. 9

3.5.1 Vanilla portal .................................................................................................................. 9

3.5.2 Fm Loader Web and FmKpi Web ................................................................................... 9

3.5.3 Document Management ................................................................................................. 9

3.5.4 Web apps ........................................................................................................................ 9

3.6 Various subjects ................................................................................................................... 10

3.6.1 Documentation ............................................................................................................. 10

3.6.2 Vanilla Packages .......................................................................................................... 10

3.6.3 Vanilla Properties Management ................................................................................... 10




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1 Introduction

This document introduces the main new features of Vanilla 4.4 version: The True Honest Open Source Business Process Information Management Platform.

With version 4.4, we offer new versions of some Internal Vanilla Components to make it stronger and easier to manage. Version 4.4 contains a lot of technical improvements and comes also with some functional enhancements.




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2 Technical & Architecture evolution

As part of Technical Evolution, we removed the Bonita (Workflow engine) and Quartz (scheduler) and replace those engines by our own engines. We shaped again our Reporting engine to have again support for Ireport format.

The improvement of the report engine comes with a rewrite of the Report API. It has direct consequence like the support of cascading prompts in FreeWebReport. We provide also support for the latest database version from leading editor such as MySql (version 5.6), MariaDb (10), Oracle (version 12), PostgreSql (version 9.3) and Microsoft SqlServer2008 / SqlServer2012 (Including support for xmla 1.1 for Microsoft SqlServerAnalysisServices)

Another important technical subject is the revamping of our repository to make it faster to access, easier to manage and easier to analyze. We removed also the Repository Web Archive to embed repository functions into the Vanilla Runtime Web Archive (one Archive less to deploy: it decreases the size of the Vanilla Server!)

We provide also support for MariaDB because we strongly believe that MariaDb is the way to go for Sql & NoSql applications (together with the support for Cassandra). MariaDb and MySQL are compatible, plus some features to support native non-blocking operations and progress reporting. This means that all the connectors, libraries and applications which work with MySQL should also work with MariaDB (whether or not they support its native features).

Last Engine upgrade is the support for Birt 4.3 version on server side but also Birt 4.3 Designer (update of the Vanilla Plugins provided).




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3 Functional & Studio evolution

On Functional Side, we provide an update of our Tablet Report Writer and support for disconnected mode on Tablet and Smartphone. We now have full support for any Ldap-like authentification server (including Microsoft Active Directory) and we provide a common repository for database definition available in every designer.

3.1 Mobile Proposal

3.1.1 Vanilla Mobile

Our Mobile App connects to a Vanilla server and run reports, dashboard and cubes or browse alerts & kpi. Vanilla Reader get also a fresh new cutting edge features: disconnected mode which allows users to synchronize their packages with a Vanilla server. This mode allows to browse the package content (reports, cubes views) while being disconnected from the server. This Apps comes also with an improvement of the interface made in order to validate the latest Android design rules for user interface. Both Smartphone and Tablet are compatible with the Apps.

3.1.2 Vanilla Mobile Report Writer

Vanilla 4.4 Mobile proposal comes with a new Apps launched in order to meet customer new expectations on Tablet. We are now only focusing on Android for our development line of mobile products.

Our new Apps, Vanilla Report Designer, is only available for Android. (We only provided an upgrade of the IOS Apps and its support for the new Vanilla platform but no new Apps).

Because of Android framework evolution, we now have a better management of the interface in a single package that takes advantage of the Smartphone and the Tablet interfaces.




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3.2 Vanilla Studios

3.2.1 BiGateWay

BiGateway provides some interesting new features such as alternate connection support, enhanced support for csv files, encryption/decryption on dataset, web services datasources support and new architect document input box.

3.2.2 FreeAnalysisSchemaDesigner

New security rules in the creation Wizard: you can no longer add a dimension or a measure 2 times in the cube definition by mistake.

3.2.3 Enterprise Services

Enhancement of XML editor on object: UTF8 support, Search & Replace function, Copy/Paste function.

3.2.4 FreeMetadata

Interface improvement: Alphabetical Order for each entry in all the treeview.

Functional improvement: Cascading prompt definition.

A lot to come soon with FreeMetadata. This package is really awarded by strong recognition from the community.

3.2.5 BiWorkflow

Functional improvement: No need to export and register (deploy, undeploy, run) a workflow before running in from server. Exporting the workflow make it immediately available on server and for scheduling tasks.

3.2.6 FreeDashBoard

Parameter warnings: On the workspace, there is now a red flag until all the parameters are setup. It helps users to check the integrity of the dashboard.

Packaging: you can now create a FdPackage from your studio and open it from another workstation.




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3.3 New Packages

.. either new package, or more than just a simple evolution …

3.3.1 Vanilla Architect

Our MDM proposal is now a standalone package (It was before included within the BiGateway module and we now branded it as Vanilla Architect). It provides numerous improvements with support for document versioning from the portal in order to manage life cycle on any kind of external resources.

3.3.2 Package Manager

New package format: vanilla.packages. They replace bpm package with more options and detailed content inside.

3.3.3 Hypervision

Our commercial offer to monitor a cluster of Vanilla servers got numerous new features such as monitoring of Etl and Workflow with all logs information.

Hypervision 4.4 focuses on user interface in order to make it less technical and easier to play with. The strength of the products is already affirmed since its first version. Our objective is to speed up the deployment of Hypervision along with the growth of the number of large Customers (Customers with hundreds of concurrent end users and generally speaking with more than 2 Vanilla servers).




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3.4 Vanilla Kpi Corner

3.4.1 KPI Integration

Kpi integration inside the Vanilla platform has been reshaped with common login interface for WebKpi and WebKpiLoader interfaces.

Functional improvement for tools: a new oda driver for Kpi is available for Dashboard and Reporting.

3.4.2 Oda drivers for Kpi datasource

The drivers are now compliant with Kpi/axis and timeline selection.

We added the support for dependant Kpi (Kpi which are calculated thanks to other Kpi).




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3.5 Vanilla Web Interface corner

3.5.1 Vanilla portal

We removed the former ProcessManager package (Java module) and placed it into the portal as a portlet which allows admin users to manage schedule for process.

We also provide some of the admin function in the Web portal. These functions are taken from the ones available in Enterprise Services.

3.5.2 Fm Loader Web and FmKpi Web

Those two Web interfaces now have the same connection interface.

3.5.3 Document Management

There is no the possibility to restore any previous versions of a document as the current version.

3.5.4 Web apps

WebApps connection interface is now the same for any Web Apps.




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3.6 Various subjects

3.6.1 Documentation

We updated our documentation which is now available in the registered part of our new WebSite. We provide also there updated videos in order to discover Vanilla (including videos for Tablet). Those documentation and videos are available for free since the first versions of Vanilla and these items already helped hundreds of developers to begin with Vanilla.

3.6.2 Vanilla Packages

On Vanilla Apps, we upgraded more than 95% of our packages (only Cocktail has been deprecated for some obvious reasons) and we provide new packages (e-commerce side) and a complete set of updated documentations for each package.

3.6.3 Vanilla Properties Management

Since Vanilla v3 (almost 3 years ago), vanilla.properties has been the single document for Vanilla server setup parameters. Vanilla property file & package have been upgraded because of modification (There is no more scheduler entries. There is new Ldap security set-up and other packages parameters such as Agila).

The entire configurations are stored in a single file. The vanilla.properties file that you can edit either manually or using vanilla.propertyeditor.jar (we updated this software also to reflect the latest changes and the new configuration options).

We can do this because we are a software editor, not an aggregator of various bundle solutions; this is a key point when it comes to deploy and manage your bi architecture at enterprise level.

Documents

BPM Vanilla 44 New Features