SmartIntegrator

SmartIntegrator is the development tool-set used by customers and vendor partners to integrate external applications with SmartOffice.

Overview

SmartIntegrator has two primary components:
  • A REST Web Service "XML Engine" running behind the SmartOffice application that can receive external requests.
  • Buttons and hyperlinks within SmartOffice called "Adapters" that launch scripted events.
To use SmartIntegrator for application development you will need a business expert who understands your organization’s business processes and is familiar with SmartOffice. You will also need a developer who is familiar with Web Services and XML. Most of SmartIntegrator’s features are accessed through the XML Engine, making the programming language unimportant. A few options require familiarity with JavaScript? and XSLT.

SmartIntegrator.png

FAQ's

Can I use SmartIntegrator to [insert business requirement here]?

SmartIntegrator is designed to allow you to programmatically replicate virtually anything you could do manually in SmartOffice. If you can design a business process around SmartOffice that accomplishes your goals, you should be able to leverage SmartIntegrator to create an application that does it for you.

So, I can just configure SmartIntegrator to do all that stuff for me?

No. SmartIntegrator is just a development tool, not a solution unto itself. You will need a programmer to create your solution, but SmartIntegrator will give that programmer powerful access to SmartOffice functionality.

What can’t I do with SmartIntegrator?
  • SmartIntegrator cannot passively initiate workflows based on data being modified or viewed by users; this is something that would be expected of a workflow management engine. Workflows that should be initiated by users in SmartOffice require the user to explicitly enter the workflow through a SmartIntegrator button or link.
  • SmartIntegrator does not allow you to expand/modify the SmartOffice data model. SmartIntegrator can interact with the “custom” fields in SmartOffice that users can configure with their own labels, but it doesn’t have tools for creating your own custom objects or redefining the properties of existing objects.
  • SmartIntegrator has limited options for creating and modifying user accounts. These limitations are intentional and were implemented for data security reasons.

What kinds of resources/expertise do I need to create a solution with SmartIntegrator?

You will need a business expert who understands your organization’s business processes and is familiar with SmartOffice. You will also need a developer who is familiar with Web Services and XML. Most of SmartIntegrator’s features are accessed through a REST service over XML, making the programming language unimportant. A few options require a familiarity with JavaScript? and XSLT.

Can I just connect directly to the database with SQL and do what I need to do?

If you are a self-hosting SmartOffice Enterprise customer, this is certainly within your rights. However, Ebix cannot provide support for you. The SmartOffice database contains over 1,000 tables with a drastically changing schema from release to release. SmartIntegrator uses the same data access layer as the SmartOffice user interface, which enables us to support forward-compatibility even with the changing schema.

What fields are available to read/modify through SmartIntegrator?

The DataDictionary document in our Development Kit lists all fields available through SmartIntegrator. It is most of the SmartOffice data model. Most fields that are missing can be easily added unless we have a security concern.


Topic revision: 10 May 2013, DavidEshelbrenner
 

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