5key Features

Legacy integration

5key provides a clear interface for integration into external applications. The interface consists of a model and a presentation layers. The model layer provides access to processes in the container, execution of processes, access to statistics and results of processes, etc. The presentation layer provides ready-to-use objects and components for integration with web applications. The design of the interface facilitates the use of JSP.

Scalability

Both the container and the elements of the process are open to further extending their functionalities. Typical case of using the API is recording the statistics of a running process or localization of processes (see below). Through the API the developer can define new devices, register the elements for monitoring the processes, and registering the filters to be activated on startup of the process (filtering, filling out and adjusting parameters of the process that travel to and from the user, etc.).

Localization

Information about the processes and their elements is presented in the user interface in localized form. Corresponding localization is selected according to the national environment of the user. 5key utilizes the standard Java localization mechanism to define localized names of the modules, processes, and elements. Besides localization of the process and its elements, it is usually desirable to localize parameters of the process elements, especially those communicating with the end-user. The parameters of the process elements are usually localized by the developer of the process elements, however, the process designer can also take part.

Incremental development of processes

To prepare the process, the designer uses 5key IDE. The IDE provides a home environment for launching and testing the processes before deployment on a runtime server. Once the designer is satisfied with the test results, he places the module with the process on a server and verifies its functionality. If error, he returns back to work in the home environment. Because configurations of the home and runtime environments may differ, 5key facilitate setting parallel configurations of the device for alternative environments.

Robustness

It can be desirable that the process handling large volumes of ÒlineÓ data does not terminate on a faulty line. Instead the container records the incident into the process log and proceeds to next line. The designer analyzes the process and decides whether it can be launched in the fault-tolerant mode, how many incorrect lines will the process tolerate before it stops, and what types of defects will be considered critical, i.e. intolerable.

Http process URL dispatcher

The processes can be launched using a particular URL. The URL carries the information about the process, values of its parameters and the launch mode. The references to processes can be easily integrated into legacy web pages and portals.

Asynchronous launch of processes

The 5key process can be launched without waiting for its end. Because in such case the user loses direct control over the process, 5key provide alternative access to information about current state of the process. The container maintains a record for each launched process. The record contains statistics of the process and of the devices participating on its run, and also the list of references to the results of the process. The record can be viewed in the web admin user interface. Open API of the container allows the developer to create proprietary view of statistic data.

Monitoring of running processes, logging

The container tests the process run and monitors all involved devices. The 5key statistics consists of two parts: the process log and the logs of involved devices. Among others, the process log contains a state information (whether the process has finished or is still running) and the fault attribute indicating that the process recorded an incident. The device log holds the quantitative information about the input and output streams, e. g. number of characters read or written by the device and the list of incidents brought about by the device.

Authorization of users to the processes

It is usually practical that the user access to the processes is restricted. In 5key the process can be associated with the list of roles authorized to the process. The administrator may, for instance, interrupt and suspend the process.