Introduction

This introduction serves to provide a general and comprehensive understanding. The descriptions of settings for specific areas of the GUI are linked directly from the current context of the GUI via the help mode (see below).

You'll also find numerous context-related introductory videos in help mode.

Architecture


See section Architecture.

GUI/Login


A standard Internet browser can be used to access the GUI. Following the direct link.

Note: See also sections Adding an HTTPS listener and Let's Encrypt/ACME/Certbot.


http://<IP_of_Integration_Server_or_DMZ>:9000/_data


See section Login (→ SSO, two factor authentication (2FA), session timeout).

Multiple users can use the GUI on different machines (or the same) and connect to the same Integration Server. See also section Sessions.

Custom theming/Logo


./webapps/root/_data_theme.properties
./webapps/root/_data_logo.png

Users


Users can be created in the User Administration. The default user is admin, with password admin. This password should be changed after the first login. See section User menu.

Clients


You can operate multiple clients. For each client, it is defined which entries (profiles, partners/channels, etc.) the client has access to. For users, in turn, the clients to which they have access are defined. Details on the relationships and configuration can be found in section Clients.

General control elements


General GUI control elements of the GUI are described here. Although the GUI is designed very intuitively, a short glance will certainly not do any harm.

Glossary and concepts


Specific explanations of technical terms and concepts used in the documentation are listed here. But you will usually find direct links in the documentation when these terms/concepts are used. So you can get familiar with them if necessary.

Data processing


As already shown, the software consists of two components. A server component where data processing is performed, and a client component (browser GUI) that allows users to perform monitoring and troubleshooting tasks, administer communication parameters for business partners, and develop, test, and maintain profiles.

A profile represents a data processing program in graphical form, without the need to program. If data is received by the Integration Server and assigned to a profile, a job is created for this profile. Alternatively, a profile job can be started time-controlled or triggered by another profile or a workflow (see below). These jobs are the core units of data processing.

Many of you will already have experience in dealing with profiles and will appreciate the advantages of this simple form of data processing. However, these days more and more business areas are being incorporated into the digital sphere. On the one hand, of course, this is an advantage because it offers opportunities to increase efficiency. On the other hand, it also increases the complexity of the processes that you have to model digitally. To accompany you on this path and make it as simple as usual, we offer a further abstraction level of data processing with the add-on module "Workflow". With this module you can graphically model complex digital processes (without necessarily knowing technical details) and then fill them with technical life. These two steps can be performed by different people, providing a communication tool between your business departments and IT. This allows you to make existing processes clearer, but of course also to design new processes in a simple way, whereby you can easily integrate already existing and proven profiles, for example, but also more.

Communication partners


Maintaining the most important parameters you need to communicate with your partners is done centrally in the Partner Administration with channels. This could, for example, be the URL, login, password, etc. to an FTP server. In addition to the increased clarity that also facilitates maintenance. If the connection parameters change, you only have to adjust the data in one place and you do not forget a profile, for example.

Add-on modules


There are a number of add-on modules (that are subject to licensing), which can meet extended and more specific data processing requirements.

API (Java)


We provide a programming interface (API) that also allows you to develop your own components (preparsers, functions, etc.) in Java. However, other things are also possible, such as tapping changed profiles for external archiving (of the profile before the change). We offer in-depth training for this. If you are interested, please contact our Customer Success Team (customer.success@lobster.de).

Licences


The licences you need will be clarified with you directly by our sales/support staff.

Stable operation (system monitoring, error handling, configuration check)


The manual monitoring of the complete data processing takes place in the Control Center. You will find all the running, finished and planned jobs there. It is also possible to restart aborted jobs after, for example, incorrect input data has been corrected or previously unavailable data sources are now available. Also take a look at section Logging.

For automated monitoring you will find an overview of the possibilities in section concepts for ensuring stable operation.

You can request an automated check and optimisation of your installation via our support team. See section Lobster certified.

REST API (HTTP)


Control and monitor your software via HTTP. See section REST API.

Password security in configuration files


Since you will probably access many different systems, it is unavoidable for passwords to be stored in configuration files. To handle these safely, we offer several mechanisms. See sections Obfuscation and Masked and Encrypted Passwords.

System security


Performance


See sections OutOfMemoryError, Performance and Remote server for performance improvement.

In addition, profile jobs can be throttled if the CPU exceeds a certain load over a defined period of time. See the corresponding option in section Backup/Limits for details.

Docker/Kubernetes


Your software can also be run in a Docker/Kubernetes environment.

In this case, it is recommended to set the following system properties:

hub.datawizard.docker=true
hub.datawizard.enableDmzIpResolving=true

The character set can be customised in the following way:

file.encoding=UTF-8

Help and searching


Since you are reading the documentation, you have already found the help mode in the user menu. In addition to the introduction, you will find a context help for the current GUI page and help videos. See also the GUI section Help.

In addition, there is documentation available for specific standard components via the question mark icon.

Functions are an exception. Here, class-specific documentation is opened via the context menu of a function in the function list.

When searching for documentation, if possible, always go via the context. This automatically places you in the right area of the documentation. From there, usually every relevant topic is linked and you can also navigate in the menu on the left. If this does not lead to a result, you will also find a search window in the documentation at the top right.

Also try talking to our chatbot.

For search options, please refer to section "Search and find". In addition, you will find an expert search in many overviews.

Support


The best way to contact our support team is via the provided link in the help mode (see details there).

The link will open the email client configured in your browser with a new email. Most of the data relevant for our support team (e.g. installation ID in the subject, version, etc. in the mail text) will already be contained in this email. So in many cases your request can be processed faster , because it is no longer necessary to request this data from you.