iPortal Integration Platform Technologies Technical Documentation

iPortal Integration Platform Technologies

This Page describes the architecture of the Interfaces iPortal uses for information integration and exchange with other platforms.

The iPortal is a platform for managing, integrating, and providing information. The larger a company, the more applications and the information in different systems. Thus, the more important the aspect of integration becomes.

The iPortal HLD Integration diagram shows in detail the various modules, components and interfaces that can be involved in an Integration process.

Legacy Information Integration

Applications, content management systems, filesystems, and in-house developments as well as wikis grown over a long period of time are usually too extensive, poorly structured, and too specifically linked to applications to be easily replaced. To prevent information silos, the iPortal can integrate information from various legacy systems. Content remains in its current form and is also made available in new (content delivery) systems via the iPortal.

There are several key requirements an integration platform like the iPortal must fulfill.

The most important are:

Support of common formats
Interfaces to widespread applications and content delivery systems
Easy integration from common legacy systems
Enriching content from legacy systems with metadata, allowing for integration into a higher-level company-wide taxonomy and search functions

Information can either be imported into iPortal or read and displayed at runtime from external systems.

iPortal can integrate numerous formats such as:

Wiki formats (e.g. Confluence)
HTML
PDF
Data from applications such as tables and lists
Databases

MetaMatch

To integrate information into comprehensive search functions and display it in any system, it must be enriched with metadata. This is the purpose of the MetaMatch module. MetaMatch stores references to information combined with relevant metadata and is included in the iPortal search service. In this way, information is displayed in a single place using one search.

Content Delivery

The iPortal acts as integration platform for content from different areas into various systems that provide content. From an iPortal integration point of view, these applications are Content Delivery Systems which use iPortal content. iPortal Information Units can be framed for any application purpose. Frames can be defined for each single application scenario.

Typical Content Delivery Systems are:

Liibot
Spotters
SAP applications and platforms (e.g. S/4HANA, Jam)
Salesforce
ServiceNow
Microsoft Dynamics
Google Sites
Jira Software
Confluence
Microsoft Dynamics

Integration Levels

There are different levels of how the iPortal provides content during an integration process:

Level 1 - Link / File: A link to an iPortal page is integrated into a website of the application. The Content Delivery System uses files that iPortal prepares and makes available.
Level 2 - Application: Functionality is integrated into a website of the application.
Level 3 - Data Integration: Functionality is integrated into a website of the application and the data can be exchanged or iPortal can be controlled by transferred data.
Level 4 - Full Integration: iPortal is fully and transparently integrated via the interface. Data is transferred bidirectionally and iPortal reacts to events send by the application.

Level 1 - Link / File Integration

	iPortal Face Standard	iPortal Frames (Units)	HTML/PDF Files
Basic concept	iPortalFace is opened and runs on its own (completely and unchanged) in CDS window providing standard iPortalFace functionality: iPortalFace rendering Standard theme Standard Alf frames Menu Standard search	iPortalFace is opened and a limited and adapted functionality runs in a CDS window: iPortalFace rendering Special adapted theme for CDS (e.g. Salesforce, ServiceNow, Confluence) Special or dedicated Alf frames or Alf IUs adapted for use in the CDS No (or reduced) menu Standard search, reduced search or no search	iPortal exports HTML/PDF files regularly after changes in Alf units. iPortal Frames IUs CDS imports into system or reads from filesystem
IAM	There are 2 different ways of managing access and identities 1) Content is public for CDS users and there is no active management by CDS CDS connects with a technical user to iPortal no AM for iPortal content neither by CDS nor by iPortal 2) SSO for connecting of CDS users to iPortal is implemented AM by iPortal	There are 2 different ways of managing access and identities 1) Content is public for CDS users and there is no active management by CDS CDS connects with a technical user to iPortal no AM for iPortal content neither by CDS nor by iPortal 2) SSO for connecting of CDS users to iPortal is implemented AM by iPortal	CDS HTML files (iPortal frames) are managed like CDS content
Search	iPortal Sherlock	CDS search (metadat), iPortal Sherlock	CDS search
Meta data	iPortal	CDS, iPortal	The iPortal exports files and iPortal metadata. If the CDS needs other metadata, these are added: either generated during the export or created during the import
Comments	iPortal	CDS, iPortal	CDS

Level 2 - Application Integration

Level 3 - Data Integration

Level 4 - Full Integration

avato Content Hub

The source of cross-environmental content is the Content Hub.

In the integration process, the Content Hub is an opportunity to integrate external content. Other modules can access information added to the Content Hub by other systems

Most content is company-specific, but some of it is more universal. This includes information on regulatory affairs, legal requirements, norms or standards, and technologies. Via the Content Hub, users can make such content available to others.

Every new iPortal is pre-filled with universal content from the Content Hub. This includes, for example, information about the iPortal itself, descriptions of the IM methodology , training and certification instructions and numerous templates. It is constantly updated and expanded and is the basis for content-related updates for all customer environments.

In addition to avato content, the concept also includes the long-term option of offering third-party content via the Content Hub.

avato Analytics System

The avato Analytics System aggregates information from several sources into a Data Lake and uses it as an input for several data analysis methods. Analytics is an important component of the avato Information Management concept and one of the benefits of integrated information.

Data collection and analysis serve the purpose of achieving the iPortalâ??s goals faster, better and more comprehensively by allowing for close monitoring and early recognition of optimization potentials. The following goals are the most important ones supported by analytics:

Improve content of customer iPortal implementations
Improve the customer's IT
Improve the customer's business

In addition, the data also helps to improve the iPortal itself.

Data Lake concept

The data lake is an example on iPortal using content from different sources. The avato iPortal uses it to generate added value.

The concept is based on two approaches:

The data is evaluated in every iPortal installation in order to continuously improve it. This is done with the Analytics module.
Data from different installations is collected anonymously into the data lake to improve and optimize the iPortal itself as well as make the data available for each customer iPortal implementation.

Data Sources

The avato iPortal data lake can use different data sources:

Data on the implementation of the iPortal at the customer
Data based on use of the iPortal
iPortal content data
ITSM data
CMDB data
Asset data