Glossary

Glossary of terms.

The following terms and concepts are important when working with CRM.cockpit:

Base Package: Base packages are developed on station 10,000 and can be imported into any vertical version. Only items (info areas, catalogs etc.) common to all verticals can be added to a base package. Certain info areas differ slightly between verticals, e.g. the info area codes differ or the field numbers are not identical. Base field numbers and info area codes are available for these items in Aurea.CRM, and these base IDs can be used to reference these items across verticals.

Configuration item: Configuration items are added to processes as references, and form the bottom level in the package hierarchy. Configuration items can be formats, files, web designer configurations, records, info areas and catalogs. Each item can only be referenced by a process once.

Data model: The data model refers to the structure of the database tables used by Aurea.CRM. Catalogs and info areas are both parts of the data model. The core section of the data model encompasses the data model as provided by update; it includes all the default info areas and catalogs. Users can expand upon the default data model provided by update, e.g. by adding further info areas.

All these settings are stored in a single format.

Databases: CRM.cockpit can read configuration items from both Aurea.CRM win and designer databases. Whilst developing your package, the package is stored in the Aurea.CRM win database on the development system. You therefore require access to a Aurea.CRM win database in order to work with CRM.cockpit. If you are not working with a designer database, no designer units are displayed in CRM.cockpit.

Development system: Packages should be defined on a development system, before being exported for use in a production environment. CRM.cockpit needs to access the databases used by the development system.

Documentation: CRM.cockpit can be used to document your configuration items. Descriptions can be entered for items that are referenced in a package, and a history is available for the entire package and all its items. You can generate documentation using CRM.cockpit that includes an overview of the configuration items and processes in your package. Documentation can be generated in RTF format.

Export: Once a package has been defined, it needs to be exported to a .zip file on the development system. You can select the processes that are exported.

Group: Groups allow you to define conditions applied to records in an info area, and to include the records that meet these conditions when exporting the package. Sub-groups can be added to groups, allowing you to apply additional conditions to records in child info areas, and to export these child records as well.

Import: Once a package has been exported, it needs to be imported on the production system. During the import process, elements in the package are written to the database, and files (e.g. JavaScript, XSLT files) are copied to the appropriate directories. There are two types of import: importing a package into an empty database, and upgrading an existing package. If you upgrade a package, and different versions of items are present in both the package and the target database, you may need to match up these items and determine which of the items to retain.

Match-up: When importing a package into a database, items can be present in both the package and the target database. If the item has been changed in both the package and in the target database since the last import, you need to determine which of the items to store in the database.

Process: A process is an element below the root package element that encapsulates various configuration items (e.g. formats). Any number of process can be added to a package, and any number of items can be added to a process. However each item can only be added to a process once. When exporting your package, you can select which processes to export.

Production system: The production system is also referred to as the target system. After exporting a package on the development system, the resulting .zip file need to be imported on the production system.

Synchronization: Configuration items are added to processes as references. In other words, configuration items are stored in the databases, and are only included in the package when the package is exported. Configuration items are edited and created from within Aurea.CRM, not in CRM.cockpit. Synchronize the package with the database in order to display and manage those configuration items in the database that have been added, deleted or edited since the last synchronization process.

Package: A package is the root element that encapsulates your processes. Processes in turn can contain various types of configuration items, such as formats, files or data model elements. Packages are stored in the Aurea.CRM database and can be exported.

Upgrade: Packages deployed on a production system can be upgraded by importing an updated version of the same version.