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Bpm'online synchronization with external storages

Glossary Item Box

General information

The mechanism in bpm'online for synchronization with external data storages is the Sync Engine. This mechanism enables you to create, modify, and delete Entity in the system based on synchronization with external systems and export data to external systems.

Synchronization is performed by using the SyncAgent class implemented in the Terrasoft.Sync namespace of the application kernel.

Classes used in the synchronization mechanism

  • Synchronization agent (SyncAgent) — a class with one public Synchronize method that triggers synchronization between storages.
  • Synchronization context (SyncContext) — a class representing the aggregation of providers and metadata for SyncAgent.
  • Storage — storage of synchronized data.
    • Local storage (LocalProvider) — enables you to work with LocalItem in bpm'online.
    • External storage (RemoteProvider) — an external service or application from which data is synchronized with bpm'online.
  • Synchronization item (SyncItem) — a set of objects from external and local storage which are synchronized.
    • External storage synchronization item (RemoteItem) — represents a set of data from external storage that syncs automatically. It can consist of one or more entities (records) from the external storage.
    • Synchronization item (SyncEntity) — a wrapper of a specific Entity. SyncEntity is required to work with Entity as the synchronizing object (add, delete, change).
    • Synchronization item (LocalItem) — one or more objects from bpm'online that are synchronized with the external storage as a unit. The synchronization item from the external storage, converted in the LocalItem entity contains a set of instances of the SyncEntity class.
  • SysSyncMetadata metadata table — contains service information of the synchronized elements and is essentially RemoteItem-LocalItem interchanges table. Metadata sync description can be found in the "Synchronizing metadata in bpm'online" article.

General synchronization algorythm

Before starting synchronization, you must create an instance of SyncAgent and the SyncContext sync context, then update records in the metadata table with data from bpm'online. For this, you need to call the CollectChangesInSyncedEntities class method that implements the IReplicaMetadata interface.

The algorithm for updating metadata records is the following:

  1. If any previously synchronized entity in bpm'online has been modified since the last synchronization, then the corresponding record in the metadata changes its modification date, the LocalState property is set to “Modified”, and the source of the modification is set to the LocalStore ID.
  2. If a synchronized entity in bpm'online has been deleted since the last synchronization — the corresponding record in the metadata LocalState is set to “Deleted".
  3. If there is no corresponding record in the metadata for the entity in bpm'online — it is ignored.

The process of synchronizing storages then starts the following:

  1. All changes from the external storage are requested alternately.
  2. You need to obtain the metadata for each item in the external storage .
    1. If the metadata can not be obtained — this is a new item which should be converted to a bpm'online element. To fill in a synchronization object, a FillLocalItem method is called from the specific RemoteItem instance. It is also recorded in the metadata (ID of the external storage, the element ID in the external storage, date of creation and modification is set as current, the source of creation and modification — external storage).
    2. If the metadata is received, so this item has already been synchronized with bpm'online. You need to go to the version conflict resolution. By default, the last change in the application or external storage (RemoteProvider) has the priority.
    3. The metadata for the current pair of synchronization items is actualized.

After looking through all the modified items from the external storage, the elements that were changed in bpm'online, but was not changed in the external storage remain in the metadata (in the interval between the last and the current synchronization).

  1. You need to get elements changed in bpm'online in the interval between the last synchronization and the current synchronization.
  2. Save the changes in the external storage.
  3. You must update the modification date of the items in the metadata (bpm'online is the change source).

After that, you need to add new, not synchronized records to the external storage, and add metadata for new items.

The synchronization context

SyncContext class

A class representing the aggregation of providers and metadata for SyncAgent. The properties of the SyncContext class are presented in Table 1.

Table 1. SyncContext class properties

Field Type Purpose
Logger ISyncLogger The object that enables messages to be saved into the integration log.
LocalProvider LocalProvider Enables you to work with LocalItem.
RemoteProvider RemoteProvider External service or application, data from which is synchronized with bpm'online.
ReplicaMetadata IReplicaMetadata Works with metadata.
LastSyncVersion DateTime The date and time of the last synchronization in UTC.
CurrentSyncStartVersion DateTime The current date and time synchronization in UTC. Set after the metadata update.

Requirements for synchronization with external storage

External storage

External storage (RemoteProvider) — encapsulates data from the external storage.

RemoteProvider — a basic class that enables you to work with an external storage. In fact, it is the only way to work with external systems. Properties of the RemoteProvider class are presented in table 2 and the methods — in table 3.

Table 2. RemoteProvider class properties

Field Type Description
StoreId Guid ID of external storage that will be synchronized.
Version DateTime Date and time of the last synchronization in UTC.
SyncItemSchemaCollection List External storage element schema
RemoteChangesCount Int Number of items processed from external storage.
LocalChangesCount Int Number of items processed from local storage.

Table 3. RemoteProvider class methods

Method Returning value type Description
KnownTypes() IEnumerable Returns a collection of all types that implement the IRemoteItem interface. SyncAgent builds the SyncItemSchema instances that describe the entities that participate in synchronization.
ApplyChanges(SyncContext context, IRemoteItem synItem) Void Applies changes to external storage element.
CommitChanges(SyncContext context) Void Called after processing changes in external and local storage. Intended for the implementation of necessary additional steps for the specific integration implementation.
EnumerateChanges(SyncContext context) IEnumerable Returns an enumeration of new and modified elements of external storage.
LoadSyncItem(SyncItemSchema schema, string id) IRemoteItem Fills in the IRemoteItem instance with data from external storage.
CreateNewSyncItem(SyncItemSchema schema) IRemoteItem Creates a new instance of IRemoteItem.
CollectNewItems(SyncContext context) IEnumerable Returns an enumeration of new bpm'online entities that will be synchronized with external storage.
ResolveConflict(IRemoveItem syncItem, ItemMetadata itemMetaData, Guid localStoreId) SyncConflictResolution Resolves conflicts between changed elements of local and external storages. By default, (RemoteProvider) priority is given to changes in bpm'online.
NeedMetaDataActualization() Boolean Returns the sign that checks whether there is a need to update the metadata before starting synchronization.
GetLocallyModifiedItemsMetadata(SyncContext context, EntitySchemaQuery modifiedItemsEsq) IEnumerable Returns synchronization elements changed in the local store since the last synchronization.

IRemoteItem interface

The class that implements the IRemoteItem interface is an indivisible unit of synchronization and represents one element of the synchronization of the external data storage. This class is a container for data coming from an external system, and it knows how to convert the data to the Entity entity, and vice versa. The interface contains two methods: FillLocalItem and FillRemoteItem for converting external synchronization elements (RemoteItem) to LocalItem, and vice versa. Interface methods are presented in Table 4.

Table 4. IRemoteItem interface methods

Method Returning value type Description
FillLocalItem(SyncContext context, ref LocalItem localItem) Void Fills in properties of an element of the LocalItem local storage with values of external storage element. Used to apply changes in local storage.
FillRemoteItem(SyncContext context, ref LocalItem localItem) Void Fills in properties of an element of external storage with element values from the LocalItem local storage. Used to apply changes in external storage.

Map attribute

The Map attribute decorates the iRemoteItem interface implementations. SchemaName is the main parameter. This is the name of the EntitySchema that is included in the current synchronization element.

[Map("Activity", 0)]
[Map("ActivityParticipant", 1)]
public class GoogleTask: IRemoteItem {
. . .

This class declaration task from Google Calendar will sync with the activity and its participants from bpm'online.

The second parameter, Order, specifies in which order Entity will be stored in the local storage. Activity is indicated first, because ActivityParticipant stores a link to the created activity.

In most cases, SyncAgent can automatically generate a request for a sample of the new elements of synchronization with bpm'online. To do this, you must specify the basic entity and method of communication with the details:

[Map("Activity", 0, IsPrimarySchema = true)]
[Map("ActivityParticipant", 1, PrimarySchemaName = "Activity", ForeingKeyColumnName = "Activity")]
public class GoogleTask: IRemoteItem {
. . .

In this case, a request for new activities will be sent to the database along with a request for each selected activity to receive their participants. The attribute properties list is presented in Table 5.

Table 5. Map attribute properties

Parameter Type Description
SchemaName String Object schema name.
Order Int The entity processing order for the synchronization element.
IsPrimarySchema Boolean A flag that indicates that this schema is a key element of this synchronization element. It can be installed in one schema only.
PrimarySchemaName String The schema name of the main object. It can not be set in tandem with IsPrimarySchema.
ForeignKeyColumnName String

The column name for the connection with the details of the main object It can not be set in tandem with IsPrimarySchema.

Direction SyncDirection

It specifies the synchronization direction for the objects of this type. By default - DownloadAndUpload.

If it contains the Download flag - the changes will not apply to bpm'online.

If it does not contain the Upload flag - the new entities will not be selected from bpm'online.

FetchColumnNames String[] The names of the columns that will be loaded from the local storage.

Local storage

Local Storage (LocalProvider) - encapsulates the work with data in internal storage (bpm'online).

LocalProvider - basic class that implements work with the local storage. Enables you to work with LocalItem. Methods of this class are immutable and are listed in Table 6.

Table 6. LocalProvider class methods

Method Returning value type Description
AddItemSchemaColumns(EntitySchemaQuery esqForFetching, EntityConfig entityConfig) Void Adds EntitySchemaQuery column specified in EntityConfig.
ApplyChanges(SyncContext context, LocalItem entities) Void Applies changes to each SyncEntity in LocalItem.
FetchItem(ItemMetadata itemMetaData, SyncItemSchema itemSchema, bool loadAllColumns = false) LocalItem Loads a collection of entities associated with a particular synchronization element.

SyncEntity class

The class encapsulates SyncEntity Entity instance and all the necessary actions to perform the synchronization of the instance properties. Class Properties are summarized in Table 7.

Table 7. SyncEntity class properties

Parameter Type Description
EntitySchemaName String The name of the schema for which the wrapper is created.
Entity Entity Entity for which the wrapper is created.
State SyncState The last action performed on the entity (0 - not changed, 1 - new, 2 - changed 3 - deleted).

SystemSchema class

Synchronization element entity settings schema. Class properties are shown in Table 8 and methods in Table 9.

Table 8. SyncItemSchema class properties

Parameter Type Description
SyncValueName String Entity type name
SyncValueType Type Entity type
PrimaryEntityConfig EntityConfig Synchronization element entity settings.
Configs List Synchronization element entity settings list.
DetailConfigs List Synchronization element detail entity settings list.
Direction SyncDirection

It specifies the synchronization direction for the objects of this type. By default - DownloadAndUpload.

If it does not contain the Download flag, changes will not be applied in bpm'online.

If it does not contain the Upload flag, new entities will not be selected from bpm'online.

Table 9. SyncItemSchema class methods

Method Returning value type Description
CreateSyncItemSchema(Type syncValueType) SyncItemSchema It creates a configuration element synchronization entity with all the settings of the related entities.
Validate(UserConnection userConnection) Void

The method checks that EntityConfig is well-formed.

If authentication fails, an exception is applied. If the EntityConfig schema name is specified twice, DublicateDataException is generated. If the name of the defunct schema is specified, InvalidSyncItemSchemaException is generated).

FetchItem(ItemMetadata itemMetaData, SyncItemSchema itemSchema, bool loadAllColumns = false) LocalItem Loads a collection of entities associated with a particular synchronization element.

EntityConfig Class

Synchronization element entity settings. Class Properties are summarized in Table 10.

Table 10. EntityConfig class properties

Parameter Type Description
SchemaName String Object schema name.
Order Int The order of processing entities for a synchronization element. The lower the value, the sooner the entity will be processed in the processing of the synchronization element.
Direction SyncDirection

It specifies the synchronization direction for the objects of this type. By default - DownloadAndUpload.

If it does not contain the Download flag, changes will not be applied in bpm'online.

If it does not contain the Upload flag, new entities will not be selected from bpm'online.

FetchColumnNames String[] The names of the columns that will be loaded from the local storage. If the value is not specified, it will load all object columns

DetailEntityConfig class

Synchronization element detail entities settings. Class properties are displayed on Table 11.

Table 11. DetailEntityConfig class properties

Parameter Type Description
PrimarySchemaName String Bpm'online main synchronized entity schema name.
ForeignKeyColumnName String The column name for the connection with the details of the main object

LocalItem class

One or more objects from bpm'online that are synchronized with external storage as a unit. It contains a set of SyncEntity class instances. Class properties are shown in Table 12 and methods in Table 13.

Table 12. LocalItem class properties

Parameter Type Description
Entities Dictionary> The SyncEntity collection that is set in accordance with a SyncItem. It contains a collection of "key-value" pairs, where the key is the schema name, and the value is the SyncEntity collection of the scheme.
Version DateTime The highest value of the date and time of the modification of all Entities in LocalItem.
Schema SyncItemSchema Synchronization element entity settings schema.

Table 13. LocalItem class methods

Method Returning value type Description
AddOrReplace(string schemaName, SyncEntity syncEntity) Void Adds new SyncEntity to the collection. If SyncEntity with EntityId already exists, it replaces it.
Add(UserConnection userConnection, string schemaName) SyncEntity Creates and adds a new SyncEntity collection.

Synchronization example

An activity and participants are synchronized into one Google-calendar task. An activity (Activity) and participants (SyncEntity) are one element of the synchronization - LocalItem.

RemoteItem - Google task received outside bpm'online. LocalItem - a set of objects (SyncEntity), to which the Google task is converted.

The synchronization schema is displayed on Fig. 1.

Fig. 1. Synchronization schema

© bpm'online 2002-2018.

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