Architecture

The ITP/MDK Repository is a client-server application. The server provides secure multi-user access to a central database that stores documents, text-blocks, building blocks (ITP Include Documents), forms, style documents, database connection information (DID´s) and ITP models.

Impact analysis

Multiple clients can connect to the server. The client application offers a structured view over repository database objects. Documents and models are organized in projects and folders. This view clarifies the many complex relationships between these objects which may otherwise be difficult to identify.
Rapid and effective impact analysis is a prerequisite for efficient development and maintenance support:

• What model documents depend on this Include document (building block)?
• What models where compiled with this model document?

Integrated Model Development Kit

Documents are authored or edited from the MDK client, which is integrated with MS-Word. ITP Model Documents can be compiled and the resulting ITP models can then be run, in the usual way. For complete security, the Repository's control layer ensures that only a single user can make changes to an object at a time.

Version control

When a new version of a document or a model is saved to the database, the old version is not overwritten. Instead, a new revision is written. With each revision additional information is stored, e.g. the user who created the revision.
Changes to a Repository object may be tracked by this means and they may also be reversed, if required. If required - a roll back to a previous version can be realized in a moment.

Import and Export

The Repository is self-contained, in the sense that it does not rely on the file system to retrieve its information. However, it provides functionality to import existing projects from the file system and export projects to it. This functionality facilitates easy deployment of the Repository into an existing ITP model development environment.

Text-Block management

A straightfoward user interface offers business users a simple to use interface to manage text-blocks. Text-blocks can contain data variables that can be filled with data from the company's business applications or with data captured in interactive forms. Text-blocks can automatically be selected in application-driven documents and both automatically and manually selected in the ITP/OnLine Server browser based user interface.

Form Editor

A graphical user interface is integrated that enables users to define and manage the interactive forms that are used in ITP/OnLine Server and ITP Forms Server. Creating forms has never been easier. These forms are the cornerstone of ITP Correspondence and ITP Forms.