My name is Sebastien Wafflart and I work for Software AG France and I’m currently working on a Tamino Mobile Prototype for PSA (Peugeot).
Context:
Currently, Peugeot uses an application based on Tamino XML Server that stores XML documents any Non-XML files (i.e: gif pictures). This application is used to manage all post sales technical car documents. There are two parts in this application:
- The content management of all documents (creation, validation and publishing)
- Documents searching, consulting and publishing in html and pdf formats.
The second part is the one we’re concerned with since we need to develop it on a Tamino Mobile platform. The existing application is already installed on an intranet server.
About The Tamino Mobile Application :
Peugeot would like to synchronize the Tamino database from this application with multiple devices (tablet PC Windows XP). This application will be used worldwide in different Peugeot sites (car dealers, subsidiaries)
In the existing Tamino database, there are three schemas
- First schema is for phrases. It contains labels of documents in multiple languages (French,English, Spanish,Russian,Chinese…) (around 120 000 documents). It must be synchronized only once and must be fully transfered to Tamino Mobile
- Second schema is for technical documents. It contains several references to “phrases” documents (by id) and several references to pictures (by id). It can be partially synchronized with Tamino mobile (only few document)
- Third schema is for (non-XML document) images , only images referenced in the already synchronised technical documents need to be synchronized (15 000 to 20 000 pictures 40Ko/pic)
The aims of this prototype for Peugeot are summarised below:
- To enable both, the remote access to the Tamino XML Server and, the local access to all technical documents on a tablet PC.
Question: Can we perform a partial schema synchronisation or do we have to synchronise the whole thing ?
- To evaluate the documents volume supported by Tamino Mobile and the necessary time for synchronisation.
Question: Is Tamino Mobile able to support a large number of documents i.e: 120 000 documents ?
Question: Is Tamino Mobile able to support a non XML document i.e: images ? If this is not the case then, is it possible to synchonise the non XML document in the file system of the tablet PC (knowing that the images will only be added, never deleted or edited) ?
- To define a first synchronization process (for a large number of documents)
Question: Do we need to perform a first synchronisation or do we just need to deliver the Tamino Mobile databases containing basic data i.e: phrases. To avoid the synchronisation of 120 000 documents for the first time because in the case of the car dearlers, for instance, they only have standard phone lines (56 Kbits) through which the synchronisation will be performed.
- To provide an easy and simple deployement method for lastest versions of Tamino mobile as the various sites will not necessarily have the technical know how on board.
- To define a less complicated architecture as Peugeot wishes to only have a single synchronisation server rather than having to deploy one in each of its respective sites.
Question: Is it possible to do so ? What are the platforms supported by the sync server ?
Last but not least, I would like to know if anyone have developed something similar.
Assitance in this matter is much appreciated.
Regards,
S
Sebastian,
This sounds like a very interesting project! I do not know of a similar project using Tamino Mobile DB. In regards to the partial synchronisation - this is principally possible, however, the logic as to what needs to be synchronised (from server to mobile device) must be programmed individually.
The document volume (120 000) is something that we do not have enough experience with but we can work with you on testing this.
Tamino Mobile DB does not support non-XML data (i.e. images), however, Tamino Mobile Suite allows for a general synchronisation mechanism that allows objects of any kind to be synchronized.
In principle I would like to discuss this project with you maybe on the phone or even in person. There are too many issues to discuss and explain at this point. I am afraid that we cannot easily clrify this all via the community.
Christof Braun
Tamino R&D
Software AG