Integrating Elvis 6 in Enterprise Server 9

Elvis Server can be tightly integrated with Enterprise Server to make the assets that are stored in Elvis available in the workflow of Enterprise.

Connecting the two systems is done through the Elvis Content Source plug-in for Enterprise. This makes it possible to:

• Drag assets from Elvis onto an InDesign layout that is stored in Enterprise
• Import assets from Enterprise to Elvis

For a general overview, see Integrating Enterprise Server with Elvis 6 - introduction.

Installation

Step 1. Download the Elvis Content Source plug-in from the Enterprise Server download page.

Step 2. Unzip the file and place the resulting 'Elvis' folder into the following location:

<Enterprise Server folder>/config/plugins

Basic configuration

As a minimum configuration step, connect Enterprise Server with Elvis Server by setting the Elvis URL.

Step 1. Open the configuration file of the Elvis plug-in in Enterprise in a text editor:

<Enterprise Server folder>/config/plugins/Elvis/config.php

Step 2. In the ELVIS_URL option, define the URL of the Elvis Server to connect to.

 * Elvis server URL (without a trailing slash)
 *
 * Used for server communication between Enterprise and Elvis Server.
 *
 * This is typically 'localhost' (if Elvis and Enterprise are running 
 * on the same machine), or the internal ip address of the Elvis Server.
 */
define('ELVIS_URL', 'http://localhost:80');

Additional configuration

Whenever an asset is updated in Elvis (such as updating its metadata, opening it in an external editor, or deleting it), Enterprise users need to be made aware of this. Similarly, when an Enterprise user makes a change to an asset, this needs to be communicated to the Elvis users.

This communication is provided through a script that runs on Enterprise Server using cURL. It is a long-polling PHP script which periodically checks the Elvis Server for asset updates.

Once an asset update is received it is applied directly to the Enterprise object.

cURL setup

The script is executed on Enterprise Server by using cURL.

Installation

• For Mac OS X and Linux: cURL is pre-installed on these systems, no installation steps are necessary.
• For Windows: download it from the cURL download site and install it.

Script setup

The script runs for a maximum amount of time and needs to be scheduled to always run.

Configuration

The following parameters are used:

• maxexectime. The maximum amount of time that the script runs in seconds. The value should be between 60 and 1800 seconds (1 and 30 minutes) and should match the schedule interval. Default value=600.
• maxtimeoutperrun. The maximum timeout in seconds for each update call to the Elvis Server. It should not be higher than the 'maxexectime' value. Default value=60.

Scheduling

The scheduling can be done by using Cron (Linux / Mac OS X) or the Task Scheduler (Windows).

Example configuration Consider an example configuration with the following settings: Enterprise runs under http://localhost/enterprise The script should run every 5 minutes (=300 seconds) for an indefinite period of time Schedule configuration on Mac OS X & Linux Step 1. Open the cron jobs via the Termina ( crontab -e ) or use an editor such as CronniX. Step 2. Add the job: */5 * * * * curl "http://localhost/enterprise/config/plugins/Elvis/sync.php?maxexectime=300&maxtimeoutperrun=60" Step 3. Save the settings. The job is now active. Schedule configuration on Windows Step 1. Open the Task Scheduler. Step 2. Create a new Task. Step 3. Type a descriptive name, such as "Elvis sync job". Step 4. In the 'Triggers' tab create a new Trigger with the following settings (found under 'Advanced settings'): Repeat task every: 5 minutes For a duration of: Indefinitely Step 5. Click OK to close the New Trigger window. Step 6. In the 'Actions' tab, create a new Action with the following settings: Action: Start a program Program / script: c:\Curl\curl.exe Add arguments: "http://localhost/enterprise/config/plugins/Elvis/sync.php?maxexectime=300&maxtimeoutperrun=60" Step 7. Click OK for all open windows. The Task is now active.

Elvis plug-in setup

To give the plug-in sufficient access rights for making the changes to the assets, give it Super User rights for Elvis and Admin rights for Enterprise Server.

Step 1. Open the configuration file of the Elvis plug-in in Enterprise in a text editor:

<Enterprise Server folder>/config/plugins/Elvis/config.php

Step 2. Validate the following credentials:

• ELVIS_SUPER_USER
• ELVIS_SUPER_USER_PASS
• ELVIS_ENT_ADMIN_USER
• ELVIS_ENT_ADMIN_PASS

/**
 * Elvis SUPER_USER username and password, needed for creating PDF previews 
 * with InDesign Server.*/
define('ELVIS_SUPER_USER', 'woodwing');
define('ELVIS_SUPER_USER_PASS', 'ww');

/**
 * Enterprise Admin username and password, needed for metadata synchronization  
 * from Elvis to Enterprise. By default we use a user which is known in both 
 * systems with the same credentials.*/
define('ELVIS_ENT_ADMIN_USER', ELVIS_SUPER_USER);
define('ELVIS_ENT_ADMIN_PASS', ELVIS_SUPER_USER_PASS);

Step 3. Save and close the file.

Enabling the plug-in

The installed plug-in needs to be enabled in Enterprise Server. Do this by accessing the Server Plug-ins page.

By accessing the page, the plug-in should be automatically enabled and show a green icon.

Figure: The Elvis plug-in enabled on the Server Plug-ins page.

Testing the integration