Integrating Elvis 6 in Enterprise Server 10.0 – 10.4

Elvis 6 and Enterprise Server 10 can be tightly integrated to make the assets that are stored in Elvis available in the workflow of Enterprise.

Note: For information about how this integration works, see Integrating Elvis 6 in Enterprise Server 10.

This article describes the installation and configuration steps for integrating Elvis 6 in Enterprise Server versions 10.0 to 10.4.

Note: Steps for later versions of Enterprise Server can be found in Integrating Elvis 6 in Enterprise Server 10.5 or higher.

Compatibility

For information about the compatibility between Elvis 6 and Enterprise, see the Compatibility Matrix.

Installation

The integration is done by installing a Server plug-in in Enterprise Server and by installing plug-ins for InDesign.

Enterprise Server plug-ins

Step 1. Download the Enterprise Server plug-in named Elvis integration for Enterprise from the release announcement for your version of Enterprise Server.

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

<Enterprise Server folder>/config/plugins

InDesign plug-ins

Install the following plug-ins:

• The Elvis InDesign plug-ins for connecting InDesign with Elvis
• The Smart Connection plug-ins for connecting InDesign with Enterprise

Configuration

Configuration consists of the following steps:

1. Connecting Enterprise Server to Elvis Server
2. Setting up data synchronization from Enterprise to Elvis
3. Defining how Elvis assets are used in Enterprise
4. Install the plug-ins for InDesign
5. Granting Elvis Pro users access to the 'Used In' panel

1. Connecting Enterprise Server to Elvis Server

Connect Enterprise Server to 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

Tip: (For Enterprise Server 10.1 or higher only) Easily manage and configure settings of all configuration files by adding them to a single configuration file.

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

define('ELVIS_URL', 'http://localhost:80');

Notes: The URL is typically 'localhost' (if Elvis and Enterprise are running on the same machine), or the internal IP address of the Elvis Server. The URL should not end with a trailing slash.

Step 3. Save the file.

2. Setting up data synchronization from Enterprise to Elvis

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 named sync.php 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 corresponding Enterprise shadow object.

Note: This script can be run simultaneously on multiple application servers. This is because the script is semaphore protected: only one sync.php file is executed to perform the synchronization even when many are installed and called.

Setting up cURL

The script is executed on Enterprise Server by using cURL.

Installation is done as follows:

• 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.

Setting up the schedule for the script to run

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

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 values:
• For Enterprise Server 10.0.x and 10.1.x: 60
• For Enterprise Server 10.2 and higher: 15 (the value should be between 5 and 20)

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 Terminal ( 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.

Configuring the Server plug-in

To give the plug-in sufficient access rights for making the changes to the assets, it needs to be given 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:

Tip: (For Enterprise Server 10.1 or higher only) Easily manage and configure settings of all configuration files by adding them to a single configuration file.

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

Step 2. Validate the following credentials:

Option	Notes
ELVIS_SUPER_USER ELVIS_SUPER_USER_PASS	Needed for creating PDF previews with InDesign Server.
ELVIS_ENT_ADMIN_USER ELVIS_ENT_ADMIN_PASS	Enterprise Admin user name and password, needed for synchronizing metadata between Elvis and Enterprise. By default a user which is used which is known in both systems with the same credentials.

Step 3. Save and close the file.

3. Defining how Elvis assets are used in Enterprise

An asset that is stored in Elvis can be used in Enterprise in one of the following ways:

• As a shadow object that is created in Enterprise and that is linked to the asset in Elvis (default setting). Only when the Elvis file needs to be worked on is the original file — together with the file preview, thumbnail, metadata and versions — retrieved from Elvis and stored on the local system of the user.
• As a copy that is created in Enterprise and that is not linked to the original in Elvis.
• As a variant: a copy that is stored in Elvis and linked to a shadow object in Enterprise. The variant is also linked to the original image, thereby making it possible to see the original asset and all its variants. Variants are stored in a dedicated folder in Elvis, known as a 'Production Environment'. Multiple Production Environments can be set up, one for each Brand / Category combination. This makes it possible to use the same asset across different Brands.

Configure Enterprise Server in one of these ways by following the steps in Controlling how Elvis files are used in Enterprise 10.

4. Granting Elvis Pro users access to the 'Used In' panel

The Used In panel in Elvis Pro shows where in Enterprise an asset is used, for example on which layouts it is placed.

To see and use the panel, users need to be granted access. Do this by enabling the Permission named 'Used In' for a user or user group.

For more information, see Controlling user access to clients and client features in Elvis 6.

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

Step 1. In Enterprise Server, access the Health Check page.

Step 2. At the bottom of the page, click Clear All.

Step 3. Only select the Elvis Content Source test.

Step 4. Click Test.

The test is executed and the result is displayed next to the test. It should display “OK”.

Note: If the test fails, an error is displayed together with instructions for solving it. Follow the instructions and then run the test once more.

Step 5. Test the integration by for example dragging some files from Elvis into InDesign onto a layout that is stored in Enterprise.