Communication Overview

Communication Overview

Communication Using Web Services #

The following diagram shows how communication takes place between the external application, SNS and SICS Workstation.

live_desktop_and_sns_server_1.png

  1. On startup, SICS Workstation starts listening for incoming Web Service calls and also registers itself with SNS.
  2. The end-user performs an action in an external web application. Assuming this is an action which is meant to open a screen in SICS, the external application will continue with step 3.
  3. The external app sends a lookup request to SNS, asking for the address (IP+port) of the user’s SICS Workstation instance. SNS replies with the address.
  4. The external app sends an “open xxx” request to SICS Workstation. SICS opens the requested screen for the requested object (for example, opens the claim screen for a given claim identifier).

Communication using SICS Live Desktop URL Service #

The following diagram shows how communication takes place between the external application, SNS, SUS and SICS Workstation.

live_desktop_and_sns_server_2.png

  1. On start up, SICS Workstation starts listening for incoming Web Service calls and also registers itself with SNS.
  2. The end-user follows a URL (for example received in an e-mail) which is a request to perform a service on a SICS Workstation.
  3. The SICS Live Desktop URL Service (SUS) will try to locate the relevant SICS Workstation, i.e. a workstation connected to the end-user following the URL.
  4. Depending on how the security is set up for the SUS this may involve requesting more information from the end-user.
  5. When a SICS Workstation is uniquely located the SUS invoke the service on the SICS workstation. If for example the service requested is openBusiness the SICS Workstation will open the business window for the requested business.

The following figure show in more detail how the automatic cleanup process works:

live_desktop_and_sns_server_3.png

  1. Every “verificationInterval” seconds (taken from the verificationInterval value in the sns.properties file) start the automatic cleanup process and read all sessions from the SNS register
  2. For each workstation that is not checked in “verificationAge” seconds old (taken from the verificationAge value in the sns.properties file ) ping the workstation
  3. If the workstation responded to the ping update the last check timestamp in the SNS register otherwise remove the workstation from the register.