Synchronization

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Synchronize your files in the Documents repository on your master Control Center with your client Control Center instances. Your client Control Center instances update Documents repositories with the exact copies of published files and folders from your master Control Center.

[Note] Note

You can synchronize your master LMS with your Loftware Cloud only if LMS is accessible via the Internet.

Use Synchronization for the following purposes:

  • Synchronization of files on geographically distributed locations. Your master Control Center is located in your company's HQ. You store your label designs and manage your approval process in Documents storage in the master Control Center . When you approve and publish the labels, you distribute the labels to remote production environments. All remote Control Centers are set as clients to the master Control Center.

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  • Synchronization of files of multiple-stage deployments (development > test (Quality Assurance) > production). Your files follows the chain process from the development towards the production environment. Control Center in the Development environment is master to Control Center in the Test environment and Control Center in the Test environment is master to the Control Center in the Production environment.

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[Note] Note

When the synchronization is enabled, the Documents repository in the client Control Center switches to read-only mode. You can't add or remove folders and files in the client Control Center . You can change workflow types for folders and change workflow steps for the files within these folders. You can also delete files from the replicated Documents repository. Your deleted files get synchronized from your master Documents repository in the next synchronization interval.
[Important] Important

If you delete your files on the master server, these files are not automatically deleted on client servers. To prevent errors in production with client servers, you must delete the files from client servers manually.

Enabling Synchronization

First, generate the security key on your master Control Center:

  1. Open your master Control Center page.

  2. Go to Administration > Synchronization.

  3. Click Generate key.

To enable the synchronization on your client Control Center:

  1. Open the Control Center page and go to Administration > Synchronization.

  2. Enter the security key (token) generated on your master Control Center.

  3. Enable Synchronize Document Storage from another Control Center server.

  4. Adjust Synchronization Settings and Synchronization Scheduling.

    [Note] Note

    Document Storage is read-only option: If enabled, this option makes the replicated Documents repository operate in read-only mode. The synchronized folders and included documents can't be modified. To allow adding additional folders or files to the replicated Documents repository, disable this option.

  5. You can define Synchronization Settings if you slide the Synchronize Document Storage from another Control Center server switch.

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    [Note] Note

    Source Control Center server URL syntax is different for LMS and Cloud editions.

    • In LMS editions use the syntax:

      http://server/EPM

      where server is the name of your LMS server.

    • In Cloud editions use the syntax:

      http://account.onnicelabel.com/dashboard

      where account is the name of your Label Cloud account.

  6. Click Save.

You can disable synchronization if you deselect Synchronize Document Storage from another Control Center server.

Synchronization Rules

These are the main rules that the synchronization procedure follows:

  • Clients always initiate and configure the synchronization.

  • You have to provide the security key that matches the security key on the master Control Center. The security key allows access only to the authorized clients. You can click the Generate Key button on the master Control Center to generate your security key, or type in your custom string of characters.

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  • You can only synchronize files that are part of the workflow process.

  • The files that are in the final step of the workflow selected for the particular folder will be synchronized. The final workflow step is usually approved or published. This depends on your selected workflow.

  • When your source files are synchronized on the client, your files on the client are placed in the initial state of the workflow which is defined for the folder on the client. The workflow process for the folder on the client can differ from the workflow process on the master.

  • The file revision number is also synchronized. When the file in revision 10 on the master is synchronized with the client, it will retain revision 10 also on the client. Because not all revisions are approved/published, you can expect to have gaps in the revision numbers on the client.

  • File decommissioning makes obsolete published files unavailable for read-only users. When the client Documents repository synchronizes with master Control Center, the decommissioned approved files are copied from the master Documents repository but are no longer marked as decommissioned in the client Documents repository. To make these files invisible for the read-only users also in the client Documents repository, decommission them manually. To learn how to decommission a file, see section Specific access permission options.

  • Synchronization service periodically retrieves the list and states of files on the master and compares them with client copies. New files, files with higher revision numbers, and files that have reached the final state in the approval process will be updated in the replicated Documents repository.

  • Synchronization uses its own authentication method and bypasses the authentication mode configured in the master Control Center. All data exchange is encrypted.