Database administrators and other data professionals often
want to maintain a record of changes in critical databases, especially when updates
are made by automated scripts or other operations. Database tracing lets
administrators track critical changes or anomalies, and help recover from
errors. Altova MapForce supports database tracing for all popular relational
databases to log the changes made by a data mapping project to the
database when the mapping runs.
When tracing is enabled, events such as database insert or
update actions, or errors, are logged in an XML file that you can later analyze or process further in an automated way.
Database tracing can be enabled at the database component, table, stored procedure, or database field level. You can choose to trace all messages or only errors, or you can disable tracing completely.
In addition to tracing errors that occur during the execution of a mapping to a target database, MapForce also enables database transaction handling to roll back the affected part of the database data when an error occurs, then optionally proceed with the rest of the mapping.
GDPR is an acronym that was top of mind for of privacy officers,
CIOs, and even marketers across the EU during the early months of 2018. Now
that we’re approaching a year since the regulation went into effect, organizations
should have a handle on what type of data is impacted and how to handle
compliance. The ongoing challenge is tracking and documenting the steps
required for GDPR compliance as a business evolves over time.
While numerous one-off templates to create GDPR reports
based on a moment in time are available, Altova has created the first long-term
solution for documenting the entire GDPR compliance management process.
Let’s take a look at what GDPR compliance entails and how the Altova GDPR Compliance Database makes managing it organized and straightforward.
Visual feedback in mobile applications provides a more enjoyable
user experience, and mobile apps that are fun to use get launched more
frequently than static, boring apps. MobileTogether, the rapid mobile app development
(RMAD) framework from Altova, incorporates all the tools you need to develop
cross-platform mobile apps with attractive visual feedback features.
The drag-and-drop controls palette in the MobileTogether
Designer includes a button control that automatically changes its appearance
when clicked. You can also define conditions that add or change text, images,
or other features of any button as the app executes.
Additionally, many other controls can also be defined to act like buttons, where one or more actions are performed when the control is clicked. We have written previously about applying icon images as tool buttons in mobile apps to create a stylish and elegant menu of tools. In this post we will add interactivity to our tool images to provide attractive visual feedback for each click.
From updated support for standards and relational databases
to several new data mapping options, Altova’s Version 2019 Release 3 product
line addresses developer requests and ups the ante with innovative new
functionality. Let’s take a look at the highlights.
Integration between a mobile app and the vast information
resources of world wide web makes the user experience more convenient and
responsive, especially when targeted web content may be frequently updated.
The latest release of MobileTogether, Altova’s low-code, cross-platform mobile development
framework, includes support for automatic link detection of URLs and email
addresses in labels. Clicking or tapping the link opens the targeted website
page in a browser window or as a new draft message in the device’s email app in
a new window without quitting the mobile app. No further special coding
required by the developer.
Many enterprises and business situations leverage Microsoft
Word documents in standardized formats, with variations in content in subsequent
versions. Think of contracts or other legal documents, status reports, test
results, lists of rules, and many others. These documents may even be generated
through automated processes. Manually identifying and reporting changes between
versions would be a cumbersome process. Altova DiffDog Server provides an efficient,
automated solution.
DiffDog Server brings the file and directory comparison
power of Altova DiffDog to high-performance servers, making it easy to automate Word
document comparison and generate diff reports comparing files,
directories, or URLs, and even Word documents (.docx) saved in MS Office
versions 2007 or later.
MobileTogether Server, the backend hub for apps built in MobileTogether Designer, now supports the ability obtain SSL certificates using Let’s Encrypt. Let’s Encrypt is a free service aimed at encrypting all HTTP traffic on the web. This feature is supported in MobileTogether Server starting with version 5.1 and adds to the ability to upload your own certificate.
The video tutorial above walks you through configuring MobileTogether Server to utilize SSL encryption when communicating with MobileTogether clients. It covers the use of both Let’s Encrypt and certificates generated using a trusted certificate authority.
SSL certificates generated using a trusted certificate authority can be uploaded directly to MobileTogether Server. This configuration can provide several advantages to system administrators. These types of certificates are typically good for a much longer period of time, requiring fewer maintenance windows. In addition, you can keep your MobileTogether Server completely isolated from the outside world as this method does not require any external ports to be opened. The process to obtain these certificates can be much more complex and expensive. Verification typically requires you to provide information to the issuer and wait for a response which can delay your implementation.
Let’s Encrypt integration was added in MobileTogether 5.1. Let’s Encrypt is a certificate authority whose goal is to provide encryption to the entire Internet. Certificates generated are free of charge. Unlike other methods of generation, though, Let’s Encrypt certificates are only good for 90 days. MobileTogether Server is capable of automatically renewing these certificates every 60 days, but requires a scheduled server reboot each time this action occurs. Lastly, Let’s Encrypt requires your server to be accessible from the outside world; they will need to communicate with MobileTogether Server on port 80 to verify your server’s identity.
The ability to encrypt communication between client and server is becoming ubiquitous. MobileTogether allows you to easily secure all communication to your mobile clients using SSL encryption and new support for Let’s Encrypt greatly reduces the set up complexity.
Database Tracing to Log Changes Made by a Data Mapping Project
Database administrators and other data professionals often want to maintain a record of changes in critical databases, especially when updates are made by automated scripts or other operations. Database tracing lets administrators track critical changes or anomalies, and help recover from errors. Altova MapForce supports database tracing for all popular relational databases to log the changes made by a data mapping project to the database when the mapping runs.
When tracing is enabled, events such as database insert or update actions, or errors, are logged in an XML file that you can later analyze or process further in an automated way.
Database tracing can be enabled at the database component, table, stored procedure, or database field level. You can choose to trace all messages or only errors, or you can disable tracing completely.
In addition to tracing errors that occur during the execution of a mapping to a target database, MapForce also enables database transaction handling to roll back the affected part of the database data when an error occurs, then optionally proceed with the rest of the mapping.
Read more…The Easy Way to Track GDPR Compliance
GDPR is an acronym that was top of mind for of privacy officers, CIOs, and even marketers across the EU during the early months of 2018. Now that we’re approaching a year since the regulation went into effect, organizations should have a handle on what type of data is impacted and how to handle compliance. The ongoing challenge is tracking and documenting the steps required for GDPR compliance as a business evolves over time.
While numerous one-off templates to create GDPR reports based on a moment in time are available, Altova has created the first long-term solution for documenting the entire GDPR compliance management process.
Let’s take a look at what GDPR compliance entails and how the Altova GDPR Compliance Database makes managing it organized and straightforward.
Visual Feedback in Mobile Applications
Visual feedback in mobile applications provides a more enjoyable user experience, and mobile apps that are fun to use get launched more frequently than static, boring apps. MobileTogether, the rapid mobile app development (RMAD) framework from Altova, incorporates all the tools you need to develop cross-platform mobile apps with attractive visual feedback features.
The drag-and-drop controls palette in the MobileTogether Designer includes a button control that automatically changes its appearance when clicked. You can also define conditions that add or change text, images, or other features of any button as the app executes.
Additionally, many other controls can also be defined to act like buttons, where one or more actions are performed when the control is clicked. We have written previously about applying icon images as tool buttons in mobile apps to create a stylish and elegant menu of tools. In this post we will add interactivity to our tool images to provide attractive visual feedback for each click.
Updated JSON Schema Support Highlights v2019 Release 3
From updated support for standards and relational databases to several new data mapping options, Altova’s Version 2019 Release 3 product line addresses developer requests and ups the ante with innovative new functionality. Let’s take a look at the highlights.
Automatic Link Detection for Mobile Apps
Integration between a mobile app and the vast information resources of world wide web makes the user experience more convenient and responsive, especially when targeted web content may be frequently updated.
The latest release of MobileTogether, Altova’s low-code, cross-platform mobile development framework, includes support for automatic link detection of URLs and email addresses in labels. Clicking or tapping the link opens the targeted website page in a browser window or as a new draft message in the device’s email app in a new window without quitting the mobile app. No further special coding required by the developer.
Let’s see how it works.
Read more…Automate Word Document Comparison in Busy Enterprises
Many enterprises and business situations leverage Microsoft Word documents in standardized formats, with variations in content in subsequent versions. Think of contracts or other legal documents, status reports, test results, lists of rules, and many others. These documents may even be generated through automated processes. Manually identifying and reporting changes between versions would be a cumbersome process. Altova DiffDog Server provides an efficient, automated solution.
DiffDog Server brings the file and directory comparison power of Altova DiffDog to high-performance servers, making it easy to automate Word document comparison and generate diff reports comparing files, directories, or URLs, and even Word documents (.docx) saved in MS Office versions 2007 or later.
Let’s look at a Word document comparison.
Enabling Let’s Encrypt in MobileTogether
MobileTogether Server, the backend hub for apps built in MobileTogether Designer, now supports the ability obtain SSL certificates using Let’s Encrypt. Let’s Encrypt is a free service aimed at encrypting all HTTP traffic on the web. This feature is supported in MobileTogether Server starting with version 5.1 and adds to the ability to upload your own certificate.
The video tutorial above walks you through configuring MobileTogether Server to utilize SSL encryption when communicating with MobileTogether clients. It covers the use of both Let’s Encrypt and certificates generated using a trusted certificate authority.
SSL certificates generated using a trusted certificate authority can be uploaded directly to MobileTogether Server. This configuration can provide several advantages to system administrators. These types of certificates are typically good for a much longer period of time, requiring fewer maintenance windows. In addition, you can keep your MobileTogether Server completely isolated from the outside world as this method does not require any external ports to be opened. The process to obtain these certificates can be much more complex and expensive. Verification typically requires you to provide information to the issuer and wait for a response which can delay your implementation.
Let’s Encrypt integration was added in MobileTogether 5.1. Let’s Encrypt is a certificate authority whose goal is to provide encryption to the entire Internet. Certificates generated are free of charge. Unlike other methods of generation, though, Let’s Encrypt certificates are only good for 90 days. MobileTogether Server is capable of automatically renewing these certificates every 60 days, but requires a scheduled server reboot each time this action occurs. Lastly, Let’s Encrypt requires your server to be accessible from the outside world; they will need to communicate with MobileTogether Server on port 80 to verify your server’s identity.
The ability to encrypt communication between client and server is becoming ubiquitous. MobileTogether allows you to easily secure all communication to your mobile clients using SSL encryption and new support for Let’s Encrypt greatly reduces the set up complexity.