Introduction

Aspire 2.0 introduces a new user interface, which allows users to manage content sources and services in a cleaner, simpler and more efficient way. This new UI brings the concept of "content sources" and "services" to the forefront making creating and managing them much easier for both administrators and developers (services are available only in 2.1)

Aspire UI is capable of running on the most used browsers. Aspire 2.0 UI Browser Compatibility

Aspire UI Layout

Aspire UI has a general layout for all its pages, this layout consist of four sections

• User Bar

Contains Aspire's logo (also a direct link to the Home Page), the title of the current page, and the user name currently logged on and the "Sign out" option. In cases where Aspire doesn't have a security measure configured, instead of the user name the word "Anonymous" will appear

• Action Bar

Contains the general functional groups for the current page, on the left side of the bar there are always the links to the Aspire Wiki, Debug Console, Aspire UI Home Page and a link that will cause a page refresh.

• Main Container

This section holds the main information for each page and it will change depending on the context of the page.

• Footer

The Footer marks the end of the page and it displays the current version of aspire on the left, and a link to Search Technologies web page at the right

Aspire UI Pages

Login

Aspire UI features a new Login page that will appear once you have configured the administrator security access for Aspire. Aspire does not require administrator security access, it can run in "anonymous" mode.

How to enable the Login page

The login page will appear once you have configured a security type option (ConfigFile or Ldap), the configuration for these types of security can be found in the Security Wiki Page

Username and Session

Once the user has signed in into Aspire Server, the username will appear on the top right corner, next to the Sign Out option. This session will last as long as the webpage is active, if for some reason the webpage is inactive for more than thirty minutes (30 min), the session will expire, and the user will need to log on again.

User sign in Aspire

No Security

If you wish to use Aspire without security as it is by default, an Anonymous user will appear in the top right corner, without a Sign Out option next to it. This will indicate that Aspire is not using any security to validate the user who accesses Aspire. And the session will never expire.

Anonymous user

Content Source Management (Home Page)

This is the landing page or the Home page of Aspire 2.0, which introduces new features which simplify the work of management of content sources. From this page the user can begin creation, sort, search, filter, group and view content sources. This page displays the content source "cards" that show current status, start time, running time, jobs completed, errors and more. You can even change each content source card's position to one more suitable by dragging the content source and dropping it over the content source you want to swap places with. There are also new features for content source management such as grouping, searching and filtering content source cards.

As you can see in the image above, this page has eight (8) general functions:

1. Wiki Link: A direct link to Aspire's Wiki .
2. Debug Console: Opens the debug console.
3. Refresh Container: Refresh the content source container without the need of refresh the entire web page.
4. Group: Allows the administrator to create and name a content source group card to store multiple content sources together.
5. Import: Uploads a content source zip file and installs it in the server. This function is not available when using IE browser versions 10 and below.
6. Add Source: Opens a menu with all the Connectors available to create content sources.
7. Search: Allows the user search a group or content source by name, also allows regex.
8. Filters: Manage the content sources that are being displayed in the page.

Features

The following are all the features available on this page.

Content Sources

Introducing a new form of presentation for content sources, creating a more intuitive way to identify and manage each content source

Grouping

A new feature which allows you to group multiple sources of information and arrange them in the category you want, such as by type, category, location, ..

Filtering

With this feature, the user can filter each content source by activity status, type of source and time ranges

Import

A new and easier way to move content sources Aspire one server to another

Add Sources

A custom menu of source types created with your entitlements, for construction of new sources of content

Content Source Configuration

The Aspire 2.0 UI provides a one page wizard style configuration process to create a complete content source. This page is divided in three main sections, General, Connector and Workflow.

As you can see in the image above, this page seven (7) controls:

1. Home Page: Return to the Home Page .
2. Wiki Link: A direct link to Aspire's Wiki .
3. Debug Console: Opens the debug console.
4. Update Connector: Downloads the latest version of the connector if any.
5. Cancel: Discard all the changes made to the General and Connector sections, not the Workflow section.
6. Save: Saves all the changes made to the General and Connector sections. The workflow section saves all the changes made to it automatically as you work.
7. Export: This option only appears in content sources that are already saved , and it permits administrators to download a zip file with the configuration files need to import and create that content source in another Aspire 2.0 system.

Features

The following are all the features available on this page.

Update Connector

Now when a server is connected to internet and a connector has new changes, we can just click the Update Connector button and update the connector

Export

We can save the content source into a zip for to import in another server.

General Section

The General section contains basic information regarding a content source, it's name and schedule

As you can see in the image above, this page four (4) controls:

1. Content Source Name: The name which the content source will display.
2. Active: Ability to Activate and Deactivate the content source.
3. Schedule: Allows the administrator to set the crawl schedule type (Manual or automatic schedule) and how often the content source is going to be crawled.
4. System Name: The name of the content source in the server (this name is not choose by the user and it can not be changed).

Connector Section

The Connector section has the specific configuration for each content source type, and it is divided in two subsections, Content Source Properties ans Advanced Connector Properties

As you can see in the image above, this page two (2) Subsections:

• Content Source Properties: In this subsection you can see the properties to configure the content source, this section changes according to the type of content source you want to create.
• Advanced Connector Properties: This subsection contains the advanced properties, such as Debug, Group Expansion, Workflow refresh, and others

1. General Configuration: In order to use the Advanced properties the administrator must select the check box to display the properties.
2. Test Connection: Some connectors may have the Test Connection option, this will allow administrators to check if the configuration information they supply is correct for connecting to the content source. The content source must first be saved in order to use this option.

Workflow Section

The Workflow section is the replacement of the Routing Table that was in the Aspire 1.x versions, this new section allows new flexible and dynamic way to create content processing logic, where developer type Aspire administrators can drag and drop rules from a set of libraries to the tree display and build their own content processing logic.

As you can see in the image above, this page two (2) Subsections:

• Workflow Tree: Contains the business rules for each stage of the information flow.
• Workflow Library: Contains all the application rules and scripting rules we can use to create the business rules.

Controls

For this section there are four (4) controls:

1. Tree Selection: You can select a drop down menu where you can see a graphical tree representation of the content processing flow of information and select an exact point in the flow.
2. Delete Rule: You can either select the rule to delete and click the button or drag the rule to the trashcan to delete the rule.
3. Refresh Workflow: In order to use the Advance properties there is a check box that must be checked to display the properties.
4. Show/Hide Library: Click on the shade in order to hide or show the library and display all the options for creating rules.

Content Source Errors

In this page the user can look at the errors in a more ordered and cleaner way

As you can see in the image above, this page eight (8) general functions:

1. Home Page: Return to the Home Page.
2. Wiki Link: A direct link to Aspire's Wiki.
3. Debug Console: Opens the debug console.
4. Document Error: See the document errors obtained during the crawl.
5. Scanner Error: See the scanner errors obtained before the crawl.
6. Failed Error: See the failed errors obtained during the initialization of the content source.
7. Entries Displayed: Select how many errors per page you want to see.
8. Clear document error: Clear the current type of document error.

Audit logs

In this section the user can look in better detail what actions were performed by each of the Content Sources scanners. In order to access the audit logs you have to open the statistics pop-up and clic on "View Audit Logs" as shown:

That link will open the Audit Logs for that specific crawl:

1. Compare Provides a way to compare this audit log against an index dump from your search engine.
2. Search Engine Dump You can select what publisher to use to create an index dump of your search engine.
3. Type Filter Filters out the logs using its type, the available types are: job (job related actions) and batch (batch related actions).
4. Action Filter Filters out the logs by its action.
5. Page size You can select how many logs are going to be displayed on each page
6. Log entry Where the audit log details are. Includes timestamp, id, url and creator component
7. Page navigation You can navigate through the audit logs by clicking on back and forward page buttons.

Service Management

To access this page, click to the settings icon on the main page and select the "Services" option. This page introduces new features which simplify the work of management of services. From this page the user can begin creation, sort, search, filter and view services. This page displays the service "cards" that show current status, start time, errors and more. You can even change each service card's position to one more suitable by dragging the service and drop it over the service you want to swap places with, searching and filtering services cards.

As you can see in the image above, this page has eight (8) general functions:

1. Wiki Link: A direct link to Aspire's Wiki .
2. Debug Console: Opens the debug console.
3. Refresh Container: Refresh the service container without the need of refresh the entire web page.
4. Import: Upload a service zip file and installs it in the server. This function is not available when using IE browser versions 10 and below.
5. Add Service: Opens a menu with all the Services Applications available to create aspire services.
6. Search: Allows the user search a group or content source by name, also allows regex.
7. Filters: Manage the content sources that are being display in the page.

Features

The following are all the features available on this page.

Services

Introducing a new form of presentation for aspire services, creating a more intuitive way to identify and manage each service

Filtering

With this feature, the user can filter each service by activity status, type of source and time ranges

Import

A new and easier way to move services from one Aspire server to another

Add Service

A custom menu of source types created with your entitlements, for construction of new services

Service Configuration

The Aspire 2.1 UI provides a one page wizard style configuration process to create a complete service. This page is divided in three main sections, General, Service and Workflow.

As you can see in the image above, this page seven (7) controls:

1. Home Page: Return to the Service Page .
2. Wiki Link: A direct link to Aspire's Wiki .
3. Debug Console: Opens the debug console.
4. Update Service: Downloads the latest version of the service if any.
5. Cancel: Discard all the changes made to the General and Service sections, not the Workflow section.
6. Save: Saves all the changes made to the General and Service sections. The workflow section saves all the changes made to it automatically as you work.
7. Export: This option only appears in services that are already saved , and it permits administrators to download a zip file with the configuration files need to import and create that service in another Aspire 2.1 system.

Features

The following are all the features available on this page.

Update Service

Now when a server is connected to internet and a service has new changes, we can just click the Update Service button and update the service

Export

We can save the service into a zip for to import in another server.

General Section

The General section contains basic information regarding a service, it's name and if is active or not

As you can see in the image above, this page three (3) controls:

1. Service Name: The name which the service will display.
2. Active: Ability to Activate and Deactivate the service.
3. System Name: The name of the service in the server (this name is not choose by the user and it can not be changed).

Service Section

The Service section has the specific configuration for each service type.

As you can see in the image above:

• Service Properties: In this section you can see the properties to configure the service, this section changes according to the type of service you want to create.

Workflow Section

The Workflow section is the replacement of the Routing Table that was in the Aspire 1.x versions, this new section allows new flexible and dynamic way to create content processing logic, where developer type Aspire administrators can drag and drop rules from a set of libraries to the tree display and build their own content processing logic.

As you can see in the image above, this page two (2) Subsections:

• Workflow Tree: Contains the business rules for each stage of the information flow.
• Workflow Library: Contains all the application rules and scripting rules we can use to create the business rules.

Note: this section may be shown or not, according a configuration file (workflow-config.xml) inside the service appbundle. Also this file need to match with the pipelines configured in the application.xml for each service.

Controls

For this section there are four (4) specific controls:

1. Tree Selection: You can select a drop down menu where you can see a graphical tree representation of the content processing flow of information and select an exact points in the flow.
2. Delete Rule: You can either select the rule to delete and click the button or drag the rule to the trashcan to delete the rule.
3. Refresh Workflow: In order to used the Advance properties there is a check box that we must check to display the properties.
4. Show/Hide Library: Click on the shade in order to hide or show the library and display all the options for creating rules.

Service Errors

In this page the user can look at the errors in a more sorted and cleaner way

As you can see in the image above, this page six (6) general functions:

1. Home Page: Return to the Service Page .
2. Wiki Link: A direct link to Aspire's Wiki .
3. Debug Console: Opens the debug console.
4. Failed Error: See the failed errors obtained during the initialization of the service.
5. Entries Displayed: Select how many error per page you want to see.
6. Clear services error: Clear the current type of service error.