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Cloud Repositories Overview
The Sparx Systems Pro Cloud Server solution provides seamless access to Enterprise Architect models in repositories held anywhere in the world, providing high performance in remote access, secure encrypted links, and optimization for high-latency WAN connections.
Cloud-based repositories provide easy access to models, not only for people within your local team but also for remote team members, external customers and consultants with Internet access, anywhere around the world. Collaborative and distributive modeling and design are dramatically enhanced by using a Cloud-based repository, which can provide the shared backbone of a wealth of development scenarios.
This section will:
- Familiarize you with the concepts of Cloud Repositories
- Discuss considerations of when and where you should use a Pro Cloud Server
- Walk you through the process of setting up a Pro Cloud Server
- Walk you through the process of connecting for the first time
- Highlight some of the additional functionality available through licensing the Pro Cloud Server
- Outline working with Active Directory using IIS
Benefits of Cloud Repositories
Enterprise Architect models are stored in databases, such as MySQL, SQL Server and Oracle. Traditional installations of Enterprise Architect require each user to install the appropriate drivers for each DBMS, and in some cases define an ODBC DSN with the database connection details.
When connecting to a Pro Cloud Server, the procedure for a user to connect to a model is dramatically simplified. Users connecting to models hosted on a Pro Cloud Server only need a single URL; no special drivers or further configuration are required.
Connecting to a Pro Cloud Server provides a number of key benefits:
- Improved performance for models used for distributed development. The Pro Cloud Server provides benefits to connections that have high latency and reduced data transfer speeds.
- The process of setting up drivers and connections is performed once by an administrator during the server configuration. The only set-up required on a user machine is to install Enterprise Architect and to connect to a model on the Cloud server.
- Database servers no longer have to be exposed through a firewall; the Pro Cloud Server can be run from inside the corporate firewall. All model connections are created using HTTP/S, allowing firewalls to completely isolate your database server.
- A Pro Cloud Server can be configured to encrypt all communication. Using standard TLS/SSL protocols, you can be confident that your data is not intercepted during transmission on insecure networks.
- A Pro Cloud Server can be configured to provide HTTP-level authorization to any model taken directly from the model user list. Even when the model is exposed on a public network, you can be assured that only authorized users are able to access your model.
- A Pro Cloud Server can be configured to provide read-only access to any model; for example, read-only access for clients required to review a model.
Pro Cloud Server Features
Even without a License, the Pro Cloud Server can be used for hosting Cloud Repositories to be accessed by Enterprise Architect, providing all the benefits mentioned previously; however, using a valid Pro Cloud Server license provides a number of additional benefits:
- A web based application, WebEA, that allows users to view and discuss elements in Enterprise Architect models through a web browser, while on portable devices or remote desktop systems
- OSLC Restful API, providing an interface for external applications
- Integration Plug-ins, allowing data from external providers to be displayed within Enterprise Architect
- Prolaborate, a Team Sharing and Collaboration software package
- The Sparx Systems Floating License Server
- Visibility Levels for SQL Server 2016+ and Oracle based databases, so that it is possible to restrict parts of the model to individual users or groups of users
Sparx Systems Pro Cloud licenses are available in three different editions:
- Token Edition is a scalable edition of the Pro Cloud Server; 'Tokens' are allocated to enable specific features of the Pro Cloud Server and they also determine the number of concurrent web users - there are no restrictions on the number of Tokens, you only purchase the number that suits your organization's needs
- Team Server Edition supports up to seven repositories and unlimited web users
- Enterprise Server Edition supports any number of repositories, and unlimited web users
Webinar
Before you go on to set up the Pro Cloud Server, Sparx Systems recommend that you watch the 'Setting Up Pro Cloud Server for Enterprise Architect' webinar.
You can also watch a second webinar that demonstrates setting up a MySQL repository on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud using Amazon Relational Database Services (RDS), and creating and configuring an Enterprise Architect project in the repository via the Cloud connection.