Developer Support

 

In this document you can find more information about Exact Developer Support; a dedicated support desk for partners and customers working with web services or SDK (both Globe and Synergy).

How to integrate solutions with Exact?

The possibilities to integrate with Exact’s solutions depend on the precise product:

-          Globe: Globe has a COM based API(nicknamed the SDK Interface), which allows data integration, activity monitoring and behavior customization. It also has a self-hosted webservice, the Entity service. The Entity service is a WCF webservice that has both a SOAP and a REST based entry point, and only supports data integration.

-          Synergy Enterprise: Custom solutions can be built directly against the ASP.NET based runtime of Synergy Enterprise. Custom modifications of standard pages are loaded into Synergy through the use of XML files. Data integration is done through a web service. Like Globe, this web service has both a SOAP and a REST based endpoint, although there are also a few process specific endpoints that only support the REST protocol.

-          Financial: Exact Financial has a web service for data integration. Currently this is not supported by Connectivity Support.

-          Online: Online offers a web service for data integration, and can be further integrated with the Azure Service Bus for reactive activity monitoring. Support for these services is currently done through Support and Development of Online.

-          For other products no formally supported API is available.

Where to find documentation?

The Globe SDK framework, the customization framework of Synergy Enterprise, and the webservices for Globe and Synergy Enteprise each have their own dedicated start page with in depth information on their functioning and interfaces. All of these start pages can also be found under the FAQ section of the Exact Connectivity portal. The respective documents are:

-          Globe SDK: Document 01.615.752.

-          Globe Entity service: Document 19.135.070.

-          Synergy Enterprise SDK: Document 13.124.996.

-          Synergy Enterprise webservice: Document 18.113.021.

-          Connectivity portal: https://customers.exact.com/connectivity

How to test issues?

The SDK start pages contain test/example code that can be used to test issues with those API’s. For SDK Globe and Synergy Enterprise it will usually be necessary to modify these examples to fit the situation, due to the specific interface contracts of these API’s. For the webservices, there are a variety of generic SOAP and REST based test applications in the public domain, like SOAPUI and the WCF test utility. Exact also has a test application for the SOAP based services, called ConnectivityClient.exe which can be used to test issues for both Globe and Synergy Enterprise. This application is available to supported developers on demand.

How to get support?

What is supported?

-          Assistance with (possible) bugs in Globe, Synergy or their API’s.

-          Registering of ideas/wishes for future product improvement/missing features.

-          Assistance with implementing specific steps (ex: issuing a production order through the Entity service) through one of the API’s.

-          Indications on the feasibility of specific solutions.

What is NOT supported?

-          In depth assistance with the building of a complete custom solution, or a complete process through the API’s (for example, how to build a stock management system that hooks into the manufacturing process flow through the SDK process dispatcher). This kind of assistance can be gotten through separately paid for consultancy.

-          Code reviews of a complete solution. Consultancy offers a certification track for that.

-          Detailed instruction on the API’s as a whole. For each of these, training sessions can be booked through the Exademy.

How is the end user supported?

The end user of a custom solution or a 3^rd party solution that connects to Exact receives support from Exact only for functional use of the Exact product itself. Any question regarding the custom solution or the API’s that their solution uses to exchange data with Exact need to go through the developer of this solution. This developer serves as a first line point of contact toward the end user regarding their question and can in turn request assistance on this question from Exact.

How is the developer supported?

Support to 3^rd party developers is normally only given through web based questions. The developer can enter such a question by using the “Ask Support a question” button on the Connectivity portal.

What information is required when reporting an issue?

When an issue is possibly a bug, it is essential to reliably reproduce this issue so that it can be analyzed by Exact’s Development department. The 3^rd party developer therefore needs to provide any information necessary to make the issue reproducible. What information is needed exactly depends on the situation, but it is always expected that the developer has already eliminated their own solution as a possible cause by testing the issue in a proof of concept solution or a dedicated test application. Examples of information that may be required are:

-          A backup of the database in which the issue happened if it can’t be reproduced in a demo administration.

-          A Fiddler trace of the request-response exchange that triggered the issue if it is related to the web services.

-          A summary of all properties and functions involved, along with their values so that they can be entered in a test application.

-          (a relevant fragment of) The source code of the proof of concept solution that was used to verify the issue as being caused by one of Exact’s API’s.

-          A VMWare image of the machine that the issue can be reliably be reproduced on.

What priority will questions get?

While there may be situational exceptions, the general order of precedence for Connectivity related questions is as follows:

1.       Issues with solutions that are already deployed to at least one end user and that significantly disrupt one or more of their business processes. These will get priority Urgent and will be further resolved based on their severity, impact and the estimated speed at which they can be resolved.

2.       Issues that prevent a go to market or rollout of a solution that has not yet been deployed in the form that has issues. These will get priority High.

3.       Other questions, like feasibility questions and less disruptive issues. These will get priority Medium.

How does Exact communicate back regarding Support questions?

Exact will contact the developer as needed, which can take place through email, phone or through the request that was used to register the question. It is the responsibility of the 3^rd party developer to report back to the end user regarding any information relevant to them about the reported issue.

 

Which types of Developer support contracts are available?

Everyone is allowed to use or develop against the web/entity service free of charge. A fee is only needed when in depth support or product maintenance is desired.

End users requiring support about a solution that communicates with the web/entity service need to contact the developer of this software to get any support. Because this software is by definition 3^rd party software, Exact is unable to support it ourselves.

Developers who wish to receive in depth support about the Entity or web service can buy one of 4 development licenses which are catered towards such support. Each of these modules covers a specific area of development as indicated by the following table:

 

License module	Full name	Entity service EGN	Custom solution development & SDK EGN	Web service ESE	Custom solution development ESE
SE5380	SDK Development Toolkit (Globe)	Yes	Yes	No	No
SFWS0000	Support fee web services(Globe)	Yes	No	No	No
YA5380	SDK Development toolkit (ESE)	No	No	Yes	Yes
SFWS0001	Support fee web services (ESE)	No	No	Yes	No

 

Support for the entity and web service is provided to licensed developers through the SDK Developer Support request (type 188). This is also the main and only guaranteed venue of contact for support of this type. The support specialist may, at their discretion decide to contact the developer through mail, by phone or in person, but the developer is only entitled to written communication through this request.