integrating asset bank with other systems
DESCRIPTION
Find out how you can integrate Asset Bank's Digital Asset Management solution with other systems such as your CMS and intranet. This presentation was first given at Asset Bank's 2014 London Get-together by Director, Martin WilsonTRANSCRIPT
Get-together 2014
Integrating your Asset Bank
Publish Lightboxes
Publish Actions Company
Websites
Internal Apps &
Databases
data lookup
Other Apps
Intranet
Imag
es
vi
deo
CMS Asset Bank
SSO, e.g. LDAP Asset Bank can be used to share assets with different groups of users (staff, partners, etc.), but also with different applications via various integration options.
Integrating your Asset Bank
• Seamless user experience
• Using assets from Asset Bank in other applications
• Using data from other applications in Asset Bank
Integrating your Asset Bank
• Seamless user experience
• Using assets from Asset Bank in other applications
• Using data from other applications in Asset Bank
Single Sign-on
• Users expect it
• Less maintenance
• Centralised control of users
Single Sign-on
• LDAP (Novell, Active Directory) • Integrated Windows Authentication • OpenID • SAML • Google Accounts • Sage Passport • EncryptedURL Plugin
Here are some single sing-on options supported by Asset Bank.
Here is an example using Google SSO for staff logging into Asset Bank, with standard login for 3rd parties.
The first time you log in via this option it checks to see if you are allowed to login with this method (e.g. based on your email domain). Thus it can be set up so by default all “@assetbank.co.uk” users can log in with default permissions. In this case Martin has a few Google accounts, he chooses one and he is validated and logged in.
The next time (say the following day) Martin logs into his Google mail, then visits the same Asset Bank site and clicks on the “Google Sign-in” link. This time he is logged in immediately.
Integrating your Asset Bank
• Seamless user experience
• Using assets from Asset Bank in other applications
• Using data from other applications in Asset Bank
Embedded assets
• Find images, videos etc. as usual
• View ‘embedded versions’ that already exist
• Create new versions if required
• Copy-and-paste URL
Authorised users can click on the “embed” link.
You can see the embed code below. You also have the option to generate other re-sized versions via the “Create new version…” link.
CMS Integration
• Requires small config/customisation in CMS
• Click ‘get from Asset Bank’ in CMS
• Find image and choose size
• URL and metadata returned to CMS
• Image served by Asset Bank or separate web server
In this example a button that calls Asset Bank has been added to the CMS.
In this example a button that calls Asset Bank has been added to the CMS.
Asset Bank is then launched in CMS mode. The user can search and browse to find the image they want.
Asset Bank is then launched in CMS mode. The user can search and browse to find the image they want.
The user then selects the size they need and the image is returned to the CMS.
Publishing
• ‘Publishing Actions’ based on search criteria
• Can resize and reformat or use original
• Sub-directory based on attribute value
• Further sub-directory based on usage format
• Filename based on an attribute value
In this example we are a company selling cycles. Each has a unique product code.
Publishing
We can now set up a publishing action that will, every evening, securely transfer/synchronise copies of these assets (all assets in the ‘Product Shots’ category) to another location, ready to be picked up for the company website.
Publishing
On the target location (e.g. another web server) Asset Bank has created a folder based on the Product ID and then created 3 sub-folders. These contain re-sized versions of the original asset, converted to RGB and to JPG format, ready for use on the website.
Direct Link Cache
• Call URL to obtain image
• Parameters specify asset and size
• Can use attribute search
• Served from cache if requested already
This is method that, if configured, allows developers to get re-sized versions of assets by calling a URL.
Direct Link Cache
Direct Link Cache
In this example we specify a URL with the asset ID and the dimensions we want. The image is then proportionally re-sized to fit within these. You can also specify other details.
Post-save hook
• Custom class executed after asset is saved
• For example, sends XML doc to Autonomy
A ‘post-save hook’ enables Asset Bank to send information to another system after an asset has been saved. For example, if an organisation is using an Enterprise search tool such as Autonomy, then this ensure that the assets uploaded to Asset Bank will appear via an Autonomy search.
This is the sort of information it can generate for the other application.
REST API
• Enables other applications to use Asset Bank’s functionality: add, edit assets; search; get asset files; use lightbox
• XML or JSON
2) Integrating your Asset Bank
• Seamless user experience
• Using assets from Asset Bank in other applications
• Using data from other applications in Asset Bank
Data lookup plugin
• Attribute of type ‘data lookup button’
• Uses extendable plugin architecture
• Data file lookup ‘out of the box’
• Standard extendable class looks up from API and syncs regularly
Keyword Picker Auto-Import
• Keyword picker – select from predefined list
• Auto-import reads from file or URL
• Keeps list up-to-date with central taxonomy
Keyword Picker Auto-Import
This is the set up page for this Keyword picker attribute.
Summary
• Improved user experience
– SSO
– Using images and videos
– Data entry
• One ‘version of truth’ for assets and data
• Enhance your other applications