Basic Concepts
Overview
MCL-Mobility Platform provides a comprehensive management of sites, devices, applications and operators. To take full advantage of all its possibilities, you must first understand the basic concepts behind this web based portal.
Below are the key concepts to take into account when working/managing MCL-Mobility Platform:
Account
Each customer has an account that includes the available services and products associated to the subscription and the customer's setup (sites, device groups, operator groups). The customer is given a specific URL to access its private space as well as a password. The account administrator manages administrative tasks such as creating user profiles, sites, managing subscriptions, etc.. Each account can contain several subscriptions and sites.
Subscription
A subscription is a set of products and services contracted during a specific period of time and associated to an account.
The subscription dictates the limit and use of the number of devices, users, allocated servers and dictates the use of services like "Operator Management", "Filebox" and "Speech Profile Management". Products and services can be added to a subscription with the use of Add-ons. The customer will be able to distribute these items between the several sites created inside the account.
The subscription has a due date which is automatically renewed.
Site
A site virtually represents a facility/location. It includes devices, operators and applications. It is created by the account administrator and managed by the site manager, who has direct access to the Site Dashboard through a specific URL. This is where the operational tasks are executed (application upload, deployment scheduling, site user and operator profile creation, etc.).
Device
It is the physical device, regardless of manufacturer, model or operating system, where the applications run.
Device Group
Devices are always included into device groups. Each device group can only accept devices from one single model and operating system. The devices inside a device group obtain the configuration and server settings associated to the device group. In other words, a new device coming into a device group inherits that device group's properties.
Unassigned Device
This is a device that is not included in a device group and, therefore, it is not possible to assign any configurations/deployments to it. An unassigned device is a disabled device. To be able to use it, include it in a device group.
Configuration
A configuration is a container that can include applications and/or MCL firmware and/or any other files for a specific device model with a specific operating system. It is, then, associated (deployed) to a device group.
Deployment
A deployment represents the action of associating/delivering a configuration with applications/MCL firmware/other files to a device group. This action can be planned "as soon as possible" or "at scheduled date/time".
Server
A server is an entity that represents the application resident on a back end host server (to which the device will send and receive business data).
Operator
The operator is the person handling the devices. The operator's profile is created/managed in MCL Mobility Platform (operator information and status, access rights, restrictions, etc.). Operators do not have access to the platform. They are included in "Operator Groups". Depending on the applications being used, the operator can be a speech operator (includes speech attributes in his profile to handle speech applications) or a non-speech operator (the profile does not include speech attributes and the operator cannot handle speech applications).
Operator Group
Operators are always included into predefined operator groups. The operator group can be seen as an organizational entity like a morning or an afternoon shift. Operators inside an operator group inherit that operator group's properties and have the same access rights and restrictions as the other operators inside that group. If the operator group has speech attributes, it becomes a speech operator group and it only contains speech operators.
Non-speech operator groups (without speech attributes) can only include non-speech operators.
An operator group cannot include both speech and non-speech operators, each operator group type must have the corresponding type of operators.
Speech Profile
A set of speech parameters to be used within speech applications which is associated to sites/operator groups/operators.
Speech profiles are managed within a specific module that is only available in accounts with a subscription that includes speech services.
There are two levels of speech management:
Global Speech Profile Management - the default option. Speech profiles are managed at account level, in the "Speech Profiles" module (available in the "Control Panel"). Speech profiles created at account level are Global Speech Profiles.They are available for all the sites/operator groups/operators included in the account.
Local Speech Profile Management - Speech profiles are managed within each site, in the "Speech Profile" sub-module (available in the "Operators" module). Profiles created at site level are Local Speech Profiles. They can only be used within the site they are created in.
To override the default management option (Global Speech Profile Management) a site must be awarded the local management of speech profiles (Local Speech Profile Management). Sites that are not in charge of their speech profiles, do NOT include a "Speech Profiles" sub-module.
Filebox
A filebox is a virtual storage and forwarding space for files. It is available in the customer's account and can be accessed by the devices to upload/download files.
Account Profiles
Depending on the level of access to the platform, there are four profiles within an account:
1.Account Administrator
Has the highest access rights within the account, meaning, can view and edit everything because this is the only profile that can access the Admin Dashboard.
Deals with the administrative aspects of the account (account set up, subscription, site and user profiles creation and platform access restrictions).
Has access to the Site Dashboard and its administrative and operational aspects.
2.Site Manager
Can access the site or sites he manages via a specific URL that leads straight to each Site Dashboard.
Handles the administrative and operational aspects of the site he is assigned to (managing the site's properties, applications, configurations, devices and operators).
Does not have access to the Admin Dashboard.
3.Site User
This type of platform user has a more limited access to the Site Dashboard because he handles specific operational aspects. A site user can have one of several available roles, each role with its own access rights/operational privileges - site supervisor, MDM manager, device manager, operator manager, configuration manager, deployment manager, custom user.
4.Device Installer
This account profile is currently not in use within MCL-Mobility Platform.
Development Stations
Development Stations are specifically used to manage MCL-Designer V4 subscriptions (a type of license). MCL-Designer V4 is a software development tool that allows you to create applications for devices.
In order to work with the "Development Stations" module, ensure that the account's subscription includes an MCL-Designer V4 service which will allow you to manage your MCL-Designer applications.
Back-end
A back-end is any external system that communicates with MCL-Mobility Platform to exchange data through a back-end service (ex: "Reporting" service). For the external system to be identified by MCL-Mobility Platform and be authorized to use a back-end service, a corresponding back-end profile needs to be created. All back-end profiles are managed in the Back-ends module.
Messagebox Service
Refers to a service that allows the MCL applications installed in the devices to send messages to a back-end and receive messages from the back-end through MCL-Mobility Platform. It is based on message queuing. In this environment, a queue is referred to as a "Topic". A "Topic" works similarly to a mailbox - the sender (device or back-end) posts a message to a topic that is specifically polled by the message's receiver (device or back-end).
Messagebox Service related options are handled in the Admin Dashboard's "Messagebox" module (at account level) or in a site's Site Dashboard - the "Messagebox" sub-module is contained in the "Services" module.
This service is only available if it is included in the subscription.
Business Analytics
Refers to a service that allows the MCL applications installed in the devices to send "metric" data (metrics = info on the activity of the operator handling the MCL application) to the MCL-Mobility Platform account for performance analysis (ex: operator performance evaluation, work load evolution, sales increase/decrease, etc.). Metric data is, then, displayed with the use of dashboards.
This information is managed in the "Business Analytics" module. The use of this service requires an MCL application with the related options (ex: the defining of a counter profile created during development in MCL-Designer matching the corresponding counter in MCL-Mobility Platform). Refer to the MCL-Designer User Guide for more detailed information.
This service is ONLY available if it is included in the subscription.
Remote Control
The Remote Control is a feature that allows an MCL-Mobility Platform user to remotely view and/or control a device that is paired with your MCL-Mobility Platform account.