Sophora's Technology
Thanks to its robust architecture, Sophora is optimized for the rapid production and delivery of content in various formats for all devices.
Robust Architecture for Rapid & Fail Safe Publishing
The CMS divides tasks between a content master server for editing work and the delivery servers for content delivery.
The master sends the content to all connected delivery servers. You can connect as many delivery servers as necessary; all are fail-safe. Each server saves the live content locally in its own repository and delivers it even if other servers fail.
Each delivery server in the default configuration uses a fully encapsulated Java database. This reduces the administrative workload and means additional servers can be deployed rapidly.
Sophora also has a reliable fallback concept for the master server. Fallback servers can be connected to the master server and can be constantly provided with all content in all versions. A fallback server is readily available in an emergency. At the same time, Sophora has only minimal infrastructure requirements. Our CMS is compatible with free software and needs neither an application server nor a database cluster nor an operating system cluster.
A Content Standard for the Future
Internally, Sophora uses the innovative open standard “JCR” (Content Repository for Java Technology API) for standard, cross-system, independent storage of data. JCR is compatible with all standard database systems. Sophora customers benefit indirectly from the wide range of options offered by the JCR standard while simultaneously minimizing risks.
subshell uses the reference implementation of the standard by the renowned Apache Software Foundation with its Apache JackRabbit JCR repository.
Modular Templates and Efficient Caching
Sophora offers developers the option of starting to work with the new CMS with familiar languages and tools. The templates are based on the JSP standard (Java Server Pages), and the Sophora tag library contains the most important functions for flexible access to content.
“Server-Side-Includes” allow you to modularize templates so only minimal parts of each page need to be generated if content is changed. Caching is done by Sophora. The HTML fragments created by the templates are saved on the Web server. This persistent cache makes a warm-up phase upon restart unnecessary. Thanks to an integrated cache database that registers all cached content and the corresponding templates, Sophora always recognizes the content that needs to be generated upon each change.
Developers can define whether the content is to be pre-generated or generated when the modified content is accessed for the first time.
One Editor for All Platforms
Sophora provides editors with a platform-independent desktop environment.
Regardless if you use a Mac or PC, you are always fast.
And there’s another key advantage: Sophora is one of the first CMS in the world to offer a rich client based on Eclipse RCP technology. Eclipse RCP runs more smoothly than classic Java applications and includes many important standard functions.
In addition, the editor does not affect the “inside” of your operating system. If required, it automatically updates itself and connects via HTTP(S) to the editing server. A further advantage is that Eclipse RCP is completely plug-in-based; you can expand Sophora whenever you want.
Easy to Customize
Customize Sophora to meet your needs. Document types can be flexibly configured in the DeskClient; the corresponding editing interface is generated automatically.
The plug-in concept from Eclipse RCP allows you to expand the DeskClient with standard technologies. An integrated browser component enables seamless integration of web-based applications into the DeskClient.
The Sophora DeskClient allows developers to save scripts with which they access Sophora workflows. Sophora supports lightweight scripting (Groovy and BeanShell scripting language and others) in accordance with standard JSR 223.
All developers have full access to a development repository with Sophora’s client API and delivery API. This allows them to develop individual clients, connect external systems and add delivery functions.
All Sophora components come with a JMX interface (Java Management Extensions) to adapt Sophora's monitoring to individual needs and to integrate with existing monitoring systems.
Your Way. Convenient User Interface and Document Type Configuration
You define individual document types and the corresponding editing interfaces directly in the Sophora administration view; no need to program or to process cryptic XML files.
Instead, you use select values, regular expressions for validation, and mandatory fields in order to define the form and structure of document types. Inheritance can be used to reuse definitions and namespaces can be used to organize them. You can then define in detail the features of the corresponding user interface that is automatically generated by Sophora.
Flexible Document Tabs
Sophora uses document tabs to structure each document's content into easily digestible chunks. Typically, basic content is separated from meta data. In Sophora you can configure per document type the tabs that you need, how your tabs are labeled and how the document's entry fields should be placed on these tabs. Another benefit: you can easily connect a tab with an external website or online-application, e.g. web analytics or a forum thread related to the document at hand.
Want More? Sophora is Upgradable
Sophora grows with your requirements. You can rapidly connect additional delivery servers in response to a rise in hits on your Web site.
An internal database enables each individual server to play out your Web site separately. Each additional delivery server therefore makes the maximum contribution to performance.
Sophora’s technical infrastructure requirements are, incidentally, minimal.
Requirements
Client
Java program based on Eclipse RCP that requires only Java, can simply be unpacked and does not affect the operating system.
- Operating system: Windows (XP and later), Mac OS X.
- RAM: 250 MB (word processing), up to 1 GB of dedicated RAM is recommended.
- Hard disk space: 250 MB for the installation directory plus hard disk space for the local cache.
- Screen resolution: 1024x768 or greater.
- Java 1.6 or later.
- Fast network and Internet connection via HTTPS / Proxy.
- No adminstrator permissions necessary.
Server
Stand-alone Java program with connected or internal database.
- Operating system: Solaris on Sparc, X86 or X86-64 processors, Red Hat Linux & Suse Linux on X86 or X86-64 processors.
- Java 1.6 or later.
- Database systems: Oracle 10 and 11, MySQL 5 and above, Apache Derby, file system and others.
- For preview and delivery: servlet/container Apache Tomcat 5.5. or later, Apache HTTP Server 2.2.x or later.
Other configurations available upon request.