How the TBXDS Engine Works
The data replication service works completely over the Internet, via the standard HTTP protocol, supported by any Internet server. The HTTP protocol also provides easy and unrestricted transport through firewalls and proxy servers, making the data transfer itself quite easy.
The actual method of using the TBXDS engine corresponds to the way the infamous search-engines on the Internet like www.altavista.com work:
- The customer sends a (HTTP-POST) request to ws.vwdservices.com/tbxds/tbxds.asp, containing a custom XML file, adhering to the <TBMDataRequest> standard.
- The TBXDS recieves the message, begins examining the XML request, and checking the customer's credentials.
- Once the request message has been analyzed, the TBXDS begins to collect the data from the server's databases, and combining the data into an XML structure, adhering to the <TBMData> standard.
- Before sending the response, the TBXDS engine cleans up the collected data, e.g. by removing duplicate data, enabling a slightly shorter data transfer and parsing time. See Data Stripping: How the TBXDS Engine Compacts Your Data.
- Finally, the TBXDS engine sends the requested data to the customer through the same HTTP channel.
The user will now have all the requested data, or error messages stating that not all data could be retrieved. This can be either because the customer provides invalid identification (see Authentication: How Do I Tell Who I Am), or because the customer has restricted access to the data delivered by Infront, or even because an error occurred at the side of Infront (e.g., a system maintenance cycle the customer ignored).
Note The request should be scheduled on the client's server, so the retrieved data can be stored locally. It is explicitly forbidden to use the TBXDS directly for live updates. See also What steps do I need to take to use TBXDS?.