What is the difference between AWS 1.2 and Exor 4.8?

I am looking for a simple answer:) a few key points. My organization is using Exor 4.7 and we need to upgrade ... Thank you for your help.

BT

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  • By "AWS" you probably mean AssetWise Linear Referencing Services (AWLRS to its friends).  At Exor 47 AWLRS is an additional browser-based map UI for querying and maintaining network and asset data in the Exor database.  It is intended initially as a substitute for Spatial Manager (SM), but at Exor 4.7 you can use both.  The big technical difference is that AWLRS does not require any GIS software to be installed on the user's desktop.  It is browser based and uses the Open Source MapServer map rendering engine.

    At Exor 4.8, which is just being released now, AWLRS takes over from SM as the map-based User Interface.  At 4.8, AWLRS also provides a browser based alternative to the old Exor forms, which are based on Oracle Forms technology and require JRE to be installed on users' desktops.  All the old forms are still there, so at Exor 4.8 you can use both.

    In the future the AWLRS user interface will completely replace the old, pre-Exor 4.7 UI.  The database back end remains essentially the same through all this, apart from ongoing bug fixes and enhancements.  And we're looking at supporting SQL/Server as well as Oracle.

  • Thank you Marc. Just to clarify. At Exor 4.8 all old forms (Oracle) forms and AWLRS (already 'converted' forms) are available. User can use both? If Yes, how many of Exor form are there? Can I have a list? How many of them are in AWLRS 1.2 ?

    One more question, Can you upgrade Exor 4.7 to AWLRS 1.2 directly?

  • Hi Bozena,

    I recommend that you go with Windows Server 2016 for both the database and application servers.  As it says in the certification matrix, just because it is not certified does not mean that we will not support you.  We will.

    Also I checked with our managed service team and I can confirm that we are running Exor 4700 forms from a Windows 2016 server for production systems, and we are setting up the same environment for Exor 4800 forms as we upgrade users.  So we are confident that it works.

    Regards, Marc

  • Hi Bozena,

    I have more information in response to your question whether users will be able to upgrade directly from Exor version 4700 to AWLRS 1.3.  The development team has just confirmed that this will be possible.

    Regards, Marc

  • Thank-you Marc!!! How are you doing? Hope you and your family stay safe!

    What is a timeline for AWLRS1.3? Also, I would like to learn a little more about the cloud option? Can Exor4.8/AWLRS1.2 be installed on BC Gov. Azure cloud? f not where is Bentley's Cloud? 

    We have a few integration points such as APIs and direct access to database (from different apps). How could this be handle if it will go to cloud?

    With Exor4.7 we don't use AWLRS 1.1. If we want to , how difficult is to turn this functionality on so user can learn how to use it?

    Thank you,

    Bozena

  • Hi Bozena,

    All is well here.  I hope that you're well too, and not going too stir crazy working at home.  I always work from home, so it isn't much of a change.

    You asked a few questions, so I'll answer them separately.

    (I) AWLRS release timeline

    The development team is planning to get it out of the door in the third quarter of 2020.  They have started work and have successfully upgraded current Exor 4.8 and Exor 4.7 environments.  The remaining challenge, apart from a laundry list of minor issues to resolve, are making sure that we replace all the Exor Forms functionality.

    (ii) Hosting

    Bentley uses a lot of Azure and quite a lot of Amazon Web Services as well as other hosting services.  We have hosted environments for UK Exor users in the UK and US users in the US, but we can create additional ones pretty much anywhere.  Our preference for interacting with hosted database APIs is to wrap these in web services.  VPN is used in some cases.  The real answer is that it depends.

    (iii) AWLRS at Exor 4.7

    It is quite straightforward to add AWLRS at Exor 4.7.  From an infrastructure point of view you need an IIS server.  The AWLRS installation is covered in this document /cfs-file/__key/communityserver-discussions-components-files/343303/4846.AWLRS-Product-Installation-and-Upgrade-Guide-v1.1.6.pdf

    Most important, installing AWLRS is adding an additional user interface and has not impact at all on any current functionality, so there is no risk. 

    Once you have it installed you do have to configure map definitions spelling out what data types you want to be displayed in what order, at what scales, with what symbology, etc.  I'll be happy to walk you through this process.

    Regards, Marc

  • Thank-you Marc! You are AWESOME!!! Glad to hear that all is good! I will share your answers with my team and probably get back with more questions. Hope you don't mind:) I would invite you for a lunch or glass of wine/beer but we need to observe 'social distancing'. Maybe some other time;) Stay Safe!

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