xTuple Connect is an extension of xTuple ERP that supports the automated integration of xTuple with other systems, transports xTuple information via mechanisms such as email and FTP, lets you schedule the start-time of long-running reports and database maintenance tasks, and allows setting up and running repeating jobs. It may be purchased from xTuple for use with all editions of xTuple ERP. This product guide will show you how to load, configure, and use xTuple Connect.
There are three components to xTuple Connect:
The xtConnect package adds features to the xTuple ERP application. These features include new menu options and windows and new buttons and fields on existing windows. These windows, buttons, and fields let you configure xTuple Connect, view email messages, and submit and schedule jobs to the xTuple Connect Batch Manager.
The Trojita email clients handle synchronization between email servers and database.
The xTuple Connect Batch Manager client is a separate program that does most of the batch processing work. It runs continually, checking for jobs to start and running them at the appropriate time. The xTuple Connect Batch Manager runs the reports, sends the email, downloads files from FTP servers, and more.
Throughout this manual, xtConnect or xtConnect extension package will be used when referring to the extension package that gets loaded into the xTuple Database, xTuple Connect Batch Manager or xTuple Connect Batch Manager client for the stand-alone program that processes the submitted and scheduled jobs, and xTuple Connect for the xTuple ERP add-on as a whole. Trojita is described in more detail in Section 1, “How Email Integration Works”.
When you submit a job to the xTuple Connect Batch Manager, you specify a time for the job to start. Jobs are stored on the database awaiting xTuple Connect Batch Manager processing. The queue of jobs waiting to be processed can be viewed through the xTuple ERP application client or the xTuple Connect Batch Manager client. We will cover these points—as well as many more—in greater detail later in this product guide.