Multi-Lingual

Design Environment

The "eG3" has been designed using the Microsoft technologies, VB.NET and ASP.NET (Ver.2.0) are the key design environment as these environment supports the UNICODE data storage, retrieval and display. Visual Studio 2005 is the latest version of the Microsoft Office Productivity Tools which provides the state-of-the-art platform to design world class application for multi-lingual supports and better performance.

MS SQL Server 2005

The "eG3" has been designed for use with the latest version of the DBMS from the Microsoft, i.e. "Microsoft SQL Server 2005". This is a world class RDBMS from Microsoft which supports UNICODE data and is very user-friendly, thus, useful for library applications also. In case the e-Granthalaya is implemented in Stand-ALone mode, the user will need MS SQL Server (Express Edition) while for client/server mode implementation with Intranet publishing of the library catalog, user will need 'Standard Edition' of the MS SQL Server 2005. The small and medium size libraries can use the free version of the MS SQL Server 2005 (Express Edition) with some limitations which can be downloaded from the Microsoft site http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/express/sql/download/ . This edition of the MS SQL Server 2005 can be used locally and can store up to 4GB data of library.

Installation and Updation

The eG3 deployment is based on the new technology from Microsoft called as 'ClickOnce'. Under this kind of deployment, the e-Granthalaya software will be kept in NIC server from where it can be deployed/installed automatically on the target/client PC. Updation is also downloaded automatically when the application is run on the Client PC every time.

Fig.1: Click Once Deployment Process

Architecture

Architecture of eG3 has been designed in such a way that a common database can be created for a cluster of libraries, thus, provides a Union Catalog kinds of services for that cluster / group of libraries. This architecture suites the requirements of the NIC Network/infrastructure where databases for group of libraries will be hosted in NIC server along with other server components (web services, Reports Services and Web OPAC interface) while the clients components (data entry software) will be installed automatically on the target/client PCs. The software has been designed using the 3-tier layers, the BLL and DLL layer will be hosted on the NIC server where database is resides while the Presentation layer will be installed on the client PCs, thus, LAN/WAN based connectivity will be possible using the 'Web Services' concept of server computing.