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asanetwork

An overview

What is asanetwork?

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• Network, Networking

– An interconnection of a group of computer systems is called a network

– Most often used for file and printer sharing or common access to internet

– Most often a requirement for multi user software like dealer management systems

• asanetwork

– Is a product and a standardized method (a protocol) used for data exchange between different products, different manufacturers over a local area network in a workshop environment.

– Data exchange is not based on shared access to files and folders. Data exchange is done with a communication server, called the network manager.

• A network is a requirement – but is not the same as asanetwork!

– Carefully read manufacturer data sheets and specifications

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asanetwork, a well-rounded solution• Kernel: The network manager, a

communication server for data exchange

• Integration: Software modules and interfaces for different products and platforms

• Distributed order processing: Transmission of orders to and from workshop equipment

• Documentation and Visualisation: Storage and visualisation of workshop results (history)

• Vehicle properties: Identification and testing data

• Tools: Monitors, diagnostic and developer tools

Orders

Tools

? History

Vehicles

N

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asanetwork, a well-rounded solution

Orders

Tools

? History

Vehicle

N

Network manager

• A TCP/IP communication server

• Running as a service in the background

• The main data hub in asanetwork:

– Accepts data from all members

– Stores received data

– Distributes data between other members

– Returns stored data on request

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Orders

Tools

? History

Vehicle

asanetwork, a well-rounded solutionInterfaces

• Used to integrate your application into asanetwork

• All platforms and compilers are supported

• Examples:

– C-Library, C++/Delphi-DLL

– Java Interface

– .NET Framework Interface

– COM/ActiveX components

– For Windows, Unix and Embedded Systems

N

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asanetwork, a well-rounded solution

Orders

Tools

? History

Vehicle

N

Distributed order processing

• Each order position (item) transports all data about the customer, the vehicle and the task (called a service in asanetwork) itself:

– Order state (new, active, interrupted, finished)

– Result: good, bad, ...

– Start and end time of processing

– May have an attached detailed result

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asanetwork, a well-rounded solution

Orders

Tools

? History

Vehicle

N

Vehicle History

• Test results (details) created during a test or workshop process are stored in the network manager data base

• Each member in asanetwork is able to run a query to retrieve these test results

• Test results are saved in a standardised XML format

• Visualisation of test results is done either by the application itself or with asanetwork viewer

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Mapping of test results• Manufacturer independent

• Not platform specific

• Based on standard XML

• Documented and specified

• DTD and schema available

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1" standalone="no" ?><!DOCTYPE RESULTS SYSTEM "awnres.dtd">

<RESULTS> <RESULTSHEADER> <COUNTRY> <REGULATION>GERMAN</REGULATION> <LANGUAGE>GERMAN</LANGUAGE> </COUNTRY> <CUSTOMER> <NAME>Walter Mustermann</NAME> </CUSTOMER> <VEHICLE> <IDENT> <!-- vehicle ident information --> <REGISTRATION>OA-CC 945</REGISTRATION> <MANUFACTURER>Peugeot</MANUFACTURER> <MODEL>405 GRDT</MODEL> <TYPE>7M</TYPE> <KEY2>0123</KEY2> <KEY3>456</KEY3> <VIN>ABCDEFGH12345</VIN> <ENGINECODE>XYZ123</ENGINECODE> </IDENT> <DATA> <ODOMETER>54321</ODOMETER> </DATA> </VEHICLE> </RESULTSHEADER> <RESULT OBJECT="HEAD_LIGHT"> <TITLE>Scheinwerfertest</TITLE> <HEADER> <EQUIPMENT TYPE="CONTROL"> <TITLE>Bedienrechner</TITLE>

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asanetwork Viewer• A viewer is available for

Windows based platforms

• This viewer creates human readable output from XML result

• Used for viewing and printing

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asanetwork, a well-rounded solution

Orders

Tools

? History

Vehicle

N

Vehicle identification

• Based on XML

• Foundation for transmission of vehicle testing data

Vehicle testing data

• Based on XML

• Used by DEKRA to distribute testing data from a single source to different manufacturers (emission test)

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asanetwork, a well-rounded solution

Orders

Tools

? History

Vehicle

N

Tools

• It is easy to plug-in additional applications:

– Progress monitors to display order states

– Statistical applications

– Diagnostic software to identify problems in asanetwork itself

– Developer software to trace and watch the data exchange

– Simulators to emulate dealer management systems or workshop equipment

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asanetwork, a well-rounded solution

Orders

Tools

? History

Vehicle

N

Future

• asanetwork is an open system, ready to support additional requirements in the future:

– Transmission of labour and part data

• You can always add additional products, services and application into asanetwork

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Requirements for asanetwork• Requirements

– Network wiring based on CAT 5 or 6

– 1 Server or workstation running Microsoft Windows

• Minimum system

– A network manager

– Dealer-Management-Software, DMS

– asanetwork enabled workshop equipment

• Grow on demand

– Additional DMS applications

– Additional workshop equipment

– Additional services

NetworkManager

DMS 1WorkshopEquipment

1

WorkshopEquipment

2

WorkshopEquipment

3DMS 3

DMS 2VehicleIdent.

Testingdata