Designing the CML/LitCrit Data-Services Tier

Critique functionality is supplied by the following two applications, which optionally can be used together:

• The LitCrit Outlook® form application
• The Corporate Media Library (CML) application, enhanced to support critiques

Because these applications can be installed independently of each other, the data-services tier needs to support three possible installation combinations:

• Outlook application only. The LitCrit Outlook application is installed (into a Microsoft Exchange Server public folder) and the critique-enhanced CML is not installed, or the CML is a previous version that does not include critique functionality. In this case, Microsoft® Exchange Server (specifically, its directory and information store databases) needs to provide all the critique data the Outlook application requires.
• CML application only. The critique-enhanced CML Web application is installed and the Outlook LitCrit application is not installed. This installation effectively cancels the critique functionality of the Web application though the enhancements of the CML not related to critiques remain available.
• CML and LitCrit together. Both the LitCrit Outlook and the critique-enhanced CML applications are installed. This installation enables all critique features and provides the richest user experience: Reviewers can submit and read critiques through Outlook or Internet Explorer, CML application Web pages display title ratings, approval of critiques is supported, and invitations to review titles are automatically e-mailed to borrowers. In addition, information flows between the Fitch & Mather Exchange and SQL Server™ data stores. Critique information from the Outlook form, posted to the LitCrit public folder, is copied to the FmLib SQL Server tables and provides valuable data to library administrators. Diagrams in Data Flow Between Outlook and SQL Server and Data Flow Between Internet Explorer and Exchange Server show how information moves from the user-services tier, through the business-services tier, and to the data-services tier.