Architecture - GVT Visions Foundation Server

GVT’s Visions Foundation Server (Visions Server) is an application development platform designed specifically for delivering enterprise applications and data in a secured, scalable environment, using advanced browser based technology.

Visions Foundation is built upon Microsoft .NET technology, including Windows servers (Windows 2000 and higher), Office, IIS, and SQL Server or other ADO.NET compliant database engines.

The user interface is 100% browser based, allowing for fully centralized administration, yet delivering the application to the world. 

Main Benefit of Visions Foundation Server
   

The main benefit of our platform is rapid iterative development which allows us to deliver tailored systems faster than most case management software development firms who build in raw Java and HTML code.


Download GVT's Vision Server v15 enhancements document.
   
 

Visions Server Architecture

The basic architecture for a GVT system contains 4 distinct layers as shown in the chart to the right.  It is important to note in this architecture that the application (Visions Server) and reports layer are between the web layer and the data.

This allows the DBMS to be setup without any inbound connectivity from a web server or other machine in the DMZ. This provides a level of security often not found in other web applications.

Requests come in via the browser to the web server, and the Visions Connector (using .NET architecture) queues requests to a common “pool” that the application servers (running Visions Server services) process.

The application servers (which contain a meshed presentation layer along with the business logic) perform database operations as required and send the output streams back to the Visions Connector, to be sent back to the browser (or other requestor, which can be another portal or application).

Security is also handled at the application server, and that is why it generally is between the reports process and web layer.

Because of the open architecture between layers, other types of web or application services can be intertwined within.

Administration of the web layer is performed using standard IIS tools. Administration of the database layer is performed using standardized tools that generally come with the DBMS (such as Microsoft Management Studio).  System level administration of the application layer (Vision Server software) is performed using GVT supplied tuning tools as well as normal network administration functionality.

Application level administration is performed using front end forms that are supplied with the system including: navigation, security, and business logic built into the data dictionary and Action Queue. The reports layer is architecturally administered the same way; however the third party reporting tools (such as Microsoft Access, Crystal Reports, SQL Reporting Services or other reporting mechanisms implemented) generally come with their own tools.