LeanDESIGNER Platform architecture

This article describes the LeanDESIGNER platform architecture and provides an overview on license configuration and related installation scenarios.

LeanDESIGNER is a software platform made up of three components:

The following picture shows the relation between them while a description can be found in next chapters.

License manager

License manager is a third-party software component developed by Sentinel Gemalto, a Thales company.

The license is a certificate linked to the single machine which hosts it. It requires a physical or a virtual machine, with client or server operating system, where to install a service. A virtual server can implement dynamic load balancing.

If the host machine needs maintenance, the license can be moved to another machine. The migration needs a specific re-hosting procedure: Hyperlean support will provide the related documentation and will assist you, if needed.

LeanDESIGNER’s licenses are named licenses (net license): that means each license is not linked to the machine where it’s installed but it’s linked to each user.

The service that allows licenses to work uses the port 1947 (TCP and UDP), registered by Sentinel at IANA. In case of problems, it might be necessary to add firewall exceptions.

For further details about licenses, please visit the provider’s website: https://sentinel.gemalto.com/.

Server module (database)

All necessary data for LeanDESIGNER is stored in two databases shared among users. The databases do not contain files generated by LeanDESIGNER or other structured data types. Their size is limited and only depends on data customization, this means that their size does not increase while using LeanDESIGNER.

The supported platforms are:

• Microsoft Access
  It is not necessary to install Office package neither server side nor client side. In this case, you only need a shared folder where administrator users must have full control permissions, while standard users can have only read permissions.
• Microsoft SQL (Express, Standard and Enterprise)
  The connection to the Microsoft SQL database can be carried out through default TCP port 1433, but you can also choose another one.

During the start-up, it is strongly recommended to use Access to better manage initial customizations that are very common in this phase.
The eventual and subsequent migration to Microsoft SQL platform will be supported by Hyperlean technicians.

Data protection is ensured by LeanDESIGNER architecture. In Microsoft SQL platform, two-step verification validates database’s user identities to better protect both the user’s credentials and the resources the user can access. The authentication string in each client is encrypted with 128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm.

For details about database server requirements, please refer to the “System requirements” article.

Client module

The client module is an application developed in Microsoft .NET that allows functions as make new analysis, save/open files, print reports and export structured data. The main prerequisite is Microsoft .NET framework 4.0.

It is distributed through Microsoft Windows self-installing MSI package (you can use third-party service to install and update it in silent mode on a group of machines geographically distributed).
Alternatively, LeanDESIGNER allows the distribution through ClickOnce technology. For more details please refer to “ClickOnce installation” article.

The client also manages the connection to the CAD systems from which LeanDESIGNER imports 3D models and other information. This connection is made by hooking the instance of the active process through the API made available by CAD developers.

If a client PC doesn’t have a CAD system installed, it is possible to import 3D models in LeanDESIGNER through “.step” or “.stp” files, the interchange ISO standard format between different CAD systems.

Integration with CAD systems

LeanDESIGNER interacts with the following CAD systems: Catia, Inventor, Solid Edge, Solid Works, Creo & NX.

Thanks to a group of files called ‘interop dll’ provided by Hyperlean S.r.l, LeanDESIGNER connects directly to Catia, Inventor, Solid Edge and Solid Works. CREO requires the installation of PTC module “VB API Toolkit” and to setup specific environment variables, in addition to the ‘interop dll’.
NX requires a special approach: the CAD should be installed on client pc, LeanDESIGNER can import the native files without using any ‘interop dll’. The connection is also possible by hooking the instance of the active session (the documentation to enable the import will be provided by the Hyperlean support upon request).

For additional info, contact support@hyperlean.eu.