About OL Connect Automate

OL Connect Automate is a workflow automation tool designed to streamline business communications and document composition processes. It enables the creation of highly personalized customer communications, though print, email, and web, by combining the power of the OL Connect composition and data processing engine with a modern, visual flow-based interface.

Built on modern technologies

At its core, OL Connect Automate is built on Node-RED, a powerful flow-based development environment. It was developed by IBM as an open source project and evolved into a general purpose IoT/IIoT (Internet of Things/Industrial Internet of Things) programming tool. It provides a browser-based editor that makes it easy to wire together flows using the wide range of nodes in the palette.

The platform runs on 64-bit architecture with full Unicode support, ensuring scalability and compatibility across a wide range of use cases. It leverages a high-performance JavaScript engine with full JSON support, and runs on Node.js, a cross-platform, event-driven runtime optimized for non-blocking operations. This foundation enables robust, real-time processing and integration capabilities.

OL Connect Automate extends Node-RED's capabilities with custom nodes:

  • the OL Connect package, with OL Connect nodes. The OL Connect nodes allow Node-RED to communicate with the OL Connect server, OL Remote Print, and Capture OnTheGo, and access the OL Connect Database and File Store.

  • the Files and Folders package, with a range of supporting nodes that perform common tasks like triggering a flow when a new file arrives or listing the files in a specific folder.

  • several packages with nodes to support seamless integration with enterprise services such as email providers (e.g., SendGrid, MailJet), document management systems (e.g., DocuWare, Therefore, WoodWing Xtendis, Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft OneDrive), local file systems, FTP/SFTP/FTPS servers, and direct API endpoints.

For an overview of all OL Connect Automate packages, see OL Connect Automate packages.

Flexible process triggers

Start your processes from virtually any source:

  • Monitor a hot folder for incoming files.

  • Receive HTTP requests via API endpoint from business applications.

  • Retrieve files from FTP, FTPS, SFTP, or Microsoft OneDrive.

Streamlined deployments

The Project feature allows easy switching between customer implementations and supports Git-based version control. This ensures collaboration, versioning, and resource backup, fully compatible with the OL Connect Designer’s Project functionality.

Ready to use

OL Connect Automate includes a library of pre-built examples to help you get started. These cover real-world scenarios, from capturing input data to merging with OL Connect templates and generating final outputs like PDF or PostScript. These production patterns reduce setup time and increase operational efficiency.

Easy installation and deployment

The OL Connect Automate Windows installer streamlines setup and configuration by:

  • Installing OL Connect Automate as a Windows service.

  • Setting up secure HTTPS access.

  • Including all Upland Objectif Lune-developed node packages.

  • Preconfiguring environment-specific variables.

Alternatively, the node packages are also available via npm and can be added to any existing Node-RED instance using the Palette Manager. While this enables use of the OL Connect nodes, it does not offer the enhanced setup, service management, or preconfigured environment provided by the Windows installer.

Automate versus Workflow

The OL Connect Automate stack for Node-RED was born out of the need to provide users of OL Connect with a modern, web-based, cloud-friendly, unicode-aware automation tool. For years, this job has been handled by OL Connect Workflow (aka Workflow), whose first version dates back to the turn of the century.
However, as powerful and efficient as Workflow is, its evolution is hampered by its original design: a native-code, 32-bit, on-premise application that only partially supports unicode. For next-generation automation, we are developing automation methods that can complement, and ultimately replace, Workflow. The packages that are part of the OL Connect Automate stack are the first step in this direction.

Note: The OL Connect Automate stack is a technology preview. While highly capable and ready for enterprise applications, the stack is not yet a full replacement for OL Connect Workflow. In its current inception, it should be considered a complement to it.