Grooper Infrastructure

From Grooper Wiki

Technically speaking, what is Grooper? Grooper is a repository of information made up by 12 tables (11 as of Grooper v2021) in a SQL Server Database and associated files in a Windows file share. This information is displayed to the user via an application(s) that displays a 1 to 1 relationship of what exists in that database and fileshare. Gaining an understanding of how to properly create using Grooper begins by first understanding the structure of its architecture, and why it is built the way it is. This sets a foundational groundwork for knowing how to think and interact with the application.

Grooper infrastructure

System Architecture and Requirements

End User PC

  • Windows 10 or later is required.
  • The end user pc would include Grooper Thick Clients and installations on premisis.
  • Network latency should be (ideally) less than 50ms.
  • Network throughput should be (ideally) greater than 50MB.

Client Computer

  • The end user pc would not have Grooper Thick Client installation
  • Connects to Grooper via web browser
  • A Windows 10 or later PC is required for Grooper Desktop (the small application to allow scanning to Grooper via web browser)
  • Logs in using Windows Account on Server PC (Domain or Local)

Grooper Processing Server

  • A Grooper processing environment can have as many servers as is necssary to meet business requirements.
  • Windows Server 2016 or later is required.
  • Server RAM should be 16GB or more.
  • The CPU should consist of 4 or more cores.
  • The port for licensing is 13900 by default.

Grooper SQL Server

  • Windows Server 2016 or later is required.
  • SQL Server 2012 or later is required.
  • The Grooper Database should allow for a size of 20GB or more.
  • The scaling of the Grooper Database should be set to percentage, ideally, not the default of a few MB. This will reduce frequent scaling that hinders performance.
  • The SQL Port is 1433.

Grooper FileStore Share

  • Windows Server 2016 or later is required
  • The Grooper FileStore can be located on its own server
  • The ideal file size would accommodate for roughly 150GB for small to medium installs.
  • The authentication requires CIFS or SMB.

Grooper Web Server

  • Windows Server 2016 or later is required
  • IIS and the Grooper Web Server should be installed on the same server as where Grooper is installed as it leverages Grooper DLLs to function
  • Internet Information Services, or IIS, should be installed and properly configured
  • Requires a SSL Certificate for encrypted connections
  • IIS Impersonation Account with access to Grooper Filestore and Database is needed for proper configuration

Windows Prerequisites

The following are included in the installation package of Grooper and are required for installation (listed are x64 packages.)

  • vc_redist_2012_update4_x64
    Microsoft Visual C++ 2012 Redistributable (x64) - 11.0.61030
  • vc_redist_2010_sp1_x64
    Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 x64 Redistributable Setup
  • vc_redist_2013_x64
    Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable (x64) - 12.0.30501
  • vc_redist.x64
    Microsoft Visual C++ 2017 Redistributable (x64) - 14.10.25017
Visual C++ Redistributable Packages install runtime components of Visual C++ Libraries on a computer that does not have Visual C++ installed. The libraries are required to run applications that are developed by using the corresponding version of Visual C++.
  • NDP462-DevPack-KB3151934-ENU
    Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6.2 Developer Pack
.NET is an integral part of many apps running on Windows and provides common functionality for those apps to run. For developers, the .NET Framework provides a comprehensive and consistent programming model for building apps that have visually stunning user experiences and seamless and secure communication.
  • SQLSysClrTypes
In LINQ to SQL, the data model of a relational database maps to an object model that is expressed in the programming language of your choice. When the application runs, LINQ to SQL translates the language-integrated queries in the object model into SQL and sends them to the database for execution. When the database returns the results, LINQ to SQL translates the results back to objects that you can work with in your own programming language.
In order to translate data between the object model and the database, a type mapping must be defined. LINQ to SQL uses a type mapping to match each common language runtime (CLR) type with a particular SQL Server type. You can define type mappings and other mapping information, such as database structure and table relationships, inside the object model with attribute-based mapping. Alternatively, you can specify the mapping information outside the object model with an external mapping file.
  • AccessDatabaseEngine_x64
Microsoft Access Database Engine contains essential components that make it possible for Microsoft Office programs to interact with software services and applications that do not belong to Microsoft. For instance, if you are working in a program that gives you the possibility to export tables directly to Microsoft Access, then you need the database engine to make that happen.
The Microsoft Access Database Engine is available in multiple editions, which mainly depend on which Microsoft Office product you’re using. The hint is in the year. As such, if you use Microsoft Office 2016, then you need Microsoft Access Database Engine 2016.
  • ReportViewer
Used for viewing built in Grooper Reports, which uses a Microsoft Reporting framework.

The Five Layers of Grooper

Grooper consists of five main components that constantly interact with one another:

  1. Database
  2. File Store
  3. Application
  4. Licensing
  5. Web Server

The Database

This is the core component of Grooper as all aspects of the functionality and configuration of a Grooper repository are stored here as metadata in tables. There are 12 tables (11 as of Grooper v2021) that make up the Grooper database:

dbo.AccessControlEntry

This table has been deprecated as of Grooper v2023
  • This table contains the information necessary for implementing Grooper’s node-level security architecture.
Column Name Data Type Size Description
Id int 10 unique number referencing the table's row
NodeId uniqueidentifier 16 guid associated with node from Grooper node tree
PrincipalId uniqueidentifier 16
Permissions in 4

dbo.CustomStats

  • This table contains a name / value pair of processing activity statistics. The name is the name, and the value will be a whole integer if the statistic indicates a quantity of actions, and a floating point decimal if the value represents a cumulative time span.
Column Name Data Type Size Description
SessionId int 4
Name Varchar 64
Value Float 8

dbo.FileStoreEntry

  • This table contains the information necessary for associating filestore objects with Grooper nodes. Note: a node with associated files will also contain those files’ filestore object locations, names, and mimetypes in the “files” column of TreeNode.
Column Name Data Type Size Description
Id int 4 sequential number assigned to object in row
FileId uniqueidentifier 16 guid assigned as the name of the object (stored in the filestore with this number followed by .grp)
NodeId uniqueidentifier 16 guid associated with node from Grooper tree
FileStoreId uniqueidentifier 16 guid given to the node referencing the file store

dbo.ImportJob

This table is not present in Grooper 2021 or Grooper 2022
  • The entries in this table are related to the creation of Batches in Grooper via the submission of Import Jobs from an Import Provider. Each row is an Import Job to be processed.
Column Name Data Type Size Description
Id uniqueidentifier 4 unique row identifier
Description varchar 256 description of the job as written by the end user
Provider varchar (-1) the import provider leveraged by this job
Priority int 4 numeric value (1-5) given to sort batch priority
Status int 4 status as indicated numerically (ready, working, completed, paused)
SubmittedBy varchar 256 name of account that submitted the import job
Submitted datetime 8 date/time when import job was submitted
Started datetime 8 date/time when import job started processing
Completed datetime 8 date/time when import job completed
Files int 4 number of files imported with job
Bytes bigint 8 size of files in batch created on import

dbo.Lock

  • This table contains one row per locked node; prevents overlapping access to various resources.
Column Name Data Type Size Description
NodeId uniqueidentifier 16 guid of node from Grooper hierarchy tree
UserName varchar 64 windows user that applied the unlock
MachineName varchar 64 hostname of the machine where the unlock occurred
ModuleName varchar 64 Grooper module that executed the unlock
ProcedureName varchar 64 the procedure executed to apply the unlock
CreateDate smalldatetime 4 date and time the unlock occurred

dbo.Log

  • This table contains the Grooper log, which is represented in the Event Viewer of Grooper Design Studio.
Column Name Data Type Size Description
Id int 4 unique row identifier
TimeStamp datetime 8 date and time the event was logged
Type int 4 type of event logged
ProcName varchar(MAX) -1 name of procedure associated with the event
Message varchar(MAX) -1 message displayed in and defining, in general, the event
UserAccount varchar 64 windows user under which the event triggered
MachineName varchar 64 hostname of the machine under which the event triggered
NodeId uniqueidentifier 16 guid of parent node associated with ‘NodeName’
NodeName varchar 256 Item Name, or name of node associated with the triggering of the event
NodeType varchar 64 type of Grooper Node defining the ‘NodeName’

dbo.NodeReference

  • This table contains a list of all referenced nodes, and what other nodes they are referenced by. Used to protect referenced nodes from deletion, and in determining what nodes are necessary on exporting.
Column Name Data Type Size Description
NodeId uniqueidentifier 16 guid given to node in Grooper hierarchy tree
ReferencingNodeId uniqueidentifier 16 guid of parent node associated with ‘NodeId’

dbo.ProjecssingJob

This table is not present in Grooper 2021 or Grooper 2022
  • This table contains jobs submitted from activities of a Batch Process. A single Processing Job may consist of many individual Processing Tasks, so this table is related to dbo.ProcessingTask.
Column Name Data Type Size Description
Id int 4 unique row identifier
ActivityType varchar 256 name of automated activity, or task, to be completed
BatchProcess varchar 256 name of Batch Process that submitted activities belong to
StepId uniqueidentifier 16 GUID of Batch Process Step configured as the activity being submitted for processing
StepNo int 4 numeric position of the Batch Process Step within its parent Batch Process
StepName varchar 256 name given to Batch Process Step
Priority int 4 numeric value (1-5) given to sort batch priority
Status int 4 status as indicated numerically (ready, working, completed, paused, error)
SubmittedBy varchar 256 name of user that submitted job
BatchId uniqueidentifier 16 GUID of batch related to running process
BatchName varchar 256 name of batch in processing
ThreadPoolId int 4 numeric id of associated Processing Queue
Completed datetime 8 date/time job was completed

dbo.ProcessingTask

  • This table contains tasks submitted for activity processing as part of production batches. Multiple similar Processing Tasks make up the whole of a Processing Job, so this table is related to dbo.ProcessingJob.
Column Name Data Type Size Description
Id int 4 unique row identifier
BatchId uniqueidentifier 16 guid of batch related to running process
NodeId uniqueidentifier 16 guid of node related to batch in running process
Settings varchar(MAX) -1 json properties of running node
ModuleName varchar 256 module running current task
Status int 4 status of current task (i.e. running, error…)
UserName varchar 256 windows user that submitted task
MachineName varchar 256 hostname of machine running task
PageCount int 4 number of pages in batch being processed
Submitted datetime 8 date/time when processing batch was submitted
Started datetime 8 date/time when processing batch started
Completed datetime 8 date/time when batch process completed
Priority int 4 numeric value (1-5) given to sort batch priority
Scope int 4 the level of the batch that a step is processing
StepNo int 4 current step of batch process
BatchName varchar 256 name of batch in processing
BatchProcessName varchar 256 name of process associated with batch in processing
StepName varchar 256 name of step of process associated with batch in processing

dbo.ServiceInstance

  • This table contains a list of installed services. Note: If an installed service does not have a reference in this table, it will not show up in Grooper Config.
Column Name Data Type Size Description
Id int 4 unique row identifier
RepositoryId uniqueidentifier 16
MachineName varchar 64 hostname of pc running Grooper service
ServiceName varchar 256 name of Grooper service running
TypeName varchar 256 typer of Grooper service running
PropertiesJson varchar 2048 json information defining /Node Properties/Properties
UserName varchar 64 windows user running Grooper service
Password varchar 64 password of windows user running Grooper service
InstanceNo int 4 number of a specific service on a machine
ThreadPirority int 4 numeric value given to service thread to determine processor priority

dbo.SessionStats

  • This table contains statistical information regarding batches in Grooper.
Column Name Data Type Size Description
Id int 4 unique row identifier
BatchId uniqueidentifier 16 guid for batch node
BatchName varchar 256 name of batch
BatchProcessId uniqueidentifier 16 guid of process node related to the batch
BatchProcessName varchar 256 name given to process by end user
StepName varchar 256 name of step in the process
ProcessingScope in 4 the level of the batch that a step is processing
ModuleName varchar 256 name of Grooper module
ModuleDisplayName varchar 256 name of Grooper module given to batch process step
MachineName varchar 256 hostname of pc running batch
UserName varchar 256 windows user under which the batch is running
StartTime datetime 8 time batch was initiated
EndTime datetime 8 time batch ended or was terminated
TasksProcessed int 4 number of tasks processed in batch

dbo.Setting

  • This table contains only the Database version, including build number.
Column Name Data Type Size Description
Name varchar 64 DatabaseVersion
Value varchar 1024 Current installed Grooper Database version

dbo.TreeNode

  • The main Grooper table, TreeNode contains one entry for every object in the Grooper node tree. Composed of the following columns:
Column Name Data Type Size Description
Id uniqueidentifier 16 The node’s unique ID. A GUID autogenerated by Grooper.
RowId int 4 Identity Column for the table. Generated by SQL server.
RowVersion timestamp 8 A timestamp column, updated when the node is changed. Used by certain processes to determine if the node has been updated.
Name varchar 256 The name of the node.
TypeName varchar 64 The name of the object type of the node
ParentId uniqueidentifier 16 ID of the node’s parent. The Grooper Root node has a parent ID with all zeros.
NodeIndex int 4 Index of the node in its containing object (usually a folder)
Attributes int 4 A flags attribute indicating whether the node has the following attributes: read-only, fixed contents (no children may be added), sorted (children will always show up in alphabetical order), has ACL, is a system object (may not be changed).
NumChildren int 4 Number of children.
Properties varchar(MAX) -1 Column containing the JSON properties for this node.
NodeValues varchar(MAX) -1 metadata about the node that pertains to Grooper modules
Files varchar(MAX) -1 objects in the Grooper file store associated with the node

Using a SQL database as the core of Grooper allows for great efficiency. Every property of every object in Grooper, as a result of being a simple entry in a table, can be loaded into memory and accessed nearly instantly. This would not be the case otherwise (if for example Grooper repositories were defined by something like a project file), as file i/o is one of the slowest aspects of modern computing. This also allows the discrete management of objects on an individual basis to allow multiple users to work in one environment and prevent work overlap by locking objects.

The File Store

The File Store in Grooper is a file share in a Windows environment. It houses the files associated with objects in Grooper that have information that would otherwise be inefficient to store in (a cell in) a database table.

The Grooper Filestore exists at a user-specified location. This may be a local or an network path, but if a filestore is given a local path, computers connecting to that repository remotely will not be able to access it. If you want to set up a repository so that other computers can connect to it, make sure you reference the filestore using a UNC path!

The filestore contains three levels of directories. A typical filestore entry will exist on disk as, e.g. 00 > 00 > 00 > [guid].grp. Each of the lowest-level folders in the filestore will have a maximum of 256 files, at which point a new folder at that level will be created. If the lowest level contains 256 folders, a new folder will be created at the level above; this gives the Grooper filestore a limit of 256 ^ 4 = 4,294,967,296 files stored on disk.

While the filestore entries are all given .grp extensions, the contents of the file are unaltered from their “actual” form. If you navigate, for example, to the .grp file associated with an pdf imported using full import, you can open it and view it with a pdf viewer. The files in the filestore are intentionally obfuscated to prevent users from interacting with them outside of Grooper, as they are essentially Grooper-internal objects.

Although the majority of files in the filestore relate to batch objects (split pages, imported documents, image processing undo objects, etc.), some files are the result of other in-Grooper processes such as layout data, OCR character data, etc.

The Application

This is the most visible aspect of Grooper as it is the software you interact with that displays the currently active repository. It consists of several pieces:

  1. Grooper Design Studio
    • This is the "main" Grooper application and where all the building and testing of extractors, models, profiles, and processes is done.
  2. Grooper Config
    • This is the Grooper application that allows the creation of Grooper repositories and the management of Grooper services.
  3. Grooper Dashboard
    • This application is meant to facilitate ease of management of Batches currently in production in Grooper. You can start, stop, and otherwise adjust Batches from here. You can accomplish everything Grooper Dashboard can do from Grooper Design Studio, but Grooper Dashboard gives a simplified interface for ease of management by stripping all the complexity of Grooper Design Studio and leaving just a list-view of the Batches.
  4. Grooper Attended Client
    • This application handles all review modules in Grooper, such as Data Review or Classification Review.
  5. Grooper Unattended Client
    • This application allows for the completion of tasks submitted by a Batch Process that a human would not interact with, such as Recognize or Extract. Typically tasks submitted would be picked up by an Activity Processing Service to be completed, but in the case one isn't running and you need to complete one of these "unattended" tasks, this application will launch and complete the work.

It is worth noting that these are the applications that can be run from the Grooper server. If you are interacting with Grooper via a web browser you will not interact with these applications. However, the vast majority of Grooper's functionality can be performed via the web interface. The only real case in which you need to interact with a Grooper application on the server is for Grooper Config. You cannot perform the functions of Grooper Config via a web browser.

Every object in the Grooper Node Tree is an object, or row, in a specific table, the dbo.TreeNode table. The GUI of Grooper is essentially wrapping information from the Grooper database, and associated files from the Grooper File Store, into a series of grids and windows that allow you to directly interact with that database, and its related Windows file share, without writing SQL queries.

Licensing

A Grooper license number is provided to you after confirmation of purchase. The license key provided can be used in a few different ways.


GROOPER HOSTED LICENSE

In Grooper Design Studio on the Grooper Root Node there is a License Serial# or URL property. If the provided license is put into this property it will provide licensing to that Grooper repository. This license can be used on any Grooper repository, so keep it secure.


TRADITIONAL ONLINE ACTIVATION

The license key can also be entered in Grooper Config via the Activate License command using the Online option of the Activation Method property. The installed license is fixed to the machine it was installed on but can be hosted remotely via a Grooper Licensing service. A hosted license can be rehosted to a different machine if need be. If you are launching Grooper Design Studio from the machine the license is hosted on, you will automatically have licensing. If, however, you are launching Grooper Design Studio on a machine that is not currently hosting the license, you can still attain the license by entering the URL of the hosted license on the License Serial# or URL property of the Grooper Root Node in Grooper Deisgn Studio.


OFFLINE ACTIVATION

If you are running Grooper on a machine that will not be connected to the internet and whish to activate a license on that machine you can use the Offline option of the Activation Method property of the Activate License menu of Grooper Config. When using this option you will supply the license key like normal but when the command is executed you will be given a URL you can take to a machine that is connected to the internet. From there you can download a license file that you can then use on the offline computer.

Web Server

If IIS is installed and properly configured on your Windows Server you can install the Grooper Web Server. This will create a website within the default site of IIS that allows Grooper Design Studio and Review to be accessed via a web browser.