OnBase Desktop End of Life Details

[Andrew_Johnson2]

The OnBase Desktop is being deprecated and will no longer be available in new releases of the software, starting with OnBase 17. This means OnBase 16 is the final version to include the OnBase Desktop. It is important to explore using other OnBase platforms if your organization is still using the Desktop.

For more information on the OnBase Module Support Lifecycle, click here.

History

The OnBase Desktop was developed 14 years ago as an alternative to the OnBase Client. It was primarily built to bridge integrating modules, such as Application Enabler, with third-party applications. The Desktop used the DMCoreX API and a direct ODBC connection to the database. This was known as local mode. The Desktop was then enhanced to allow connection with the Application Server, no longer requiring local dependency and the DMCoreX API. This was known as remote mode.

 In addition to providing a simple interface for OnBase users and modules, the Desktop provided a public API similar to the DMCoreX API. Current versions of the Application Server do not use the DMCoreX API, making it difficult to maintain even limited compatibility with the DMCoreX-based API used by the Desktop.

 Newer, more capable OnBase modules have been developed as alternative integration platforms, most notably the Unity Client for UI features and the Unity API for integrations.

OnBase 17 and Beyond

 The OnBase local mode Desktop was last available in OnBase 10. The OnBase remote mode Desktop is being removed with OnBase 17, making OnBase 16 the final release to include the Desktop.

In previous versions of OnBase, modules were built to integrate with remote mode Desktop. Recently, these modules either have been integrated with other OnBase platforms or have reached their end-of-life dates.

 For more information on modules that integrate or have integrated with the OnBase Desktop, see the following table.

Module	Status with Desktop
Agenda Management (previously Agenda & Minutes Manager)	Desktop dependency removed with OnBase 14.
Application Enabler	Desktop compatibility still active. Also compatible using other OnBase platforms.
Bar Code Generator	Desktop dependency removed with OnBase 14.
CAD Services (integrating with Bentley Microstation)	Desktop dependency removed with OnBase 12. Integrating with Bentley Microstation is no longer supported.
Explorer Extensions	Module reached end of life with OnBase 11.
Front Office Scanning	Desktop dependency removed with OnBase 11.
Integration for ArcGIS Desktop (ESRI)	Desktop dependency removed with OnBase 14.
Integration for Azteca Cityworks Desktop (ESRI)	Desktop dependency removed with OnBase 14.
Integration for Epic (Scan Acquisition Server)	Desktop compatibility still active. Also compatible using OnBase Application Server.
Integration for Harland Touché Sales & Services	Desktop dependency still active. Integration will be moved to a new platform with OnBase 17.
Integration for IBM Notes (previously Integration for IBM Lotus Notes)	Desktop dependency removed with OnBase 15.
Integration for Microsoft Outlook (2003 version)	Module reached end of life with OnBase 14.
Integration for Novell GroupWise	Desktop dependency removed with OnBase 15.
Integration for Sentillion Vergence	Module reached end of life with OnBase 14.

What Else is Going Away?

Behind the scenes, the OnBase Desktop uses a number of ActiveX controls to provide functionality. Along with the Desktop, the following Desktop-specific ActiveX controls are also being removed with OnBase 17:

•  OBXViewer.ocx
•  OBXDocumentSelect.ocx
•  OBXKeywordPanel.ocx
•  OBXPrint.ocx
•  OBXRetrieval.ocx
•  OBXScan.ocx
•  OBXWorkflow.ocx

Only the ActiveX controls listed above are being removed from the software. ActiveX controls used by the OnBase Web Client and other modules continue to be supported.

 Custom integrations using ActiveX controls should only use HylandViewer.ocx and HylandDocumentSelect.ocx, which are the supported options for integration purposes.

In Summary

 The OnBase Desktop will no longer be available, starting with OnBase 17. Customers currently relying on this module as part of their solution should plan on migrating to other OnBase platforms. The ActiveX controls used by the OnBase Web Client and other modules are still supported, along with many of the modules that previously relied on the Desktop.