Terminology/Glossary

Self-Hosted Client

• A Softrip client who hosts the Softrip applications in their own environment, on their own hardware. This can be on-premise, in the cloud, or in a colocation.

• A self-hosted client is responsible for their own infrastructure, including: security, configuration, monitoring, maintenance, management, scaling, and operation of their environments, networks, applications, and hardware.

Softrip-Hosted Client

• A Softrip client whose Softrip applications are hosted on Softrip hardware and environments

• Typically for smaller clients – 5-20 internal staff or under 50,000 annual passengers

• Softrip handles the security, operation, configuration, monitoring, maintenance, and management of its own environments, networks, applications, and hardware.

• Softrip’s hosting environment and resources (hardware, databases, bandwidth, etc.) are shared between all hosted clients, meaning that one client’s traffic and operations may impact other hosted clients’ system performance.

Softrip User Types

• Internal User – An authenticated internal staff member – Includes call center agents and all staff

• Direct Consumer (“Direct User”) – An authenticated/logged-in direct consumer

• Travel Agent – An authenticated/logged-in Travel Agent

• WebUser – An unauthenticated user (browsing/shopping without logging in). These users are treated as direct consumers for purposes of display and permissions.

• External User – (as opposed to Internal User) - Umbrella term for WebUsers, Direct Consumers, and Travel Agents

SoftripNext

• Softrip's new applications

• Includes the following components (see below for details on components):

  • STServerWeb

  • ResWebNext

    • Includes reservations, CMS, and CRM applications

  • AppsNext

Softrip Applications and Components

STServerWeb

• Softrip's "SoftripNext" middle tier

• Installed as a .Net Core application hosted in IIS

• Used by Softrip's SoftripNext applications (back-office AppsNext applications and ResWebNext)

• Listens on TCP 443 (https)

• Talks to the Softrip database (TCP 1433)

• Talks to the RServer application (TCP 443/https)

• Reads and writes files (attachments and logs) to the fileshare)

RServer

• The connector between the Softrip platform and third-party providers

  • Includes GDSs (like Amadeus) and hotel consolidators/providers (like Dingus, HBSi, etc.)

• Installed as an http://ASP.Net application hosted in IIS

• Listens on TCP 443 (https)

• Talks to the Softrip database (TCP 1433)

• Sends requests to third-party providers through the internet (TCP 443/https)

AppsNext

• Softrip's "SoftripNext" back-office applications

• Installed as an IIS virtual directory (only serves static files)

• Listens on TCP 443 (https)

• Talks to the STServerWeb application (TCP 443/https)

  • Note that the applications are served to back-office users through IIS, but the applications send requests from users' workstations to the middle tier (TCP 443/https)

ResWebNext

• SoftripNext's reservation system, CMS, and CRM application

• Installed as an http://ASP.Net MVC application hosted in IIS

• Listens on TCP 443 (https)

• Talks to the STServerWeb application (TCP 443/https)

Database

• The main Softrip database holding all records used by the Softrip platform

• Built as a MS SQL Database

• Listens on TCP 1433

• Note that certain automation tasks are built as SQL Server Agent scheduled jobs that send requests to the middle tiers. As such, the database may need to send requests to STServerWeb (TCP 443/https)

SSRS

• Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services

• Used by Softrip to generate reports and reservation documents

• Pulls report data directly from the main database, or from STServer (for more complex datasets – Example: Reservation Invoices)

  • Sends requests to the main database (TCP 1433) and to STServerWeb (TCP 443/https)

• Listens on TCP 443 (https)

• SSRS uses its own database to hold its report definitions

  • This database may be hosted on the same server as the Reporting Services host, or hosted on the main SQL database server

Softrip Processes

Release Cycle

For a complete release schedule calendar, see: https://www.softrip.com/events

Softrip releases new versions of its applications and components every three weeks (“Sprint”).
This three-week process is defined as follows:

• Two weeks of development

  • Build a “Release Candidate” at the end of the two weeks of development

• One week of Quality Assurance

  • Test and fix any gaps found in the Release Candidate

  • Promote the Release Candidate to Stable at the end of the QA week

  • Release Candidate is available to be deployed to client Testing environments for User Acceptance Testing

• One week User Acceptance Testing

  • Once UAT passes, the Release Candidate is promoted to Stable

  • New Stable version is available for deployment to Production (or UAT) environments

• Start the next 3-week Sprint

Example

• Mon 01 May - Fri 12 May

  • Softrip implements scheduled fixes and features

• Mon 15 May

  • Softrip builds a new Release Candidate for the new version

• Mon 15 May - Fri 19 May

  • Softrip deploys and tests the Release Candidate in QA environments (daily deployments)

  • Any bugs or incomplete implementations found are addressed during this week and updated in the Release Candidate

• Mon 22 May

  • Softrip deploys the Release Candidate version to client testing/UAT environments

• Mon 22 May - Fri 26 May

  • Client tests the new Stable version in their Test environment and report any bugs found to Softrip

  • Softrip reviews reported bugs to be addressed as a hotfix (to be fixed in current version) or for a future Sprint/version

• Fri 26 May (EOD)

  • Softrip promotes the Release Candidate to Stable

• Mon 29 May

  • Softrip deploys the new Stable version to client Production environments

Deployment Mechanisms

Softrip uses Octopus Deploy to push new versions to client environments.
Softrip recommends installing Octopus Deploy Tentacles on all servers hosting Softrip applications (UAT and Production).
If Octopus Deploy is not a viable option for the client, Softrip deploys new versions "by hand".

Server Instances

Web Server

• Suggested domain: www.domain.com

• Requires SSL

• Serves the public and internal staff

• Typically installed in a DMZ (other components typically reside in the LAN)

• Installed software:

  • IIS

  • .Net Core 3.1

  • .Net Core 6.0

  • http://ASP.Net 4.7.1 +

  • Notepad++

• Hosts the following Softrip applications:

  • ResWebNext (Reservations, CMS, CRM, portals)

  • AppsNext

Application Server/Middle Tiers

• Suggested domain: mt.domain.com

• Requires SSL

• Serves the business logic to internal staff and Softrip applications

• Installed software:

  • IIS

  • .Net Core 3.1

  • .Net Core 6.0

  • http://ASP.Net 4.7.1+

  • Notepad++

• Hosts the following Softrip applications:

  • STServerWeb (IIS application)

Resource Server

• Suggested domain: rserver.domain.com

• Requires SSL

• Processes RServer requests and sends requests to the internet for third-party providers (GDSs, hotel interfaces, etc.)

• Installed software:

  • IIS

  • http://ASP.Net 4.7.1+

  • Notepad++

• Hosts the following Softrip application:

  • RServer (IIS application)

Database Server

• Suggested domain: db.domain.com

• Hosts the Softrip database

• Installed software:

  • MS SQL Server 2016 Standard Edition+

  • Notepad++

  • SQL Server Management Studio

• Must use SQL collation "SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS"

Reporting Server

• Suggested domain: reports.domain.com

• Requires SSL

• Hosts the MS SSRS service

• Installed software:

  • MS SSRS 2016+

  • MS SQL Server 2016+ (to host the ReportServer and ReportServerTempDB databases used by SSRS)

    • Also possible to host the ReportServer and ReportServerTempDB databases on the main database server

  • Notepad++

Redis Server (DMZ)

• Suggested domain: redis-dmz.domain.com

• Hosts a Redis instance

• Used by ResWebNext for caching

• Softrip recommends using a managed Redis instance if available, or the latest Redis version on a Linux server

Redis Server (LAN)

• Suggested domain: redis-lan.domain.com

• Hosts a Redis instance

• Used by STServerWeb for state storage and caching

• Softrip recommends using a managed Redis instance if available, or the latest Redis version on a Linux server

FileShare Server

• Suggested domain: fs.domain.com

• Built as a UNC/SMB fileshare

• Holds Softrip logs and rendered attachments/historical documents

• Application Server writes to this share

• Web Server reads from this share

  • As an IIS virtual directory with appropriate credentials and permissions

User Accounts

Softrip uses the following user accounts for applications, permissions, and security.

• STService

  • The account running the Softrip back-end applications

  • Scope: DOMAIN

  • Runs:

    • STServerWeb (IIS Application Pool)

  • Permissions:

    • Read/write for fileshare

    • Softrip recommends giving this account read/write access to the database (using SSPI)

      • Alternative is to use a SQL user, with account credentials in middle tier configuration files - Less secure

• STShare

  • The account reading from the file share to serve attachments to the web server

  • Scope: FileShare, WebServer

  • Should be created as a local Windows user account on the file share server and the web server

  • Runs:

    • www.domain.com/STNAttach (virtual directory on web server)

    • www.domain.com/STNView (virtual directory on web server)

    • www.domain.com/STNAuxAttach (virtual directory on web server)

  • Permissions:

    • Read permissions for fileshare

• STReports

  • The account running Softrip reports in SSRS

  • Scope: Reports Server

  • Permissions:

    • Full permissions (site and root folder level) in SSRS

• STAdmin

  • The account used by Softrip staff for maintenance, updates, and debugging

  • Scope: Domain, Web Server

  • Permissions:

    • Local administrator on each machine/server

    • RDP for each machine/server

• STAdmin

  • The SQL account used by Softrip for debugging and database maintenance

  • Scope: SQL Server (SQL user account - Not a Windows user)

  • Permissions:

    • Full permissions on the Softrip database

    • Permissions for building and updating SQL Server Agent scheduled jobs

Networking Diagram

Open

Notes on Load-Balancing

• SoftripNext applications (back-office, CMS Next, CRM) can be connected to a single load-balanced endpoint

  • No requirement for the application to know all STServerWeb instances

  • SoftripNext has no "session stickiness": Its user sessions are shared between all STServerWeb instances, and any STServerWeb instance can process a request for any user session

  • Uses Redis for session state persistence

  • Easier dynamic load-balancing if needed

  • If configured properly, NLB can route requests only to available/working STServerWeb instances (useful for maintenance/patching)

• Examples:

  • SoftripNext Back-Office Configuration:

    • "MyMiddleTier": "https://stsw.domain.com"

    • stsw.domain.com is a load-balanced NLB/ARR instance which will route requests to any available STServerWeb instance

Softrip Ports and Purposes