Onrite has been using a custom-developed Dataflex-based application to manage their business for years. They wanted to take their business online while still continuing to use their existing system to manage products and fulfill orders. Through extensive meetings between OnRite, MVI and their Dataflex developers, MVI designed a system that would allow OnRite to do just that.

MVI provided a Linux-based dedicated server for OnRite’s website and then custom-built what is now referred to as the proxy server which is a Windows-based machine that is set up to communicate directly with Dataflex using a special ODBC driver. This proxy server has IIS set up with the ability to execute ASP, is located directly in OnRite’s IT room at their location and is accessible by our hosted dedicated server via the internet. Special ASP scripts which reside on the proxy server pull information out of Dataflex via the ODBC driver outputs the information in a machine readable format.

When the website (www.onritedirect.com) requires one or more pieces of information from the Dataflex system, it makes an HTTPS connection to the proxy server and runs the appropriate ASP script. Then upon receiving the content, parses it and then displays it on the website. The other part of this integration is feeding information back into Dataflex from the website. This is accomplished by using FTP to transfer specially formatted data files (generated by the website) to a specific location on the proxy server. OnRite’s Dataflex developers have written some code that scans the folder where the data files get stored and processes them to import the order information into their system. This has given Onrite the ability to manage both their phone and internet orders from the same system without having to re-train their employees on how to use a new system.