Integration and Architecture Overview

Introduction

This technical note contains information concerning the EPiServer Commerce integration and architecture. See the EPiServer Commerce Developer Guide for further information.

Table of Contents

• Friendly URL (FURL)
  - Breadcrumb Navigation
• Page Provider
• Virtual Path Provider (VPP)
• Payment Provider 
• Combined Search
• Globalization
• Security - Authentication and Authorization
• OnlineCenter Integration
• Display Templates
• Licensing

URL Rewriter / Friendly Url (FURL)

By using the Page Provider and UrlRewriteProvider in EPiServer CMS for mapping catalogs and product from EPiServer Commerce, we can handle both the incoming and the outgoing Friendly URL.

CMS Friendly URL/EPiServer Commerce URL Rewriter

Through the Page Provider and UrlRewriteProvider functionality EPiServer CMS presents the product catalog (product listing) and product from EPiServer Commerce in a “tree-structure” context in EPiServer CMS. This allows for the presentation and implementation of products and product listing to have a correct friendly URL in the EPiServer CMS context.

For further technical information see the Developer Guide  - Product Link Handling - Under the Hood.

Breadcrumb Navigation
As EPiServer Commerce is partially built on the page provider functionality the product catalogs from the Commerce Manager can be presented and linked in an EPiServer CMS website structure and can therefore also present the correct navigation and structure of the website through breadcrumb navigation.

Page Provider

The product catalogs from EPiServer Commerce are presented in EPiServer CMS through a Page Provider.  There are two main reasons for why we are doing that: for supporting Friendly Url and Breadcrumb as in the previous descriptions. Each catalog is presented as a read only page in EPiServer CMS, the catalogs have the same structure as in the Commerce Manager Catalog Management section.

Virtual Path Provider (VPP)

EPiServer Commerce uses a VPP for mapping resources items from the Asset Management System into EPiServer's file system which allows editors to use these items for publishing content.

Payment Provider Integration

Integration with the the DIBS payment system is included as part of the EPiServer Commerce Sample package.

For further information see the documents DIBS Integration Notes and How to Configure the DIBS Payment System

Search

 The ProductSearchProvider provides global search functionality in a EPiServer Commerce solution and is utilized in the OnlineCenter. Using the quick search functionality it is possible to search for products contained in the commerce product catalog and for pages contained in the EPiServer CMS 6 site.

For further information see the tech note Product Search Provider.

Globalization in EPiServer CMS/EPiServer Commerce

There is no specific integration between EPiServer CMS and EPiServer Commerce, this is due to the fact that they are used in two separate contexts: pages for CMS and products for EPiServer Commerce (Commerce Manager); they can be accessed via their respective API frameworks. Both EPiServer CMS and EPiServer Commerce are based on the standard ASP.NET Globalization system and use UICultureInfo for setting language which is detected from the client browser. The language translations for UI in EPiServer Commerce are stored in ASP.NET standard resource files, while in EPiServer CMS xml language files are used.

Authentication and Authorization

Multiplexing Membership provider with extended support of EPiServer Commerce
Both EPiServer CMS and EPiServer Commerce use the ASP.NET standard membership management - both for users and roles. This means that the membership for the whole system (EPiServer CMS and Commerce) can be based on a single membership/role provider or multiple providers through usage of the built-in multiplexing membership/roles.

OnlineCenter Integration

The Commerce Manager interface is integrated into the EPiServer OnlineCenter as a plug-in in the top level. The Commerce Manager interface is used to administer all aspects of an electronic commerce solution including: products, customers, marketing, ordering and shipping etc.

Display Templates concept

Each product list or product view in EPiServer Commerce can be presented through the use of presentation templates. These templates need to be registered in the Commerce Manager, this can be carried out manually or by letting the system perform an auto scan.

See the EPiServer Commerce Developer Guide - Templates and Controls for further information

EPiServer licensing

EPiServer Commerce uses similar license handling as EPiServer CMS, an EPiServer Commerce License (EPiServerCommerceLicense.config) is required in EPiServer Commerce.

- See the EPiServer Commerce Installation Instructions for further Information.