Typically, the first step is for a user to enter the URL of a Domino server, along with the path and name of a DOLS-enabled Web application on that server, into their browser. The browser contacts the server through the Web Server task, also called the nHTTP task (1a)., and the Web Server then communicates with the Web application (1b).
If the Web application has appropriate security levels set in the ACL, the user is prompted to log-in to the Web application using their name and Internet password. This authentication is also handled by the Web Server.
If the application is DOLS-enabled, and an Offline Configuration Document (OCD) was created and saved, the user sees the DOLS Web Control when they open the application. The user clicks the Web control and selects "Install Subscription..." to start downloading the application to their computer.
When the user selects "Install Subscription...," the application requests the OCD (2a). A special DSAPI filter file on the server, listening for URL Web server requests, notices the OCD request. The filter queries the client to determine if the Domino Sync Manager (iNSM) client software is already installed. If not, the filter tells the browser to begin downloading a set of DOLS File Sets to the client over the HTTP connection (2b). These file sets are used to install the Domino Sync Manager software.
Once the DOLS File Sets are downloaded, they are uncompressed, and the Domino Sync Manager launches (3). The Sync Manager then configures the client for the incoming application, and launches a Sync Task, which initiates a Remote Procedure Call (nRPC) connection with the Domino server (4a). This secure, Domino replication connection performs a number of operations to download and initialize the application on the client (4b). When synchronization is complete, a subscription of the application exists on the client. A subscription includes all databases that were listed in the OCD as making up the application. Their contents are adjusted according to Administrator and user settings, as well as security information to ensure that the user on the client has access to only the data to which they had access on the server. Also, full-text indexes of all offline databases can be created if the user requests it.
When the user wants to open the application offline, they select it from a list in the Sync Manager and click "Open Offline." The Sync Manager launches a local copy of the Web Server and the local browser (5a). The Sync Manager tells the local Web server to connect with the local browser (5b), and with the offline copy of the application (5c). The local Web Server then validates the user's login and password information, and displays the application offline (locally) just as it would display it online (on the server). Any data the user creates, modifies, and saves while using the offline application is stored in the local version of the application.
In order to synchronize the data between the offline and online versions of the application, the Sync Manager, either by the user's command or automatically on a schedule, launches the Sync Task, which again creates an nRPC connection to the Domino server (6a). The Sync Task then replicates any or all data between the client copy of the application to the server copy. Any changes to the security levels of the online application are synchronized offline. Any outgoing e-mail which has accumuIated in the local mail.box file is copied to the server and dispatched to the mail router task for delivery. When synchronization is complete, the user may disconnect from the network and continue using the application offline.