Offline Mode Configuration

When users shift Lucity Mobile into Offline mode, the application downloads parts of their dashboard, views and forms, asset inventory data, and work data. These items allow users to continue to work when they are disconnected from the internet. Configuring the system to go offline is broken out into several different components.

Important: Lucity Offline is not designed to be a complete copy of the Lucity system. It is designed to take subsets of information offline so that the user has access to what they need for their current days work.

• Dashboards - Dashboards Frames that are enabled to go offline are taken offline every time the device is taken offline. All plugins on the offline frames are taken offline as well.
• Work Data - Work Order and Request records are only take offline if they are included in a dashboard data drill that is taken offline.
• Asset Inventory Data - Asset Inventory data is bundled in the offline data cache and is taken offline on a scheduled basis.
• Views/Grids/Forms - Module components like Views, Grids, and Forms are bundled in the offline data cache and is taken offline on a scheduled basis.

Configuring Offline Caches

The final component of taking Lucity Mobile offline is the data cache. The data cache is rebuilt every night when the Lucity Services send a command to the Lucity Mobile Server. The cache can be rebuilt on demand in Lucity Web using the Admin Portal > Web App Management > Tasks > Refresh Offline Cache tool. However, this is resource intensive and can take awhile.

This cache contains views/grids/forms, and asset inventory data.

Important: The server on which the Lucity Services are installed must be able to make an HTTP request to the Lucity Mobile Server. The Lucity Mobile Server does NOT need to be able to make requests back to the Services. This configuration enables the Lucity Services to tell the Lucity Mobile Server to create the offline caches.

Android

• In Lucity Web, under Admin Portal > Settings > System Settings > Mobile, enter the URL for the Lucity Mobile Server Virtual Directory.
• In the Lucity Web, under Admin Portal > Settings > System Settings > Mobile, make sure the Update the offline Android cache nightly setting is set to TRUE.

iOS

• In Lucity Web, under Admin Portal > Settings > System Settings > Mobile, enter the URL for the Lucity Mobile Server Virtual Directory.
• In the Lucity Web, under Admin Portal > Settings > System Settings > Mobile, make sure the Update the offline iOS cache nightly setting is set to TRUE.

  Important: After completing these steps, you must wait for the offline caches to be created overnight. After making changes to any of the components contained in the offline cache you must wait for the cache to rebuilt.

Configuring Asset Inventory Data for Offline

Before you can take a Lucity Mobile module offline, you must configure modules to go offline. There are two components to taking modules offline.

• Views/Grids/Forms - Module components marked to go offline control whether or not the data from that module will go offline.
• Module data - Module data is taken offline if the module is configured to go offline. Note that this only includes Asset Inventory. Inspections are not take offline and work records are taken offline using a different component.
  1. In the Lucity Administration tool, go to Forms > View/Form Manager.
  2. Locate the module you would like to take offline
  3. Edit the Default view and make sure the Offline Mobile box is checked.
  4. Edit the associated grid and make sure the Offline Mobile box is checked there, too.
  5. Edit the associated grid and make sure the Offline Mobile box is checked for each child grid that should be taken offline with the view.
  6. Repeat Steps 2-4 for every module you would like to take offline.

The amount of time it takes to download the offline caches can be significant, depending upon the number of modules the user configured to take offline. Therefore, the offline caches are not downloaded every time the user takes the tablet offline. Administrators control the download frequency using the Offline Mobile Cache Setup in Lucity Web.

Configuring the Dashboard for Offline Mode

The Lucity dashboard has the ability to display data in Offline mode. The dashboard also controls what Work Order and Work Request data is saved to a tablet when the user takes the application offline.

To configure a Lucity dashboard for offline use:

1. Set up one or more dashboard frames with data-drill plugins that display the Work Order or Request data you wish to save to the tablet.
2. Check the Mobile Offline Support box on the frame.

   Note: The number of Work Orders/Requests that can be transfered to a tablet is limited and varies from one device to another. Generally, it is more efficient to limit the number of Work Orders that are transfered to a tablet when it is taken offline. Therefore, the offline frames should not collect a large number of Work Orders.