illumino - Beyond mere typesetting.
Illumino is an XML publishing system able to leverage industry standards such
as eXtended Markup Language (XML) and Portable Document Format (PDF) with the
unmatched output quality of TeX/LaTeX.
Illumino is a technology integrating the high quality TeX/LaTeX document
preparation system, used by major publishers around the world, with standard technologies.
Illumino is based on standard technologies and has its core in the DocBook XML format and included XML standards,
such as Mathematical Markup Language (MathML) and Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG).
The system has been built featuring all experiences collected during many years of work, with the need to address and streamline all production
hurdles accompaining full text XML workflows in particular and publishing in general.
Features
Native Tex/LaTeX support
Illumino, can handle TeX/LaTeX sources natively. It basically converts LaTeX sources to its XML internal format i.e.
DocBook version 5 and the publishing chain starts from XML sources. Our XML format of choice let
us garantee a finer grained content tagging and resolution, natively incorporating standards as MathML and SVG, letting our
customers leverage the full software ecosystem developed around DocBook.
Possible output formats include:
Custom XML
Native Adobe PDF through PDFTeX
Adobe PDF through other distilling backends
Adobe Postscript through dvipsk engine
Custom HTML
Other custom formats
For its TeX/LaTeX heritage, Illumino is particularly targeted at STM publishing, but can be tailored to any workflow involving
scholarly publications. Once we properly configure our system in to handle customer's production needs, differences introduced in
the publishing chain will be minimal compared to a classical XML workflow. Illumino does fit well in any existing TeX/LaTeX workflow.
Full XML workflow
With full text XML workflow we mean a process generating any output format from XML sources.
It is basically different from the extraction of metadata from partially structured content for indexing purposes.
A Full XML workflow adds a whole set of constraints that content must undergo in order to be ready for XML applications,
such as "one source, multiple format conversion" or long term archival.
Full XML workflows are really hard to achieve via in-house solutions given the complexity and prolixity of XML formats.
Staff have to be trained in order to be acquainted to the new standard that is inherently more complex, bearing a lower productivity.
Sometimes, this forces the outsourcing of parts, if not the whole workflow, to partners already trained to do the job.
Unfortunately this reduce publisher's control on the production chain.
Our solution is completely different and let publishers retain complete control over the publishing chain. Illumino, our core technology,
has been developed to avoid locks and bottlenecks found in current production XML workflows.
Illumino has the unmatched output quality of TeX/LaTeX
Content checking
XML workflows often introduce inconsistencies and errors associated with the procedure. This is intrinsic in software systems and is
unfortunately unavoidable. In constrast publishing is not very resilient to workflow issues and errors are flagged with document errata.
So it's unacceptable for Publishers to have errors induced by XML conversion. This often leads to time consuming, in-depth proof reading,
in order to validate not only manuscript editing but also conversion.
We have tried to change the terms in this equation. We have worked really hard to prevent regressions in our product and we've came up with
a solution to conversion errors. Our technology from the ground up is built integrating tests within the process.
Our sistem is able to convert some of the most complex content involving math from hard sciences (Math, Physics, Chemistry), exactly.
We have found a way to check content by means of checksums. We checksum source and production output in order to be sure that our application
does not introduce content errors. Our system is particularly clever at this. An identical checksum means no errors introduced in the process.
You have basically the same output between source file and production file. Voilà. This is the basic system behaviour. In case different checksums
are found, users can ask the system to show just the differing parts and validate the differencies found. Differencies in this way are easily dealt
with.
Safe fallback
Our system has been designed keeping in mind that XML workflows should be a completely automatic process. You do not have to directly code XML
since it's basically a machine language. We have also provided our system with a robust set of fallback algorithms to maximize productivity while
mantaining a very high level of content safeness. In addition to XML validation, content checksumming, pre-flight checks, our system is resilient to
software failures in order to prevent downtimes.
Network aware, incremetal, Client/Server application
Illumino is a multilayered, multiplatform application coded using the Java language, leveraging java technologies.
It works either locally or through the network via its network client illumino-remote.
Illumino can be run on any platform jointly supported by Java and TeXLive.
Illumino installations on the following platforms are supported:
GNU/Linux
RedHat Enterprise Linux 4
RedHat Enterprise Linux 5
CentOS 4
CentOS 5
Sun Solaris
OpenSolaris 2008.05
OpenSolaris 2008.11
MS Win
Win XP
Win 2003 Server
Illumino has been developed with the concept of dependencies, timestamps and checksums. Illumino core is based on
Apache ant. In this respect, is a multi stage, parallel, incremetal application, able to pass
through just the required steps to perform the requested tasks. This let Illumino be able to run, even remotely through the internet, with timings in the magnitude of a LaTeX workflow
SAAS model
Illumino is primarily available under a SAAS (Software as a Service) model. Customers should not worry about software updates, we'll handle
it seamlessly without any service disruption. Customers pay not for owning the software itself but for using it. This is for us the most effective
way to let customers have the smoothest possible experience with our technology. If your interested is something different, let us know, we'll try
our best to suit your needs.
Long term archival of content
Illumino has been developed with maximum compatibility in mind. Customers will be able process old articles and obtain the same results.
Illumino has the ability to coalesce source and output file in a single format. This streamlines data lifecycle management, dropping the
profileration of complex and unmanageable hierarchies.
Production Tracking and Multiplexing
Illumino, through illumino-remote, its Remote Client, has the ability to multiplex the production environment and
to share, trace and discuss production problems, even with outsourced facilities, in real time, just like working side-by-side in the same desk.
Through a web interface you can monitor production status of any work in production in our system and access production files and changes
synchronously.
Secure transactions
All transactions are layered through SSL connections with PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) authentication. Users can use the system safely from any
place where an internet connection is available.
Efficient Trouble Ticket request system
Illumino hosts an advanced ticket request system (illumino TRS). Trouble ticket insertion is either performed by the system, whenever it spots
processing problems, or by users to sort out production problems. Illumino TRS is the primary source of information to solve production related
issues through its searchable knowledge base.
For an SVG graphical illustration of the illumino workflow through illumino-remote, please
follow this link. If you're not able to
visualize this image properly, please switch to Mozilla Firefox.
Latest news on development effort can be found in the following timeline. The source is in rss format and you can subscribe at illumino development feeds:
