PerfectLaw® allows users to work online with AIM’s DMS and offline with our PerfectLaw® Offline DMS.  Offline DMS runs standalone on a Windows workstation using a local client, matter, document type lookup table to validate document profiles created or edited offline.   Then, when the user goes back online via a reconnection and Citrix login, the DMS.LoginImport.exe module automatically runs the login scripts, uploads the documents, profiles the documents, and synchronizes them with the central DMS system.  The DMS.LoginImport.exe application does all this, behind the scenes, automatically.  Another added benefit to our PerfectLaw® Offline DMS is its user interface.  The Office DMS application has the same under interface as our online DMS module.  Therefore, no additional training is required.

The Logical Design

PerfectLaw® Offline DMS is composed of several applications:

• Offline Client, Matter, DocType validation table
• Local Save and Profile
• Local Profile Search
• Login Import

The Offline Client, Matter and DocType validation table downloads a copy of the table to the user’s workstation. An updated table is copied from a convenient WAN location to the user’s offline document directory with every Citrix login.  This compressed table takes approximately 5-15 seconds to copy and setup during login and allows the user to work with files offline (saving, profiling and searching).  Then, once the user comes online again, the files are automatically synced.

The Local Save and Profile application appears as an icon on the user’s word processing toolbar.  The user simply clicks the button then saves and profiles the document to the user’s default document directory while offline.

The Local Profile Search application is also installed as a button on the word processing toolbar.  Clicking this button allows users to retrieve documents in the user’s local default document directory for further editing.

The Login Import application works in the background.  When users login with Citrix, this application automatically uploads documents, synchronizes the offline document directory with the central database, then marks or moves profiles and documents accordingly.  If the document has a profile error, then manual intervention using AIM Import is required.

The Remote Office Document Tree Option

PerfectLaw® client/matters can be assigned to one of any number of physical offices or locations. Each office or location can have an offline document tree for retrieving documents when communications are down. The tree is continuously updated with new and/or edited documents and profiles. Each time the central database stores an updated document or profile, it is forwarded to the appropriate office tree.   When users must work offline they can retrieve documents from office trees via Windows Explorer, Word, etc. and work with them using the offline DMS, which saves them in the user’s default document directory for later forwarding to the central database. As far as security, the tree itself is read-only with respect to local users and the UNC address of the tree root is defined and maintained in the office record of the central SQL database.