L10n Vendors
Contents
Supported L10n Vendors
To get a current list of LSP (localization service provider) and TMS (translation management system) companies that are integrated with Localyzer, please email sales@lingoport.com.
Recommended Approach
Lingoport FTP Protocol
Lingoport strongly recommends using the FTP protocol. With that approach,
- Lingoport automatically pushes valid resource files to be translated following a specific naming convention to an FTP end point
- The translation group picks up the files and on-boards them in the TMS following their own automated pattern
- The translation group returns the translated resource files to another FTP end point as per their system
- Localyzer picks up the translated files, validates them, and imports them into the proper repository
Advantages
- Robustness: FTP has been in place for decades and is one of the most reliable protocols for transmitting files from one system to another
- Simplicity: FTP and zip are well known and are well understood in the industry
- Security: FTP support SSH and SSL encryption; The FTP system can allow only some IP ranges to access the FTP port(s)
- Automation: Localyzer pushes and retrieves files automatically; The translation group supplies the automation to and from the automation end point
- Network Failure Handling: If the network goes down when accessing FTP, files are resent later when the network is up; Files are not lost due to downtime
- Asynchronicity: The Localyzer system and the TMS do not need any special connection; Files can be sent and received independently
- Scalability: The volume sent to an FTP system does not slow down either Localyzer or a TMS due to traffic. Each system can push or retrieve files without slowing down the other. FTP supports large volume of data
- Configurability: Configuring the FTP end point location is something well understood by IT departments and simple to configure (for Localyzer , see below)
- Testability: Checking the proper configuration is straightforward
- Fast Set Up: Given the above, setting up Localyzer with FTP is the fastest and simplest route
Note: Lingoport has set up Localyzer over FTP with many Translation Groups and the TMS of their choice and any TMS vendor can add their system to this integration pattern.
Resource File Transmission Protocols
For most use cases, Lingoport recommends sending files to translation over SFTP. Direct API-based connections are also available to some TMS systems.
Overall, Localyzer supports 5 localization paths for sending files to be translated. They are:
Typical:
- Local
- Files are kept on the system Localyzer resides on. Good for debugging.
- FTP
- FTP/SFTP. Typical method of sending resource files to/from translation.
API Based:
- GlobalLink
- Lingotek
- WorldServer
Transmission Protocol Configuration
The type of L10n Vendor is defined in the config_l10n_vendor.properties file that can exist at either the group or project level. See Group Configuration Files. A template of this file can be found at <HOME>/lingoport/lrm-server-x.y/deploy/templates/dir_structure/group/config
The default location of the config_l10n_vendor.properties file is at the group level. The default settings do not define a vendor so that an error will occur when prepping a kit, forcing the user to chose a vendor. The global L10n Vendor attributes are:
- l10n.vendor=ftp - uncomment if using FTP/SFTP, the recommended approach
- l10n.vendor=lingotek - uncomment if using Lingotek
- l10n.vendor=local - uncomment if storing the prep/translated files locally
- l10n.vendor=worldserver - uncomment if using Worldserver
- l10n.vendor=globallink - uncomment if using GlobalLink
- l10n.vendor.nonsupported.extensions - a vendor may not support a specific extension such as .json. Enter any extensions that are not supported by the vendor but are supported by Localyzer . See LRM Fixing Issues for Localyzer supported extensions. An error will occur if there is no conversion protocol for a non-supported extension.
Example file:
l10n.vendor=ftp #l10n.vendor=lingotek #l10n.vendor=local #l10n.vendor=worldserver #l10n.vendor=globallink l10n.vendor.nonsupported.extensions=
InContext Server Configuration
In order for a L10n Vendor to be able to communicate to the Lingoport InContext Server, there must be a valid Localyzer LQA license for the group as well as a valid configuration for the InContext Server. See InContext License for more information. The InContext Server configuration is located in the L10n Vendor configuration file with the following keys.
l10n.vendor.incontext.server.url=<valid http or https URL pointing to the InContext Server > l10n.vendor.incontext.auth.token=<valid authorization token>
The authorization token will be supplied by your InContext Server administrator. During the prep kit process, the configured URL and token will be used to access the InContext Server. If these are not valid then an error will occur and the prep kit process will fail. If the defined InContext server is valid then all the resource files will be instrumented and the prep kit files will contain the InContext decoration.
InContext Decoration
When prepping a kit where there is a valid InContext server configuration, each of the keys that need to be translated will have an InContext tag above the key. The default tag prefix is LRM_INCONTEXT. Your L10n vendor may have a specific tag that is used for filtering. If this is the case, then a unique InContext tag can be configured in the L10n Vendor configuration file using the following key:
l10n.vendor.incontext.unique.tag=
If this key is missing or has a blank value then the default, LRM_INCONTEXT, tag will be used.
InContext decoration examples
- L10n Vendor Configuration
l10n.vendor.incontext.server.url=http://ec5-4-3-2-1.amazonaws.com:8081 l10n.vendor.incontext.auth.token=0qhZ9yTvtW5
- XML type prep kit file
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!--MyProject_8_6 - CHANGES-ONLY--> <resources> <!--LRM_INCONTEXT http://ec5-4-3-2-1.amazonaws.com:8081/incontext-server/lookup?key=3130_192&token=0qhZ9yTvtW5--> <string name="Hello">Hello</string>
- Properties type prep kit file
#MyProject_1_4 - CHANGES-ONLY #LRM_INCONTEXT http://ec5-4-3-2-1.amazonaws.com:8081/incontext-server/lookup?key=422_238&token=0qhZ9yTvtW5 myString=Hello
InContext decoration examples using unique InContext tag
- L10n Vendor Configuration
l10n.vendor.incontext.server.url=http://ec5-4-3-2-1.amazonaws.com:8081 l10n.vendor.incontext.auth.token=0qhZ9yTvtW5 l10n.vendor.incontext.unique.tag=MY_SPECIAL_TAG
- XML type prep kit file
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!--MyProject_8_6 - CHANGES-ONLY--> <resources> <!--MY_SPECIAL_TAG http://ec5-4-3-2-1.amazonaws.com:8081/incontext-server/lookup?key=3130_192&token=0qhZ9yTvtW5--> <string name="Hello">Hello</string>
- Properties type prep kit file
#MyProject_1_4 - CHANGES-ONLY #MY_SPECIAL_TAG http://ec5-4-3-2-1.amazonaws.com:8081/incontext-server/lookup?key=422_238&token=0qhZ9yTvtW5 myString=Hello
FTP
FTP Configuration
To choose FTP as the vendor, uncomment the l10n.vendor=ftp
in the config_l10n_vendor.properties file.
The information that is needed to upload the files to be translated as well as retrieve translated files is:
#FTP Attributes ## FTP inbound attributes for import kit files ftp.in.host= ftp.in.port= ftp.in.location.path= ftp.in.password= ftp.in.username= ##SSH, SSL or empty ftp.in.protocol= ## ssl implicit flag. Set to 0 for explicit, set to 1 for implicit ftp.in.ssl.implicit=0 ## FTP outbound attributes for prep kit files ftp.out.host= ftp.out.port= ftp.out.location.path= ftp.out.username= ftp.out.password= ##SSH, SSL or empty ftp.out.protocol= ## ssl implicit flag. Set to 0 for explicit, set to 1 for implicit ftp.out.ssl.implicit=0
The ftp.out
attributes refer to locations for files being sent out for translation. The ftp.in
refers to locations for files coming back in (import) from translation.
Note: For special cases, like using One Planet, you may need to create an .ssh key http://www.linuxproblem.org/art_9.html.
FTP attributes
If the end point is FTP, the
l10n.vendor=ftp
must be uncommented. The 'in' attributes refer to the files coming back to Lingoport Resource Manager after translation. The 'out' attributes refer to the prep-kit files which are send from Lingoport Resource Manager.
- ftp.in.host - the hostname where the translated files reside
- ftp.in.location.path - the directory path on the host containing the translated files
- ftp.in.password - password associated with the username that is using the protocol
- ftp.in.port - the port for the protocol service. In general, SSH uses port 22 and FTP uses port 21
- ftp.in.protocol - this can be SSH or SSL. If left blank, the protocol is FTP
- ftp.in.username - the username used with the protocol to receive the translated files
- ftp.out.host - The hostname that the prep-kits prepared by Localyzer are being sent to.
- ftp.out.location.path - the directory path on the host for the files to be translated
- ftp.out.password - password associated with the username that is using the protocol
- ftp.out.port - the port for the protocol service. In general, SSH uses port 22 and FTP uses port 21
- ftp.out.protocol - this can be SSH or SSL. If left blank, the protocol is FTP
- ftp.out.username - the username used with the protocol to send the files to be translated.
From a command line attempt to use the protocol (ssh, ssl or ftp) and the username and password to log into the host. This can verify the settings. On the host, verify that the in and out paths exist.
FTP Vendor Integration
Lingoport pushes zip files to the configured FTP outbound endpoint and consumes zip files sent on the incoming endpoint. Two FTP endpoints are necessary: a 'to translation' end point and a 'from translation' endpoint. See Prep/Import Zip Files for more information on the types of zip files that can be sent to and from translation.
Example of the Zip File Structure, One Zip per Locale
The structure of the zip file for target locale de is as follows:
Acme.frontend.1.de.zip | -- Acme.frontend.1.de | -- resources.properties | -- messages.resx | -- errors.json
This is the structure of the zip file sent for translation on the FTP outbound endpoint and also the structure and name of the file received from translation on the FTP inbound endpoint.
Notes:
- The names of the files are the base resource file names
- The names of the files (resources.properties) must be the same exact name when the translation is returned as it was in the zip file sent for translation.
- The files in one prep kit must all be returned in the translated zip file with a complete translation. If prep kit #1 had three files, the same three files must be returned in, say, German with every key/value pair returned.
Example of the Zip File Structure, One Zip for all Locales
The structure of the zip file for prep kit 1, for all locales, is as follows:
Acme.frontend.1.zip | -- Acm2.frontend.sourceLocale.txt | -- Acm2.frontend.targetLocales.txt | -- Acme.frontend.1 | -- resources.properties | -- messages.resx | -- errors.json
This is the structure of the zip file sent for translation on the FTP outbound endpoint.
The structure of each individual file returned back is slightly different (note the locale, fr for French here):
Acme.frontend.1.fr.zip | -- Acme.frontend.1.fr | -- resources.properties | -- messages.resx | -- errors.json
SSH/SFTP proxy server
If the ftp.out.protocol/ftp.in.protocol is SSH and there is a SFTP proxy server then the proxy host and proxy port are set up via java options.
There are 3 proxy protocols supported
- ProxyHTTP
- ProxySOCKS4
- ProxySOCKS5
ProxyHTTP
The expected java options for ProxyHTTP are:
- ftp.proxyHost
- ftp.proxyPort
Linux example if setting java options within a shell session.
- export _JAVA_OPTIONS='-Dftp.proxyHost=theproxyhost -Dftp.proxyPort=123'
ProxySOCKS4
The expected java options for ProxySOCKS4 are:
- ftp.socks4.proxyHost
- ftp.socks4.proxyPort
Linux example if setting java options within a shell session.
- export _JAVA_OPTIONS='-Dftp.socks4.proxyHost=theproxyhost -Dftp.socks4.proxyPort=123'
ProxySOCKS5
The expected java options for ProxySOCKS5 are:
- ftp.socks5.proxyHost
- ftp.socks5.proxyPort
Linux example if setting java options within a shell session.
- export _JAVA_OPTIONS='-Dftp.socks5.proxyHost=theproxyhost -Dftp.socks5.proxyPort=123'
Encoding of translated files
We are expecting the .properties to be returned in UTF-8 (no BOM) and so they should not have unicode escaped characters.
Other Integrations
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