Infor Lawson System Foundation: Terminology

The following table provides brief descriptions of the "big pieces" that are called out in the architectural overview diagram. Items shown in the diagram are listed alphabetically in the table. Subsequent sections of this document describe these components in greater detail.

Note: "Lawson System Foundation (LSF)" is the former name of "Infor Lawson System Foundation." Other associated products have also been rebranded. This document might contain both old and new names.


System component	Brief description
4GL / RPG	In the diagram, "4GL / RPG"" stands for a typical Lawson business application written in either the 4GL programming language (Unix and Windows) or the RPG language (IBM I). On IBM I, Lawson applications are typically written in 4GL and then translated to RPG.
Authentication	This document refers to two methods of authentication that are supported with Infor Lawson 10: Lawson Security as Security Token Service (LS as STS) and the Kerberos protocol.
Browser (Lawson Portal execution)	A web browser is the only desktop product required for typical end-users to run Lawson Portal.
Client	This document refers to any subsystem that connects via HTTP to the Lawson server as a client.
Data	Data is a Lawson service that facilitates read-only client requests for application data contained within Lawson.
DA	In the diagram, "DA" stands for Data Access servlet, the main web communication component between Process Server and other Infor Lawson System Foundation components.
Drill	Drill is a Lawson service that facilitates read-only client Drill Around requests.
DSP (Distributed Security Package)	DSP is the package that allows for communication between Infor Lawson System Foundation and the Sharepoint server which handles Kerberos authentication.
Environment	See "Infor Lawson Core Technology" in this table.
HTTP Server	Lawson Portal is installed on a server that communicates via HTTP. (This type of server is sometimes called a web server.)
IOS (Internet Object Services)	A subsystem of the Infor Lawson Core Technology that provides services to all of Lawson, in particular, web-based systems, such as Lawson Portal. It is deployed in the servlet container.
IOS servlets	The individual programs that perform the tasks that make up IOS as a whole.
Kerberos protocol	The protocol used to authenticate users on the Sharepoint server.
LACOBRTS (Lawson Cobol Runtime System)	LACOBRTS is a group of libraries and other files that have been tightly integrated with the Cobol vendor's runtime system to provide services that Lawson applications need at runtime. On IBM I, LARPGRTS (see below) replaces LACOBRTS. An exception is for Java routines, which run through LACOBRTS on IBM I as well as on Unix and Windows platforms.
LADB	LADB is the interface between the customer RDBMS system and Lawson database drivers. Lawson provides a driver for each supported RDBMS. LADB routes requests for data to the appropriate driver.
LA-RTS	This document uses the term "LA-RTS" to refer to the Cobol and RPG (IBM I) runtimes collectively when it is appropriate to do so.
LARPGRTS (Lawson RPG Runtime System)	LARPGRTS provides services that Lawson System I applications need at runtime.
LASE (Lawson Security Server)	The Lawson Security Server is the main processing engine for authorization requests to Lawson Security.
LATM (Lawson Application Server)	The Lawson Application Server provides services to ensure that Lawson transactions move through the system with the best performance and least expenditure of system resources possible.
Infor Lawson Core Technology	Infor Lawson Core Technology is container name for the many services and utilities that run the Lawson system. This document uses the term "Lawson Environment" (and sometimes "Environment"), to refer to a single instance of Infor Lawson Core Technology.
Lawson server	In this document, the Lawson server is the server where the majority of Infor Lawson System Foundation components are installed.
LDAP (Lightweight Data Access Protocol) Server and LDAP	Lawson stores globally interesting user data in a third-party, industry-standard LDAP directory.
ISS (Infor Security Services) Administrator	The desktop tool for performing most tasks related to configuring users and federating systems (for example, for federating Infor Lawson System Foundation and Infor Landmark Technology).
LS (Lawson Security) Administrator	The desktop tool for performing all tasks related to writing security policies (authorization). (Most user administration tasks can also be performed using this tool.)
Landmark runtime	This term refers to the foundation technology that supports Landmark applications, including Infor Process Automation.
Infor Process Automation	Umbrella term for Lawson's Business Process Modeling (BPM) product. It includes Lawson Process Server and Lawson Process Designer. The term also refers to server side components of the Infor Process Automation product. These components include configuration, administration and troubleshooting tools. They are delivered with Infor Landmark Technology and accessed using Infor Landmark Technology, Infor Rich Client, Infor Smart Office or the web UI.
Infor Process Designer	Desktop tool for creating the actual processes. All process developers must have this tool. (Access to the tool is not needed for users who need to take actions on processes that are in production.)
Infor Lawson server components	Software components installed on the Infor Lawson server that forward application requests to Infor Process Automation.
Infor Smart Office	This term refers to a Windows-based user interface that can be used instead of or in addition to Lawson Portal.
Infor Lawson System Foundation	This term refers to the foundation technology that supports Infor Lawson applications.
Lawson Portal	Lawson Portal is the user interface for most Lawson users. See Infor Smart Office for information about another available user interface.
MDBS (Multi-Database System)	An umbrella term for the Lawson components that support interaction between Lawson and the customer application data and Lawson metadata that is stored in an RDBMS. This includes a database driver for each supported RDBMS and a system of APIs for interfacing with other Lawson layers. The goal of the MDBS is to provide services to ensure that Infor Lawson Core Technology and applications can remain unaware of vendor-specific differences in RDBMS features and behavior.
RDBMS (Relational Database Management System)	Lawson stores customer application data and Lawson metadata in a third-party, SQL-based database system.
RM (Resource Management) Administrator	The desktop tool for performing some tasks related to configuring users and their roles.
Router	The Router servlet manages the work of the main IOS services: Data, Drill, and Transaction.
Single Sign-on (SSO) servlet	This servlet verifies that a user session is valid.
Sharepoint server	If the installation uses the Kerberos protocol for authentication, the Sharepoing server is where users are authenticated.
Transaction	A Lawson service that facilitates requests for application transactions (that is, create, update, delete) between clients and the rest of Lawson.