1. CoreMedia Content Cloud Components

The following describes all components of CoreMedia Content Cloud, along with their core functions, technical requirements for their use and their relation to CoreMedia Product SKUs.

The software licensing agreement refers to the CoreMedia Product SKUs as stated below. An additional suffix might be included and can be ignored, e.g. CMCC-CC-XXXX is referring to CMCC-CC in this document. The suffix is to be ignored.

This document does not form the scope of the software licensing agreement between Licensee and CoreMedia. It is referred to the relevant Agreement / Order Form stating the licenses purchased by Licensee.

2. Core Functionality

2.1. CoreMedia Content Management Server

The CoreMedia Content Management Server manages content, rights, users, groups and their relationships in an object-oriented content model that can be freely defined. An external database is used to store the objects. The supported databases are outlined in the Supported Environments document.

Content is published to the CoreMedia Master Live Server. During this, the integrity of internal links is checked. (Internal links are links to resources that are entirely managed by the CoreMedia Content Management Server.)

Further, the following functionality is provided:

a. Storage of multi-lingual content: Character strings are stored in a technical format that allows for the management of non-Latin character sets.

b. A content lifecycle can be defined using the status management of CoreMedia contents, namely: approved, checked-out, checked-in, published and deleted.

c. An event mechanism propagates changes in the content storage to registered components. This enables near real-time content synchronization in distributed CoreMedia component environments.

d. Users, groups and rights can be edited and managed in combination with content. Storage of these users and groups can take place in a relational database.

e. Both users and user groups can be created with a variety of rights. These rights are enforced within the editorial workflow.

2.2. CoreMedia Master Live Server and CoreMedia Replication Live Server

Content objects that have been edited and published by editing staff are copied from the CoreMedia Content Management Server to one or more CoreMedia Live Servers. Copies are stored in a separate database (see Supported Environments for a list of supported database systems). CoreMedia Live servers make content available to one or more delivery components that render content into output formats.

The CoreMedia Master Live Server receives published content objects directly from the CoreMedia Content Management Server. Additional CoreMedia Replication Live Servers can then replicate this published data along with change events. This setup enables the creation of architectures for load balancing, multi-homing, fault tolerance and avoidance of service interruption during scheduled maintenance. Each Live Server uses its own database space.

Change events are automatically propagated to all components registered at a CoreMedia Live Server.

2.3. CoreMedia Studio

CoreMedia Studio provides a browser-based user interface for managing versioned multi-lingual content: searching for content, creating new content, editing content and browsing images stored in the content repository.

Content can be queried using a combination of full text search and metadata filters. Metadata filters include content type, publication state, and current editor. Full text search results include suggestions for search term completion as well as the number of found documents. Search results can be shown as image thumbnails or in tabular form. The search state including the search term as well as the filter states can be saved so that the user can later execute the same search again.

CoreMedia Studio provides integrated image editing functionalities such as cropping of images in pre-defined image formats.

Content can be approved and published to the live web site.

Users can change their password within CoreMedia Studio in case the built-in user management is in use.

CoreMedia Studio ships with English and German translations of the user interface. Additional languages are supported via optional Language Packs.

2.4. CoreMedia Workflow Server

The CoreMedia Workflow Server coordinates the mutual processes of content creation, approval, and publication between editors concerning content held in the CoreMedia Content Management Server. Workflows are either started automatically or are started manually by editors using CoreMedia Studio. This results in the creation of an actual instance for the chosen workflow. Content can be assigned to a workflow.

Each workflow step can be processed either automatically or manually, by assigned groups of people (roles). Completing processing on one workflow step can either trigger the next step in sequence or complete the workflow itself.

Workflows are made up of one or more workflow steps. Several workflow steps may run in parallel.

The execution of a workflow can be controlled via conditions, whose fulfillment influences the further execution of the workflow (conditional branching). Conditions can be evaluated based on workflows variables, system states or by using custom program code, as required. Creation and modification of the workflow variables is either an explicit action performed by the workflow user or is done in software via the programming interface.

The CoreMedia Workflow Server ships with the following pre-defined workflows:

a. Direct publication

b. Reviewed publication

c. Translation workflow

2.5. CoreMedia Content Application Engine

The CoreMedia Content Application Engine (CAE) is a template-based content rendering engine. It retrieves content from a CoreMedia Content Management Server, CoreMedia Master Live Server or CoreMedia Replication Live Server. Content is transformed into content beans, which apply business rules to content data retrieval. Business rules can be adopted to project requirements. New rules can be added, for example to integrate data from third-party systems. Additionally, the execution of additional, programmatically specified actions via Java, which includes read access to CoreMedia content, is supported.

A caching layer in the CoreMedia CAE optimizes content bean usage by automatically tracking dependencies between content objects to invalidate only items that have been changed. Custom external and time-based dependencies can be established. If CoreMedia content is modified, or if time-limited cache elements expire or third-party systems trigger expiry events, then cache elements are discarded.

The CoreMedia CAE is a web application that is running in a servlet container (see Supported Environments for supported containers). A templating engine and templates is used to render content beans into an output format.

2.6. CoreMedia Content as a Service

CoreMedia Content as a Service (CaaS) provides data in an output format that is suitable for web services development. It renders content in a structural data format that is typically consumed by client applications like single page applications, progressive web applications or native mobile applications.

CaaS provides an application program interface that uses HTTP technology to read data from a CoreMedia Content Management Server, a CoreMedia Master Live Server or a CoreMedia Replication Live Server.

2.7. CoreMedia Search Engine

The CoreMedia Search Engine builds and maintain a search index for content stored in a CoreMedia Content Server, CoreMedia Master Live Server or CoreMedia Replication Live Server. Binary data is extracted text from supported binary formats (refer to component manual for details). The resulting text is then indexed by the CoreMedia Search Engine. Separate search indices are maintained for editorial and delivery use cases.

The editorial search index is managed by the CoreMedia Content Feeder. It is used for the editorial search in the CoreMedia Studio.

The delivery search index is managed by The CoreMedia CAE Feeder. It is used by delivery components.

Result sets contain references to CoreMedia content. Before they are returned, they are ranked in accordance with sort criteria, match precision, content characteristics and specified rules.

2.8. CoreMedia Elastic Core

A highly scalable data storage API embedded in the CoreMedia Content Cloud. The use of this technology requires the use of a dedicated database as per the supported environments.

2.9. CoreMedia Asset Management

CoreMedia Studio and CoreMedia delivery components include capabilities to manage image assets with a focus on delivering optimized image rendition on demand. Whether it be renditions for the web, mobile or any other digital delivery channel, the system will deliver an optimized rendition of an image based on transformations and crop areas users of CoreMedia Studio have defined for it. The delivery of images is adaptive and responsive. Front-end modules using CoreMedia Asset Management are available in CoreMedia’s blueprints. Image copyright information and expiration dates can be managed.

2.10. CoreMedia Unified API

Customizations and extensions can use the CoreMedia Unified API to access content and capabilities within the CoreMedia Content Cloud. Customizations and extensions that use the CoreMedia Unified API count as CoreMedia components in regard to licensing.

3. Add-On Functionality

3.1. CoreMedia Elastic Social

Elastic Social provides content rating and commenting functionality within CoreMedia Content Cloud. Elastic Social requires the use of CoreMedia Elastic Core.

3.1.1. Moderation

The editorial interface of Elastic Social is integrated into CoreMedia Studio. User comments can be edited, approved or rejected through the moderation functionality in CoreMedia Studio. The moderation interface has been especially designed for the approval of large quantities of user generated content. When rejecting comments, a pre-configured template-based e-mail can be sent directly or be modified by the moderator before sending it. The moderation of comments for content (for example an article) may be prioritized.

3.1.2. Comments / Discussions

The commenting function can be used to comment on any kind of editorial content item, such as articles. Comments for an editorial content item can be displayed in a “flat” list or as a tree in a threaded discussion. Through project customization attributes may be added and third-party content that has been integrated via the CoreMedia Content Application Engine can also be commented upon.

Use of the comment function can be granted to anonymous users or requires that the web user has registered and is currently logged in. Comments can be marked by other web users as inappropriate. Moderators can then use the moderation interface to edit, approve or reject such marked comments if required.

Commenting can be configured to pre-moderation or post-moderation mode. In pre-moderation mode, each comment needs to be approved by a moderator before it becomes visible to other web users than the comment's original author. In post-moderation mode, each comment becomes visible immediately to all other web users, but moderators can review and reject the comment.

Elastic Social provides pre-calculated aggregations for "Most Commented" content items per site and section for the last day, the last week, the last month, the last year and the "forever" interval.

3.1.3. Ratings

A rating function is available for rating any kind of editorial CMS content, such as articles. Through customization third-party content that has been integrated via the CoreMedia Content Application Engine can also be rated.

Ratings are provided via a star model or via a "Like" button.

Elastic Social calculates average ratings for the star rating model and counts "Likes" interactions. Elastic Social provides pre-calculated aggregations for "Top Rated", “Most Rated”, "Most Liked" content items per site and section for the last day, the last week, the last month, the last year and the "forever" interval.

3.1.4. User Profiles

Elastic Social provides a profile management for web users including registration and moderation of profile creation and changes. Profiles are associated with web users and can be extended with custom attributes.

Profiles can be configured to pre-moderation or post-moderation mode. In pre-moderation mode, each profile creation and change need to be approved by a moderator before it becomes visible to other users. In post-moderation mode, each profile creation and change become visible immediately to all other users, but moderators can review and reject the profile.

3.1.5. E-Mail Support

Elastic Social provides basic support for sending template-based e-mails that may be edited in the CoreMedia Studio. Prefabricated workflows for registration and renewing passwords are included.

3.1.6. All Comments

The “all comments” section provides an overview of all user contributions. By means of several filters like type, state, community user, or full text search contributions can be located for editing or re-moderation.

Selecting one or more contributions serves as the basis to create editorial content on the CoreMedia Content Management Server. Selected contributions are aggregated before they are transferred to the Content Management Server.

3.2. CoreMedia Content Hub

The CoreMedia Content Hub enables editors to use content from external systems in CoreMedia Studio. Images, videos and other content formats from external repositories can be made accessible directly in Studio via the Content Hub’s integration into the library. External systems such as digital asset managers can be connected via the Content Hub API. Adapters and example implementations for custom adapters are available for the Content Hub.

3.3. CoreMedia Experience Feedback Hub

The CoreMedia Experience Feedback Hub provides access to meta information about content managed within CoreMedia. Examples include keyword suggestions for images (i.e. based on machine learning) and content errors and warnings. External systems can be integrated to suggest other keywords based on the given data. Experience Feedback Hub bundles all this information, giving editors the required feedback to improve their content.

The set of rules that are applied for the different integrations can be defined by editors according to their company’s strategy. Depending on the type of feedback it is shown directly with the edited content in CoreMedia Studio.

Adapters and example implementations for custom adapters are available the Experience Feedback Hub.

3.4. CoreMedia Commerce Hub

The CoreMedia Commerce Hub creates a bridge to integrate e-Commerce systems with CoreMedia. It offers an API to implement adapters for any e-Commerce platform. It also supports multi-commerce environments, making it possible to integrate one or many commerce systems in one installation.

The service-oriented approach of the hub permits the integration of (custom) 3rd party e-Commerce systems with out-of-the box (OOTB) connectors among them: Salesforce Commerce Cloud, SAP Commerce Cloud, HCL Commerce. These connectors have their own lifecycle. Additional connectors are available, please refer to CoreMedia Labs and CoreMedia’s partner eco-system. Custom connectors can be built by using the provided API, documentation and examples.

3.4.1. Connector for Salesforce Commerce Cloud

The Connector for Salesforce Commerce Cloud integrates a CoreMedia system with Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Please refer to Supported Environments for integration details.

The Connector supports the so-called commerce-led integration between CoreMedia Content Cloud and Salesforce Commerce Cloud. In this integration scenario Salesforce Commerce Cloud is the leading system, delivering web pages to the visitor of the website. CoreMedia Content Cloud augments the store experience by delivering fragments to Salesforce Commerce Cloud, which post-processes each fragment and integrates them in the assembled page, which is then delivered to the visitor.

The Connector provides an integration between CoreMedia Content Cloud and Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Please refer to Supported Environments and the connector’s release notes for details on available features and integration capabilities.

3.4.2. Connector for SAP Commerce Cloud

The Connector for SAP Commerce Cloud integrates a CoreMedia system with SAP Commerce Cloud. Please refer to Supported Environments for integration details.

The Connector supports the so-called commerce-led integration between CoreMedia Content Cloud and SAP Commerce Cloud. In this integration scenario SAP Commerce Cloud is the leading system delivering, web pages to the visitor of the website. CoreMedia Content Cloud augments the store experience by delivering fragments to SAP Commerce Cloud, which post-processes each fragment and integrates them in the assembled page, which is then delivered to the visitor.

The Connector provides an integration between CoreMedia Content Cloud and SAP Commerce Cloud. Please refer to Supported Environments and the connector’s release notes for details on available features and integration capabilities.

3.4.3. Connector for HCL Commerce

The Connector for HCL Commerce Cloud integrates a CoreMedia system with HCL Commerce, formerly known as IBM Commerce. Please refer to Supported Environments for integration details.

The Connector supports the so-called commerce-led integration between CoreMedia Content Cloud and HCL Commerce. In this integration scenario HCL Commerce is the leading system delivering, web pages to the visitor of the website. CoreMedia Content Cloud augments the store experience by delivering fragments to HCL Commerce, which post-processes each fragment and integrates them in the assembled page, which is then delivered to the visitor.

The Connector provides an integration between CoreMedia Content Cloud and HCL Commerce. Please refer to Supported Environments and the connector’s release notes for details on available features and integration capabilities.

3.4.4. Connector for commercetools

The Connector for commercetools integrates a CoreMedia system with the commercetools headless commerce platform. Please refer to Supported Environments for integration details.

The Connector supports the so-called headless integration between CoreMedia Content Cloud and commercetools. In this integration scenario a headless client is using commercetools and CoreMedia Content Cloud APIs in parallel and meshing data from all integrated services. A Commerce Hub Adapter for integrating CoreMedia Studio (e.g. library browsing) with the commercetools catalog is available. Detailed integration capabilities and features are listed in the connector’s release notes.

3.5. CoreMedia Marketing Automation Hub

The CoreMedia Marketing Automation Hub integrates marketing systems with CoreMedia. It offers an API to implement adapters for marketing platforms, so that users of CoreMedia can manage content in relation with marketing system data. As part of this integration, an exchange of content between the two systems takes place.

The Marketing Automation Hub provides bi-directional data integration capabilities. Content stored in CoreMedia can be made available to the marketing system. Likewise, data from the marketing system can be used within CoreMedia.

Content can be pushed to marketing systems and re-used there, e.g. for newsletters. User profile information from the marketing system can be made available for content personalization within CoreMedia Adaptive Personalization. Data gathered by the CoreMedia Application Engine can be written into the marketing system.

3.5.1. Connector for Salesforce Marketing Cloud

The Connector for Salesforce Marketing Cloud provides an integration between CoreMedia Content Cloud and Salesforce Marketing Cloud. Please refer to Supported Environments and the connector’s release notes for details on available features and integration capabilities.

3.6. CoreMedia Personalization Hub

CoreMedia Personalization Hub is the foundation for creating, applying and, managing personalized experiences using CoreMedia.

It offers a client-side API to implement connectors for any personalization engine. Such implementation enables the usage of segments and experiences (for testing and optimization purposes or application of artificial intelligence & machine learning) created in the 3rd party engine as a context source for personalized delivery of content. The Personalization Hub also offers a server-side API that enables the creation, editing, and storing segments of users as well as the personalized delivery of content to these segments.

A graphical user interface for creating personalization rules that select content based on conditions is provided as a plug-in for CoreMedia Studio. These rules are executed and evaluated in the personalization delivery component, which integrates into the standard CoreMedia delivery architecture.

These rules are exercised and evaluated in the delivery component, which is integrated in the standard delivery architecture of XY. Test user profiles can be created in this plugin for preview and quality testing. They simulate how content is selected and rendered for different user segments. Adapters and examples of implementations for custom adapters are available for the Personalization Hub.

3.6.1. Connector for BySide

The Connector for BySide provides an integration between CoreMedia Content Cloud and BySide. Please refer to our Documentation and Downloads section for details on available features and integration capabilities.

The BySide connector integrates BySide for personalization, segmentation and optimization of content for specific user groups.

3.6.2. Connector for Monetate

The Connector for Monetate provides an integration between CoreMedia Content Cloud and Monetate. Please refer to our Documentation and Downloads section for details on available features and integration capabilities.

The Monetate connector integrates Monetate for personalization, segmentation and optimization of content for specific user groups.

3.6.2. Connector for Dynamic Yield

The Connector for Dynamic Yield provides an integration between CoreMedia Content Cloud and Dynamic Yield. Please refer to our Documentation and Downloads section for details on available features and integration capabilities.

The Dynamic Yield connector integrates Dynamic Yield for personalization, segmentation and optimization of content for specific user groups.

4. Technical Requirements

The supported environments for CoreMedia Content Cloud valid from the current release onwards are available on the download portal.

5. Performance Units

The scope of use of the standard software is based on the performance units described below:

1. Hardware capacity of the servers of the hardware used by the Licensee for the production environment.

2. Hardware capacity of the servers of the hardware used by the Licensee for the test and development environments.

3. The number of editors ("active editors") of the licensee working with the system at the same time.

4. The number of sites that are connected to a commerce system.

5. The use of optional components

If test and development licenses have been purchased, CoreMedia grants the licensee the right to use only for internal development and testing and only in conjunction with a license for the production environment.

The performance units described above are dependent in particular on further technical development. CoreMedia therefore reserves the right to change these previously described performance units.

5.1. Hardware Capacity

The hardware capacity rating depends on (1) the operating environment used and (2) the resulting specific hardware capacity units (such as CPUs, cores, vCores, etc.) of the operating environment used.

Independent of the specific hardware capacity units, the hardware capacity is measured with "Performance Unit" (PU).

The following parameters are relevant for the operating environment:

1. hardware architecture used, e.g. x86

2. optional virtualization, e.g. VMWare ESX, Microsoft Hyper-V

3. optional container virtualization, e.g. Docker

The following applies to the counting of licensed units:

a. The maximum number of allocated hardware capacity units that the CoreMedia components can use is counted.

b. If container virtualization is used and the number of container hardware capacity units is lower than that which would result from point a.), the lower number of hardware capacity units shall apply for the counting and therefore the licensing.

The following parameters shall apply for the "Docker" operating environment:

- Hardware architecture: x86

- Virtualization: none

- Container virtualization: licensed

In relation to the "Docker" operating environment, "CPU Core" are counted as Performance Units (PU) within the scope of licensing.

The following parameters shall apply for the " VMware ESX" operating environment:

- Hardware architecture: x86

- Virtualization: VMware ESX

- Container virtualization: licensed

In relation to the " VMware ESX " operating environment, "vCore" are counted as Performance Units (PU) within the scope of licensing.

The following parameters shall apply for the " HyperV" operating environment:

- Hardware architecture: x86

- Virtualisation: Microsoft Hyper-V

- Container virtualisation: licensed

In relation to the " HyperV " operating environment, " Virtual Processor" are counted as Performance Units (PU) within the scope of licensing.

The following parameters shall apply for the " AWS" operating environment:

- Hardware architecture: x86

- Virtualisation: Amazon Web Services

- Container virtualisation: licensed

In relation to the " AWS " operating environment, "vCPU" are counted as Performance Units (PU) within the scope of licensing.

The following parameters shall apply for the " Azure" operating environment:

- Hardware architecture: x86

- Virtualisation: Microsoft Azure

- Container virtualisation: licensed

In relation to the " Azure " operating environment, "Core" are counted as Performance Units (PU) within the scope of licensing.

5.2. Production Environments

Production environments are licensed based on the hardware capacity allocated to these environments (prefix "CMCC-CC").

5.3. Test & Development Environments

Test & Development Environments are licensed based on the hardware capacity allocated to these environments (prefix "CMCC-DEV"). Test & Development Environment Licences may not be used for Production Environments.

All optional components licensed for the production environment can be used for test & development environments.

5.4. Active Editors

The following criteria are decisive for the number of active editors:

Active editors are those who interact with the system at a given time using the CoreMedia Studio, Site Manager or a custom-developed component.

5.5. Commerce Sites

The number of sites managed in the system is measured by the technically created site indicators. A site indicator must be created, for example, whenever a new language variant of a site is created or another commerce store is connected.

The sites that have been connected using the functionality provided by the Commerce Hub must be licensed.

5.6. Optional components

The optional components are not components of the CoreMedia Content Cloud standard software, but represent additional functionalities which require additional licensing.

For optional components whose license is based on hardware capacity, the number of licensed performance units of the production systems (prefix "CMCC-CC") is decisive for the calculation of the hardware capacity.

5.6.1. Personalization Hub

Personalization Hub is licensed based on hardware capacity.

5.6.2 Connector for BySide

The use of the Connector for BySide is licensed once per customer. A valid Personalization Hub license is also required.

5.6.3 Connector for Monetate

The use of the Connector for Monetate is licensed once per customer. A valid Personalization Hub license is also required.

5.6.4 Connector for Dynamic Yield

The use of the Connector for Dynamic Yield is licensed once per customer. A valid Personalization Hub license is also required.

5.6.5 Elastic Social

Elastic Social is licensed based on hardware capacity.

5.6.6 Commerce Hub

Commerce Hub is licensed based on hardware capacity.

5.6.7 Marketing Automation Hub

Marketing Automation Hub is licensed based on hardware capacity.

5.6.8 Content Hub

Content Hub is licensed based on hardware capacity.

The use of the Content Hub with up to 3 configured connectors* does not require an additional license.

5.6.9 Experience Feedback Hub

Experience Feedback Hub is licensed based on hardware capacity.

The use of the Experience Feedback Hub with up to 3 configured connectors* does not require an additional license.

5.6.10 Connector for Salesforce Commerce Cloud B2C

The use of the Connector for Salesforce Commerce Cloud B2C is licensed once per customer. A valid Commerce Hub license is also required.

5.6.11 Connector for SAP Commerce Cloud

The use of the Connector for SAP Commerce Cloud is licensed once per customer. A valid Commerce Hub license is also required.

5.6.12 Connector for HCL Commerce

The use of the Connector for HCL Commerce is licensed once per customer. A valid Commerce Hub license is also required.

5.6.13. Connector for Salesforce Marketing Cloud

The Connector for Salesforce Marketing Cloud is licensed per organization, determined by the OrgID in Salesforce Marketing Cloud. A valid Marketing Automation Hub license is also required.

* A configured connector is a software component that uses the API of the corresponding hub and establishes a connection to exactly one external system. If a connector connects several external systems directly or indirectly, each external system counts as one connector.