The Service Relay is basicly a technic used to collect data on sale from vendors and SLX magic boxes. Then the service relay can relay those data out to different services.

An example of this will be the Update Server that is allready included in the vendor system.

I will show an illustration of the workflow of vendor, service relay and services to make it easier to understand the technic and the potential this system has.

Illustration of communication between Vendors/Magic boxes through Service Relay to Services.

On the illustration you see the Service Relay in the middle as the "distributor" of the data. The data can come from either a vendor or SLX magic box. Data will be send from those units on sales.

When the Service Relay receives data.

When data are received in the Service relay it is parsed on to handlers. Handlers are other scripts in the service relay which can have different purposes. I allready provided the Service Relay with an updateserver handler. Along with the updateserver handler i also provided a notecard in where the handler scripts are told where to send information to.

I will provide a open handler script with this post which can be used to create own service handlers, or you can develope your service handlers from scratch if you like.

Data is passed to Service handlers from the the relay script as a linked message. Data comes in on message channel 100. See the open service handler script for information.

Security in the communication

The data which are sent from vendors and magic boxes are encrypted only a low level to avoid to much lag. The data doesnt interact with payments or content and are therefor not concideried high risk.

Any other security you want must and can be made in your own service handler scripts.

How to setup the usage of the Service Relay

To use the benefits of the Service Relay you must do the following.

Rez a new Service relay. Notice the UUID which is reported in chat when it is rezzed.

Vendors:

Open the p_config in any vendor you want to send sales information to your Service Relay.

Replace the relayserver UUID with the one just reported to you in chat when you rezzed the Service Relay.

*NOTE*: You can only communicate between items owned by you.
Vendor, Magic Box and Service Relay must have same owner. If not the communication will fail silently.

ex: relayserver: 12345678-1234-4321-0000-123456789abc
(remember to remove the # sign infront)
*NOTE*: A vendor can only have ONE UUID for a relayserver.
A Vendor can only send information to ONE relayserver.

Changes to p_config will take effect when you have had the vendors offline and back online.

SLX Magic Boxes:

Copy the "ans_to_relay" notecard into your Magic Box.

Edit the "ans_to_relay" and insert the UUID just reported to you in chat when you rezzed the Service Relay. This must be the only line in the notecard. Save the notecard.

Copy the "ANS Script" into the Magic Box. (if anyone still have the transfer, no copy version of this script you can just contact me).

Goto your slexchange.com account.

Goto "My ANS Preferences".

Check the checkbox left to "Purchase, using the following method:"

Check the radio button left to "Second Life® Object:" and select the Magic Box you just added the notecard and script into.

Check the checkbox left to "Allow me to Verify each Purchase notification."

Click "Save Configuration"

Your Service Relay is now setup for full notifications from both vendor(s) and Magic Box. And you are ready to use it to receive informations for services in your business.

As mentioned and descriped earlier in this post you can use this with own developed services.
Palen Design allready made use of the Service Relay for our Update Servers. Goto to "Setting up the Update Server" to setup the allready made service Palen Design Update Server.

Feel free to post more to this thread if you have made services you want to share with other Palen Vendor System users.

/Zep