Revenue By Design / Outperform integration

This internal use article runs through the set-up and operation of the Revenue By Design (RbD) or Outperform integration.  

The integration can be a one OR two way.  A one-way integration will send booking and rates information to Outperform.  A two-way integration will push rates back down to HART.

Once Outperform receives the data from HART, a series of calculations are made with this data being combined with competitor and historical information in order to formulate a suggested price point.  When using a two-way interface to push the price into HART, there are two options: manual or auto-pilot.

The manual setting allows Outperform users to review the pricing suggestion and make amends before authorising this to be pushed into HART.  Auto-pilot will complete this process without manual intervention.  Even in autopilot mode, it is possible for users to overwrite the settings and dictate the price to be pushed to HART.

This guide looks at:

• Overview of the installation and set up process
• Technical details for initial set-up
• HART Configuration for two-way interfaces

Overview of the installation and set up process

Once a property is proceeding with any format of the interface then the following needs to take place:

• The Outperform installers should be run on the PC hosting the service.  The installer does the following process:  creates folder and installs the config and exe files

• Creates a folder (C:\Program Files (x86)\Software Underground LTD\) with the correct permissions
• Installs the necessary files (rbd.config and dbconfig.date)

Following this step configuration of the interface must take place as detailed below.

Once the installation and configuration of the interface is complete, in conjunction with the property, Revenue By Design (if applicable) and Outperform the following tests must be completed: 

• A test send of data from HART to Outperform 
• Where a two-way interface is to be used a test send of data from Outperform to HART 

Initial interface set up

The steps below must be completed by HART and requires the property to have a server/PC where the interface can be installed (in a similar way to Sync & Poll)

The interface requires a configuration file named rbd.config to be present in the application startup directory — the same location from which the main executable is launched, typically: C:\Program Files (x86)\Software Underground LTD\rbd

• Purpose: This configuration file provides essential, non-sensitive parameters specific to the hotel property.
• Execution Modes: It is required regardless of whether the program is operating in: 
  • Autonomous (automated) mode, where it runs without user interaction
  • Manual mode, where user input is involved

Without a valid rbd.config file in place, the program will not initiate or function correctly.

<manual>

Sets the program in Manual or Autonomous mode (IE, “yes” means the program will open in manual mode, ready for the user to select a date and upload the CSV).  See below for further description of manual -v- autonomous modes.

<hotel>

Sets the programmes RbD designated name, 

<unit>

Which HART unit to use (NB: 1 is standard for hotels without units set up) 

<merge>

 When set to yes, unit values is ignored and ALL unit data is obtained 

Configuration file

At the initial launch, the application will load with a configuration screen. 

<Source>
 This specifies the address of the SQL Server you’re connecting to. It can be:

• A domain name (e.g. HartCloud.webredirect.org)
• An internal network IP (e.g. 192.168.1.50)
• A custom port (e.g. 49679) if SQL Server isn’t using the default port (1433)
   Format example: ServerAddress,Port

<Catalogue>
The exact name of the database hosted on the SQL Server (also known as the database catalogue). This determines which database is being accessed

<Username>
The SQL Server login username. Used for authenticating the database session — it grants access rights to both the server and the specific database catalogue. Please note this must be the revenuebydesign user, which may require setting up on the database

<Password>
The corresponding password for the SQL Server login above. It must match the specified <Username> and meet server security policies. Please note that this password must be unique to this property and this user. Please use the RoboForm password generator.

<Login name>
 This is the FTP or SFTP account username provided by RbD. It identifies your application when connecting to their file repository.

<Password> (under FTP/SFTP section)
 The password is tied to the FTP/SFTP <Login name>. Together, they establish secure access to RbD’s storage endpoint.

<Ftp/Sftp>
 Indicates the FTP URL (provided by RbD) used to access RbD’s remote file storage:

• FTP is standard, but less secure
• SFTP (preferred) encrypts file transfers
   This is the service endpoint where credentials are applied.

<Port>
 The numeric port used by the FTP/SFTP service (e.g. 21 for FTP, 22 for SFTP). This ensures the connection goes to the correct entry point on the RbD server.

NB: Hardcoded,  is the destination folder on the FTP site. This is always “/FromHotel“

Manual Mode – User Interface Workflow

When the application is launched manually (e.g. via desktop shortcut or by executing the .exe file), the user is presented with an interactive interface.

Date Selection & Report Submission

• Date Picker: The user can choose any date via the dropdown calendar selector. 
  • Note: Selecting a future date will result in an empty report. Nevertheless, this placeholder file will still be uploaded to RevenueByDesign for consistency.
• Send Report: Once the desired date is selected, clicking the “Send Report” button will: 
  • Generate a space-delimited .CSV file
  • Include all guest departure records for the selected date (e.g. names and associated email addresses)
  • Upload the file automatically to the secure RbD server via FTP/SFTP

The report generation process can be repeated multiple times in the same session. Users may exit the application via the Help menu or by clicking the X (close) button in the window corner.

Autonomous Mode – Silent Scheduled Execution

The integration is a fully automated operation.  When the rbd.config file has its manual mode flag explicitly set to no, the RevenueByDesign application operates in autonomous mode.

When executed in autonomous mode, the interface generates a space-delimited. CSV file containing all departure records for a specified business date.

• Auto-Execution: In automated mode, the system defaults to the current date, requiring no manual input.
• Data Output: The output file adheres to a standardised, space-delimited format for ease of downstream processing.
• Secure Upload: Once generated, the file is automatically transmitted to a designated Secure FTP (SFTP) server, ensuring encrypted transport and data confidentiality.

This mode is suited for scheduled execution via Windows Task Scheduler, allowing the program to run at a fixed time each day (e.g., post-checkout or end-of-day processing) without user intervention.

In either manual or autonomous mode, when running, the interface will run the following two procedures on the database:

• exec pr_period_room_inventory 'TODAYdate-4days','TODAYSdate+370days', unit  
• exec pr_period_reservation 'TODAYdate-4days','TODAYSdate+370days', unit 

Application Startup Validation

Upon launch, the application performs a series of startup integrity checks to ensure all required operational files are present and valid:

Required Files at Startup

1. rbd.config

• Contains local configuration parameters essential to the program 
• If missing or malformed, the application will notify the user and terminate immediately

1. dbconfig.dat

• Stores encrypted database access credentials and connection metadata
• If the file is absent or if it was generated on a different machine or user context, the application will detect the mismatch, inform the user, and exit

1. error.log

• Maintains runtime logs and diagnostics
• On startup, if this file exceeds 500 KB, it will be automatically archived with a timestamped (and, if necessary, incremented) filename to prevent overwriting
• A new, blank error.log file will then be created for fresh logging

Application Menu Options

• Files Menu

• Opens the error log and the local rbd.config file for review and troubleshooting

• Display Menu

• Clears the black output window in the interface - useful for resetting the display when generating multiple reports in sequence

• Help Menu

• Launches this user guide/manual
• Opens the About dialogue with application version and metadata
• Allows the user to quit the application gracefully

Known Issues and Resolutions

ISSUE:

Configuration (.config), data (.dat), and error log files—along with the output folder—are not located in the application's installation directory.

CAUSE:

This behaviour is caused by Windows sandboxing via VirtualStore. When users lack elevated permissions during install or runtime, Windows silently redirects writes from Program Files (x86) to a sandboxed location under their user profile.

RESOLUTION:

1. Navigate to the VirtualStore sandbox path:
   C:\Users\<LOGGED_IN_USERNAME>\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\Software Underground LTD\HARTRbDDataSync
2. Cut and paste all contents—especially .config, .dat, .log, and output data—into the correct application directory:
   C:\Program Files (x86)\Software Underground LTD\HARTRbDDataSync
3. Delete the sandbox folder to prevent future redirection:
   C:\Users\<LOGGED_IN_USERNAME>\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\Software Underground LTD\HARTRbDDataSync

Tip: For best results, run the application with elevated privileges (right-click → "Run as administrator") to avoid VirtualStore redirection.

HART Configuration for the two-way interface

When the interface is set up for HART to receive information from Outperform, then information is to specific endpoints: 

Rate value information to:

https://cloud-reservations.net/Levels/

Rate restriction information to:

https://cloud-reservations.net/raterestrictions

Before the interface can function an API key must be generated and shared with Outperform.  The key is generated and entered to the hotel_api_keys table on the gem database

Inside HART, the method of pricing (Daily or Levels) should be defined in Configuration > Global > Advanced2

• Do Nothing: to be used when using BAR levels
• On Date: to be used when using daily rates
• On Date / Unit: to be used when using Daily Rates and Units

Rate Plan Linking

Only one rate plan (per unit) must be linked to the RbD channel within HART.  This is done in the same way as linking Synxis as a channel, for instance.  Once the 'master' rate plan has been selected in the Channels tab, the RevenueByDesign channel should be selected.  The rate code must not have the '&' (ampersand) character within it as this will cause the interface to fail.

Room Type Linking

When rates are returned to HART, it's necessary to map the room types present on HART to Outperform.  This process is completed in Outperform, and the room category codes MUST match those in Configuration > Services > Bedrooms > Accommodation 

A summary of the linking in place can be seen in the hotel database by executing the following procedure: pr_revenuebydesign_room_list