Documentum Frequently Asked Questions

Upon request….

Enterprise Content Management (ECM) and Documentum

1. What is Enterprise Content Management (ECM)?

Enterprise content management software helps organizations create, capture, manage, and archive the vast amount of digital content that exists across the enterprise. Content or unstructured information includes text documents, email, reports, XML, pictures/images, audio and video files, and transactional data.

2. What are the top reasons to implement ECM?

Return on investment (ROI)

Compliance

Collaboration

Consolidation

3. What is Documentum?

Documentum provides enterprise content management (ECM) solutions that enable organizations to unite teams, content and associated business processes.

Documentum platform makes it possible for companies to distribute all of this content in multiple languages, across internal and external systems, applications, and user communities.

Documentum solution accelerates time to market, increase customer satisfaction, enhance supply chain efficiencies, and reduce operating costs, improving their overall competitive advantage.

4. What Key Characters does Documentum possess?

• Extensible
• Open
• Scalable
• Reliable
• Secure
• Portable
• Global

5. What is eContentServer?

eContentServer is Documentum’s core server technology that stores content files, their indexes and properties in a repository called a Docbase. Information is stored as objects.

6. What is Repository?

A repository is where persistent objects managed by Content Server are stored. A repository stores the object metadata and sometimes content. A Documentum installation can have multiple repositories. Each repository is uniquely identified by a repository ID.

7. What is Docbase?     

Docbase is a secure repository for storing information. Each Docbase stores two kinds of information:  Content, Properties. Docbase is a repository. 

8. What is Content?     

Content can be a text, graphics, sound, or video that makes up the document. Content files are stored in a protected directory structure in the server host’s file system.

9. What is Metadata?     

The attribute values saved in the repository are called metadata which is stored in a relational database tables. Properties (also known as metadata) are descriptive characteristics, such as a document’s creation date, creator, most recent editor, versions, format, and status in a lifecycle. 

10. Who is a client?     

A client is an end user, application, or process that uses Content Server to access the repository. Documentum provides two basic client interfaces that allow end users to access repositories:

• Desktop (older versions are called Desktop Client)

• Webtop

11. What is the connection broker or the DocBroker?

A naming server for the documentum content server that provides connection informations to the client session. 

Documentum Products and Tools

1. What is Web Development Kit (WDK)?

WDK provides framework for developing Web-based content management applications.

2. How WDK implements MVC pattern?

Model:

This is contained in the Docbase data structure and is accessed in WDK via the DFC services interface.

 View:

The component JSP pages implement the view layer of the application. These JSP pages use both behavioral and data-bound tag libraries, which are defined in separate classes allowing a clean separation of presentation from application logic.

Controller:

The controller aspects of the WDK are implemented in two different places the component dispatcher servlet, which marshals requests between components and the implementation of the tag libraries and components in separate classes.

3. What is Docbasic?     

Docbasic is a powerful, easy-to-use programming language that Documentum provides.

4. What is the usage of Documentum Application Builder (DAB)?

An integrated development environment for creating infrastructure objects for content management applications such as custom document object types, workflows, and document lifecycles.

5. What is Documentum Administrator (DA)?

Documentum Administrator is a Web-based product for configuring Documentum content management systems

6. What is Webtop?     

It is the standard web-based library services client for Documentum that is built with WDK 5

7. What is the usage of LDAP directory server?

An LDAP directory server is a third-party product that provides a single place for maintenance of some or all users and groups in your enterprise.

8. What is Menu System Designer?

Menu System Designer helps to customize Documentum Desktop menu items, including objects on the Menu Bar, on the Context Menus and toolbar buttons on the Toolbar. You can add, remove, copy, move, and modify menus and buttons using the Menu System Designer.

9. What are the two interactive utilities available to      communicate with the content server?

IAPI and IDQL

Documentum Basic Concepts

1. What is an object ID?

Each object stored in the repository is identified by a unique identified called object ID.

2. How Documentum object are named?

Dm_   visible to users and applications.

Dmi_   represents object types that are used internally by Documentum Content Server and client products.

Dmr_  represents object types that are generally read only.

3. What are Persistence object types?

Objects stored in the repository and persist across sessions. The definitions of persistent object types are stored in the repository as objects of type dm_type and dmi_type_info.

4. What are Non-Persistence object types?

Objects types created at runtime. Examples: objects and query result objects are not persistent.

5. Which is the client initialization file?

DMCL

6. What does Proximity values indicate?

It represents the server’s distance from the DocBrokers.

7. What is the usage of max_connection_per_session?

The maximum number of connections in a single repository session can be set using this variable

8. What is Concurrent session?

Number of connection that can be made to content server.

9. Which are the two API’s that gives user applications full      access to content server?     

DFC and DMCL

10. What is DMCL?

The DMCL (Documentum Client Library) Manages the communication between the client and the eContentServer. It contains a library of API calls that are used by the client for execution on the eContentServer

11. What is Documentum Foundation Class (DFC)?

A set of Java classes that make essentially all EDM server functionality available to client programs through a published set of interfaces. DFC provides an object-oriented framework for accessing the capabilities of Content Server.

12. What is Documentum Query Language (DQL)?

DQL is a superset of the ANSI SQL that provides a single, unified query language for all the objects managed by Content Server.

13. Which execution is faster DQL or DMCL?

Creating or updating an object using DQL is faster than DMCL because DQL uses one statement to create or modify and then save the object where DMCL need to issue several methods(create the object, set its attributes and then save the object) to do the same.

14. What is Business Objects Framework (BOF)?

Documentum BOF provides a framework and a methodology to develop reusable business logic components called Business Objects. This framework is built into DFC and accessible from applications written using DFC.

15. What is Federation?

A Docbase federation is a set of two or more Docbases that are bound together to facilitate the management of a multi-Docbase distributed configuration. One Docbase in the set is the governing Docbase. The remaining Docbases are member Docbases.

16. What is a locale?     

Locale represents a specific geographical, political, or cultural region.

17. What is Internationalization?

Internationalization is the process of enabling the translation of a program without modification of its executable code. An internationalized program supports user interfaces (UI) and user input in multiple languages.

Internationalization is referred as I18N, which represents the first and last letters of the word “Internationalization” and the 18 characters in between.

18. What is Localization?

Localization is the translation of user interface and message elements into multiple languages.

All visible text in WDK server pages has been externalized to simple text resource files which can then be translated into other languages

Localization is referred as L10N, which represents the first and last characters and 10 characters between them.

19. What is transformation?

A transformation is the automated rendering of content from one look or format to another.

20. What is DocApp?     

A DocApp is a virtual document that collects together all the elements of a custom application. It can consist of:

• Object types

• Document lifecycles

• Workflows

• Permission set templates

• Alias sets

• Executable elements

• Data dictionary information

• Repository objects, such as queries or folder hierarchies

21. What is DocApp Archive?

A DocApp archive is a portable representation of a DocApp, stored as a file on the file system. It can be created with Application Builder and installed using Documentum DocApp Installer.

22. Whether DocApps get dumped during the repository dump?

DocApps wont get dumped.

23. What is cabinet?     

Cabinets provide the highest level of organization. Every document and folder must reside in a cabinet.

24. What is a Folder?     

Documents and other objects are stored inside folders or directly inside cabinets. Folders can be placed inside cabinets or other folders.

25. Who is a User?     

A user is typically an individual person. To access objects in a repository, a person must be represented by a dm_user object in the repository.  Repository users have two states, active and inactive. An active user can connect to the repository and work. An inactive user is not allowed to connect to the repository.

26. What are the two types of User Privileges?

User Privileges are basic and extended.

Basic privileges:  operations that a user can perform on SysObjects in the repository.

Extended privileges: define the security-related operations the user can perform.

27. What are the user Basic and Extended Permission Sets?

Basic:

Extended:

28. What is object level permission?

Access permissions assigned to every SysObject in the repository.

29. What are the Object level Basic and Extended Permission Sets?

Basic:

Extended:

30. What is Unicode Encoding?

Unicode encodings are designed to be capable of rendering every known language character. Unicode is represented by several encodings, including UTF-8, UTF-16, and UCS-2.

31. What encoding does WDK supports?

WDK supports UTF-8.

Workflow and Lifecycle

1. What is Workflow?     

Workflows are a collection of tasks with associated documents that are passed to users or groups in a particular order. 

2. What is a Task?     

Tasks are items sent to a user that require the user to perform some action.

3. What is Documentum Inbox?

Inboxes contain workflow tasks, event notifications and items sent to users manually.

4. What is Document lifecycle?

Process that controls the lifecycle (creating, editing, approving and retiring) of the document. Lifecycle consists of a linear sequence of lifecycle states.

5. What is Document lifecycle state?

A point in the life cycle of a document characterized by a set of properties, security, ownership, location. Each state has associated entry criteria and actions that must be Performed before an object can enter the state.

6. What are the actions involved in the Life cycle state?

• Promote
• Demote
• Suspend and
• Resume

7. Which method handles the lifecycle movement?

Movement from one state to another is handled by the dm_bp_transition_java and dm_bp_transition methods.

dm_bp_transition_java method is used for Java-based lifecycles.

dm_bp_transition method is used for Docbasic-based lifecycles.

8. What is workflow reporting?

Workflow Reporting is a program designed for managing the workflows in a Docbase and reporting key information about the workflows. It gives you the ability to view all workflows in a Docbase, view all aspects of workflow instances, display and modify alias set values, perform basic maintenance and administrative functions on workflows, contact workflow performers via email, and save and print workflow information.

9. What is an Activity in the workflow?

Activities represent the tasks that comprise the business process.

10. How the activities in the workflow are connected?

A link connects two activities in a workflow through their ports.

11. What are the object types involved in the Workflow execution?

• dm_workflow

• dmi_workitem

• dmi_package

• dmi_queue_item

• dmi_wf_timer

12. What is an Attachment?

Attachments are objects that users attach to a running workflow

13. What is a manual activity?

Manual activity represents a task performed by an actual person or members of a group.

14. What is an automatic activity?

Automatic activity represents a task whose work is performed, on behalf of a user, by a script.

15. What is workflow Agent?

Workflow agent is the Content Server facility that controls the execution of automatic activities.

16. What does Extension mean?

Extension allows the activity’s performer to identify a second performer for the activity after he or she completes the activity for the first time.

17. What is a Transition rule?

Defined set of conditions that must be met for an activity before subsequent activities commence.

Document Version and Virtual Documents

1. What is a Version Tree?

A version tree refers to an original document and all of its versions. The tree begins with the original object and contains all versions of the object derived from the original.

2. What is Implicit Version Label?

Implicit version label is a numeric label assigned by the server and is always stored in the first position of the r_version_label attribute (r_version_label[0]).

3. What is Symbolic Version Label?

Symbolic version label is either system- or user-defined and are stored in the second position (r_version_label[1]) in the r_version_label attribute.

4. Which label is assigned automatically by the server?

Symbolic label CURRENT is the only symbolic label that the server can assign to a document automatically.

5. What is branching?

Branching takes place automatically when you check out and then check back in an older version of a document because the subsequent linear versions of the document already exist and the server cannot overwrite a previously existing version.

6. What is Annotations?

Annotations are comments that a user attaches to a document

7. What is a Locator object?

Locator object is the shortcut to an object in a Docbase that contain only the location of the target object. Double-clicking a locator object takes you to the target object.

8. What are Simple documents?

Simple document is a document with one or more primary content. Primary content associated with a document is represented by a content object in the repository.

9. What are Virtual documents?

Virtual documents are a hierarchical structure of component documents that can be published as a single document.

10. What are compound documents?

Compound documents are sets of document on your local disk that are referenced to one another or linked using Object Linking and Embedding (OLE).

11. Can compound documents be included in the virtual documents?

Yes.

12. What is binding?     

Attaching a specific version of a component to a virtual document is referred to as binding.

13. Which are the objects types used by virtual documents?

Two object types to store information about virtual documents:

• Containment object type

• Assembly object type

14. What are containment objects?

Containment objects contain information about the components of a virtual document.

15. What are assembly objects?

Assembly objects make up snapshots. A snapshot is a record of a virtual document at a particular time. It records the exact components of the virtual document at the time the snapshot was created. Each assembly object in a snapshot represents one component of the virtual document

16. What is freeze?     

Act of locking an assembly so that no one can change any components to the structure of the assembly

17. When a binding can be broken?

A binding is broken if Virtual Document Manager cannot find the version of a component specified by the component’s binding rule.

Event Tracking and Search

1. What are the security tools used to track the operations in      the repository?     

Auditing and tracing

2. What is Auditing?     

Auditing is the process of recording the occurrence of system and application events in the repository.

3. What is Rendition?

Rendition is a representation of a document that differs from the original document only in its format.

4. What are registered table?

Registered table is an external database table that Documentum knows about and can query on that.

5. What is an event?     

Events are specific actions on specific documents, folders, cabinets, or other objects.

6. What is an execution agent?

Execution agents are the server processes that are capable of executing methods/jobs. Three execution agents are available:

• Dmbasic method server,
• Java method server,
• Content Server.

Agent execution process runs continuously, polling the repository at specified intervals for jobs to execute. The default polling interval is 60 seconds.

7. What is Consistency Checking?

Consistency checking is the process that ensures that cached data accessed by a client is current and consistent with the data in the repository.

8. What is an Event Notification?

An item in the inbox that notifies when an event occurs.

9. What is a scheduled transition?

Transition from one state to another at a pre-defined date and time.

10. What is a Smart List?

Smart List is a Docbase query that can be saved in the Docbase for future use. Creating Smart Lists enables you to execute saved searches of the Docbase without having to retype all the search criteria.

11. What is Full-text index?

Full text index enables a document to be searched based on words in the document.

12. What is Verity Query?

A query constructed using the Verity Query language, which enables you to perform complex Docbase searches.

13. What is Command State Flag in Desktop Client?

The circumstances under which a menu item is enabled on a menu.

14. What is persistent query cache?

Persistent query cache is created on a client machine the first time Documentum Desktop is used. Once the cache is created the user will see an improvement in performance because subsequent calls to the server are performed based on the already queried cache.

15. What is cache coherency job?

This job verifies whether the query cache on the client machine should be invalidated. A cache coherency job is setup to run every 12 hours on the server.

 

Introduction to Documentum

‘Today we have a number of  web sources and blogs speaking about Documentum and other Content Management systems. Concept is the Same Only the Styles differ.’

Documentum is a tool which different organizations choose to facilitate content management. It is a technology which allows organizations to efficiently and securely store and retrieve business documents in an organized manner. It combines a hierarchical file folder structure with structured data (file attributes) to allow users and systems (including Business of the Future) to effectively file and retrieve any document. Documentum lets you store Information in one or more repositories called as Docbases. Each Docbase stores two kinds of information for each document:

Document content is the file you create using applications such as word processor or spreadsheets , and

Metadata is a set of characteristics of each document in the docbase. Metadata is synonymous with “attribute” and “property”. A document has many different “properties” or “metadata” items associated with it such as the document’s creation date, creator, most recent editor, version, and format. Each metadata item can take on values entered manually by the user, or automatically by the system. After these values are entered, a user can search for all documents containing particular metadata values.

Docbases contains Nodes, Cabinets, Home Cabinet and Inbox. Docbase Nodes are the highest level of organization in a Docbase. The highest level of file storage in a docbase are the Docbase Cabinets. In every Docbase you will have a Home Cabinet with your name on it. Only you can see or access this cabinet. You can store all your personal files, folders and others items in your Home Cabinet. Finally, in every Docbase you will have an Inbox where it displays all the tasks and notifications sent to you.

Document content and Metadata or properties.