IBM DB2 Document Manager with IBM Records Manager Solution Guide

6 IBM DB2 Document Manager with IBM Records Manager Solution Guide

found in printed form, in a Web page, or as a distinct document maintained by

the records group. Using Document Manager, you can automate the process of

updating and disseminating the document to all the various formats using a

structured business process that follows corporate guidelines.

1.3 Document Manager components

Document Manager is built on a three-tier model. The model consists of:

򐂰 Document Manager clients

򐂰 Document Manager server and services

򐂰 Content repository

The content repository for a Document Manager solution is Content Manager. If

you need to provide records management to the solution, you need Records

Manager and Content Manager Records Enabler.

Document Manager clients

There are three types of Document Manager clients:

򐂰 Document Manager Desktop

򐂰 Document Manager Designer

򐂰 Document Manager Item Loader

In this redbook, we focus on the first two.

The Document Manager client applications are accessed and installed directly

from a URL configured at the system installation time.

The

Document Manager Desktop is a client interface provided to users to access

and manage documents within Document Manager. It enables users to add,

delete, and modify documents in the system. In addition, users can search and

view documents from the Desktop. Other activities users can perform in the

Desktop include checking in and checking out documents, and transitioning

documents through their life cycles.

The

Document Manager Designer is a client interface provided for system

administrators and the designers of Document Manager. It enables

administrators and designers to configure the Document Manager environment,

the system setup, and the Document Manager Desktops. Without programming,

Note: In this redbook, we use the wording Document Manager solution/

system interchangeably with the wording

document management solution/

system. In addition, when we write that we are

records enabling a solution, we

mean to provide records management to the solution.

Chapter 1. Solution overview 7

the designers can use the interface to customize Desktops for different users,

and control what users can see and do once they are in a Document Manager

system.

Document Manager server and services

The Document Manager server (also known as the Document Manager Library

Server) is the core component of a Document Manager system. It services

requests from Document Manager applications and it serves as the

communicator between the content repository and the Document Manager

applications. It comprises a set of dynamic link libraries (DLLs).

Other basic components of Document Manager are:

򐂰 Cache server

򐂰 Life cycle service

򐂰 Notification service

The

cache server is responsible for maintaining the system’s cache configuration

files up-to-date. Document Manager uses these cache files to reduce server to

client communication and to communicate with Document Manager clients about

changes in the Document Manager system configuration, such as users, menus,

views, states, users’ folder creation and modification. The cache manager runs

at a configurable interval basis, pooling changes from the server repository and

preparing the cache file for the next user connection. In addition, each Document

Manager Desktop maintains its own cache file based in the server cache file. The

Desktop copies the cached information on the cache server to the local server

each time it connects to the Document Manager server if the information has

been changed since its last copy.

The

life cycle service manages documents’ life cycle. It is responsible for

processing document actions submitted from the Document Manager Desktop,

the Item Loader, or Automation Services. Examples of these actions include

sending an e-mail notification, creating a printing job, and starting a rendition

process.

The

notification service processes e-mail notifications and sends e-mails to the

designated users. The notification process is triggered by a Document Manager

life cycle process and can either attach the document or include the document

link to the e-mail.

Document Manager also offers the following optional services:

򐂰 Print/plot service

򐂰 Rendition service

򐂰 Automation service