The client layer consists of basic applications for users to access the Documentumrepository. It includes end-user interfaces, administrator tools, and integrations withpopular authoring tools and enterprise applications.
Applications on the client layer are built from reusable components that build on thecontent management service available from lower layers in the architecture. ADocumentum client application is a collection of components that work together to fulfilla business purpose. The same components may appear in other client applications or asPortlets in an enterprise portal. Because components of both Microsoft Windows-basedapplications and Web-based applications share the repository’s data dictionary andbusiness objects, developers and users can be sure of consistent results from all clientapplications.
Microsoft Windows-Based Applications
Documentum Desktop is a Microsoft Windows application that gives end-users access toone or more Documentum repositories and exposes all enterprise document managementcapabilities. It is integrated with Windows Explorer, presenting repository contents in aninterface parallel to Explorer’s access to file-system contents.
The functionality of Documentum Desktop is made available through COM components.Some of the components are written in Visual Basic, and the source code is provided. Aworkstation running Documentum Desktop has a copy of DFC, which the componentsuse to communicate with one or more Content Servers.
Documentum Desktop also provides integration to popular third-party applications, suchas Microsoft Office, to allow them to request content management services directly fromthe application’s user interface.
Documentum Desktop includes these integrations among others:
• Windows Explorer
• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft Outlook
• Acrobat Business Tools and Exchange
• Arbor text Epic and other XML editors
For activities that do not require immediate interaction with Content Server,Documentum Desktop offers the option to “work offline” also My Documentum Offline application provides better platform to work on document content management. This feature enables users todownload content from the Documentum repository to their local machine and work onthem while disconnected from the repository. When they reconnect to the repository, thesystem synchronizes the offline content with the matching objects in the repository. Thesynchronization process updates the repository with any changes the user has stored onthe local machine.
Authoring Integration Services (AIS) provides integration with content authoring tools toDocumentum on both Macintosh and Windows platforms. AIS includes a servercomponent that allows network drive access through a client’s operating system, Thisserver allows the operating system to treat the Documentum repository as a file systemwithout compromising its security, From the authoring tools point of view, they arereading and writing file from a disk, The AIS server is the primary access point forbrowsing, reading from and writing to the Documentum repository.
Additional client side development provides enhanced Documentum-specific featuresincluding import, check out, check in, metadata update, and version control, Thisdevelopment is achieved through the unified client framework.
Unified Client Framework
The unified client framework provides a mechanism in which client applications caninteract with Documentum to utilize common content management functions such asmetadata assignment, versioning, and lifecycle initiation.
Documentum Web Based Applications
Documentum WebTop is a Web-based application that gives end-users access to one ormore Documentum repositories. It provides a user environment similar to DocumentumDesktop, running through a browser rather than Microsoft Windows Explorer.WebTop is built using the Documentum Web Development Kit (WDK), Just asdevelopers can incorporate Documentum Desktop components in a Windows application(as delivered or in customized form), and they can use WDK components in custom Webapplications. The WDK uses a development approach based on a form-control- eventapproach, consistent with NET Web Forms and the developing Java Server Facesstandard (JSR 127). This approach enables developers to create production-quality userinterfaces far more quickly than traditional Web development techniques.
The WDK component model encapsulates customized and localized functionality into apackage of closely related files, managed separately from the base product to ensure thatthe functionality is presented during an upgrade.
Many key Documentum applications are built using WDK. For example, manyDocumentum products include a WDK-based administration module. DocumentumAdministrator, the core administration application for Content Server, is a WDKapplication. Documentum Web Publisher is a WDK-based application that enablescustomers to create, manage, and publish Web pages and Web sites using Documentumcontent management capabilities. Documentum Digital Asset Manager is a WDK-basedtool for marketing departments or any other organization that deals with rich media.
Client Layer